In Nagpur's Prabhag 4, a stark contradiction defines the upcoming civic polls. While this area hosts the city's prestigious Smart City initiative, a staggering 95% of its land falls under the Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT), a jurisdictional quagmire that has left large swathes deprived of fundamental civic infrastructure. This development deficit has now emerged as the central issue for the 69,489 voters here as they prepare to cast their ballots.
Unfinished Smart City Dream Fuels Public Resentment
The promise of the Smart City project remains largely unfulfilled for most residents. While select pockets have seen benefits like cement concrete roads and upgraded water pipelines, a significant portion of the work is incomplete. The situation is particularly dire in areas bordering the project zones, where poor amenities cause daily hardships. Road widening for the project led to the demolition of several houses, and many affected residents are still awaiting compensation, breeding deep-seated anger and skepticism about the project's execution pace.
The prabhag is split between the North and East Nagpur Assembly constituencies, complicating administrative accountability. With the municipal corporation unable to allocate development funds for NIT-controlled areas, and alleged neglect by the NIT itself, problems of cratered roads and acute drinking water shortages have only worsened over time.
Key Localities Grapple with Chronic Neglect
The plight of prominent areas within the prabhag highlights the scale of the crisis. Kalamna Market, Asia's largest wholesale market, operates under this prabhag. The adjoining Kalamna settlement suffers from poor roads and irregular water supply. Inside the market, the lack of adequate covered shed space forces farmers to store produce in the open, incurring heavy losses, especially during monsoon. Traders' demands for more sheds have gone unheeded.
Similarly, Wanjra and Bharatwada, with their large migrant labour populations, continue to depend on water tankers for daily needs due to incomplete pipeline work. Several localities still have unmetalled roads, and a large number of layouts remain underdeveloped, painting a picture of systemic neglect.
A Tight Electoral Contest Brews Over Development Failures
The electoral battle in Prabhag 4 is shaping up to be a direct fight between the BJP and the Congress, though the BSP and both factions of Shiv Sena are also in contention. The BJP, which won all four seats in the previous civic polls, boasts a strong organizational base. However, the potent issue of development failures has provided the Congress and other parties with a strong platform to mount an aggressive challenge.
Probable candidates reflect the high stakes. From the BJP, names like Niranjana Patil, Pravin Bawankule, and Sachin Khobragade are in discussion. The Congress's list includes Kumaresh Avchat, Satyashila Kale, and Anil Pandey. The Shinde-led Shiv Sena has contenders like Bandu Talwekar and Vivek Verma, while the BSP and Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena will also field candidates. The four seats are reserved for Scheduled Caste (Woman), OBC, General (Woman), and General categories.
With 35,426 male and 34,056 female voters, the electorate's verdict will hinge on which party can convincingly address the core issues of incomplete Smart City works, water scarcity, and the compensation dilemma. The outcome will be a clear referendum on the delivery of urban development promises in Nagpur.
