Ajit Pawar Did Not Uphold Commitment for Friendly Contest in Pune: Maharashtra CM Fadnavis on NCP Chief’s Corruption Allegations

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis responded to Nationalist Congress Party chief Ajit Pawar's repeated corruption allegations in the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), stating that the Deputy CM did not uphold the commitment of a "friendly contest." peaking to reporters in Pune, Devendra Fadnavis described a pact among the Mahayuti parties of not making personal attacks against each other, as Ajit Pawar, while being part of the ruling alliance in the state, decided to break away from the BJP and Shiv Sena for the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad local body polls and contest by allying with his uncle Sharad Pawar's NCP.

Ajit Pawar, who is also the guardian minister of Pune district, told ANI that the locals have been facing problems regarding the tanker mafia. In the interview with ANI, he alleged that the different departments of PCMC have around Rs 4,000 crore worth of total bills pending, and multiple instances of inflated costs have been revealed, including a Rs 70 lakh road being made for Rs 7 crore, and software costs for the corporation being stretched to Rs 120 crore from the original cost of Rs 12 crore.

In response, Fadnavis told reporters in Pune, "I am someone who stands by the word I give. That is why, when it was decided that in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad we would not contest elections in alliance with the NCP. We also said that this would be a friendly contest and that we would not make any personal attacks on each other. We upheld that commitment till the very end, but Ajit Pawar did not. Why he did that, I do not know."

Earlier, Ajit Pawar told ANI, "Since elections have started, I have done press conferences on what all wrong things have happened. Pimpri-Chinchwad was such a rich corporation, but they still had to get bonds. There are around Rs 4,000 crore worth of bills pending in different departments, and corruption is increasing. I have given those examples. A bridge worth only Rs 70 lakh was stretched to Rs 7 crore. They looked to fell trees, took Rs 7 crore there also, but not one tree was cut. Rs 12 crore worth of software was there, it was stretched till Rs 120 crore." When asked about a post-poll alliance with NCP, Fadnavis said that the Mahayuti has taken "opposition along". "If you look at our history, we have always carried even the opposition along with us. Ajit Pawar is our opponent only in Pune; everywhere else, he is with us," he said.

Further, addressing speculation about the two NCP factions joining hands in the state, he said that there has been no "concrete" development in this regard. "At present, it is not appropriate to comment further on this issue, because nothing concrete has happened yet. There has been no discussion and no merger. So there is no point in making comments about this matter. In Pune municipal elections, they are fighting together, but in the remaining 27 municipal corporations, they are contesting separately. Therefore, it is not appropriate to speak too much on this issue," the Maharashtra CM said.

Speaking to reporters, he further attacked the Thackeray brothers, accusing Uddhav Thackeray of "threatening" the Marathi language. Refuting the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief's vote theft allegations, the Chief Minister accused him of inducting elected MNS corporators into his party. Fadnavis said, "I want to say just one thing to Raj Thackeray. Yesterday, I presented evidence showing that Uddhav Thackeray made the decision to make Hindi compulsory in the state. How were those decisions passed in the cabinet? Now that your understanding with your brother has started improving, instead of commenting on me, you should ask him what the real truth is. It is his brother who has threatened the Marathi language, yet you have formed an alliance with him. The people of Maharashtra have made me Chief Minister three times. Under my leadership, we have won a clear majority. So whose side the people are on was already proven in the last election."

"Uddhav Thackeray should not talk about vote theft. He directly steals corporators. In the BMC, he took eight corporators from the MNS and inducted them into his own party. We do not steal votes, but what is even more serious than vote theft is stealing elected representatives, and that is exactly what he does," he added. The polling for 29 municipal corporation elections across the state, including Mumbai, Pune, and Pimpri-Chinchwad, is scheduled for January 15. The vote counting will take place on January 16.