In a sharp escalation of tensions within the ruling Mahayuti alliance, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar launched a fresh attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during the ongoing municipal corporation election campaign in Pune on Tuesday. Pawar accused the BJP of failing to value its dedicated cadre, even as he showcased his own party's willingness to honor their work by giving them election tickets.
War of Words in Pune's Civic Poll Arena
The political atmosphere in Pune has intensified as allies NCP and BJP lock horns for the crucial Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) polls. While Ajit Pawar's NCP has formed an electoral understanding with Sharad Pawar's NCP faction for these civic bodies, the deputy chief minister has strategically inducted several BJP members and fielded them as candidates.
Addressing a rally in Pimpri Chinchwad, Pawar pointed to specific examples to underscore his point. He highlighted the cases of Amol Balwadkar and Shankar Chinchwade, both former BJP workers who switched to the NCP and were promptly given tickets to contest. Balwadkar is contesting from a PMC ward, while Chinchwade is fighting from a PCMC ward.
"The party's leadership has to take care of its workers and ensure they get due respect for their work," Pawar asserted. "What was the fault of Balwadkar and Chinchwade? Despite their good work, they were denied tickets for no reason. Though they came from another party, I honoured their work by giving them tickets. I am sure the voters will take note of their work."
Clarification and Criticism of Local Governance
Pawar was quick to clarify that his criticism was not directed at the BJP's top national or state leadership. He emphasized his party's alliance with the BJP at the Centre and in Maharashtra.
"My party is in an alliance with BJP at the Centre where Prime Minister Narendra Modi has put the entire country on the path of development," he stated. "In the state, too, I am working closely with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde. I am speaking against those who were ruling in PMC and PCMC where Pune's development slowed down due to corruption and poor governance in the last eight years."
This pointed remark targeted the BJP's local administration record. The BJP governed both PMC and PCMC from 2017 to 2022, and Pawar held them responsible for stalled development in the Pune region.
BJP Fires Back, Alliance Strain Evident
The BJP leadership did not take Pawar's comments lying down. Party leaders hit back with a stern warning, suggesting that if they started speaking out, the NCP chief would find himself in trouble. This exchange underscores the visible strain within the Mahayuti alliance on the ground, even as top leaders maintain a united front at the state and central levels.
The core of Pawar's argument revolves around the treatment of party workers. By inducting disgruntled BJP members and rewarding them with tickets, he aims to project the NCP as a party that recognizes and rewards merit and hard work, regardless of political origins. This strategy is seen as an attempt to weaken the BJP's local organizational strength while bolstering his own party's prospects in the fiercely contested civic polls.
As Pune voters prepare to cast their ballots, this public spat between ruling allies has added a dramatic layer to the election narrative, focusing attention on internal alliance dynamics, candidate treatment, and the legacy of the previous civic administrations.
