Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief, Ajit Pawar, has firmly rejected ongoing media speculation about a potential merger between his faction and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP(SP). In an exclusive interview, Pawar stated that the alliance for the upcoming municipal elections in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad was a grassroots decision, not a pre-planned strategy.
Local Alliance, Not Merger: Pawar Clarifies Stance
Addressing the political buzz head-on, Ajit Pawar clarified that talks of a unification between the two NCP factions exist only in newsrooms, not in party corridors. Elections to 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra are scheduled for 15 January, with vote counting set for the following day. Regarding the seat-sharing understanding with NCP(SP) in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, Pawar attributed it to local party workers' sentiment. He emphasized that the current focus is solely on securing maximum seats in the civic polls.
Scathing Attack on BJP's Local Leadership
Despite being part of the ruling Mahayuti coalition at the state level, Pawar launched a sharp critique against the local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. He lamented the rampant culture of party-hopping, alleging that leaders are being lured with inducements or coerced by highlighting pending inquiries against them. Pawar claimed that a "lack of vision" has plunged the two civic bodies into a crisis, despite significant expenditure over the past eight to nine years.
He contrasted this with the development model under his party's earlier tenure. "From 1992 till 2017, Pimpri-Chinchwad was developed with minute planning. The corporation became the richest civic body in Asia due to sound financial management. There was no need to take loans or issue bonds during our tenure," Pawar asserted. He accused political rivals of openly using money and muscle power, and of exploiting caste equations to seek votes.
Pawar Hails Yashwantrao Chavan, Decries 'Vendetta Politics'
In a notable reflection on changing political culture, the NCP president praised Maharashtra's first Chief Minister, Yashwantrao Chavan, for his equitable treatment of opposition leaders. Pawar pointed out that Chavan distributed funds without political bias. However, he expressed concern that "some sort of vendetta politics has crept in" over the years, a practice he firmly believes should be avoided for healthy democracy. His comments come amid the BJP's requests to refrain from targeting allies during the campaign for the crucial urban local body elections.
