Pune, Jan 16 (PTI) Despite forging an alliance with the faction led by his uncle, NCP chief and Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday failed to protect the party’s traditional bastions of Pune and neighbouring Pimpri-Chinchwad, as the BJP decimated both the NCPs in the municipal corporation elections.
During the campaign, Ajit Pawar launched a frontal attack on his state-level ally BJP, targeting the saffron party’s local leadership for `derailed’ development and corruption in the two civic bodies over the past nine years.
The Nationalist Congress Party’s reduced strength in Pune is expected to considerably diminish Ajit Pawar’s clout within the ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance in the state.
Seeking to stop the BJP which threatened his dominance in the region, he joined hands with the NCP (SP), more than two years after parting ways with uncle Sharad Pawar and splitting the party.
In Pune, Ajit Pawar was seen taking on Union Minister and the city’s BJP MP Murlidhar Mohol. In Pimpri-Chinchwad, he targeted local BJP MLA Mahesh Landge, alleging massive corruption the civic body.
But the trends showed on Friday that the BJP was heading for a decisive victory in both cities. In Pune, the saffron party was leading in more than 110 seats, while the NCP was ahead in 12 seats and the NCP (Sharad Pawar) in two. In Pimpri-Chinchwad, the BJP was leading in 84 seats, while the NCP was ahead in 37.
Notably, Sharad Pawar was virtually absent from the campaign, while his daughter and Baramati MP Supriya Sule too largely stayed in the background. Speaking to PTI, Pradeep Deshmukh, executive president of the Pune city NCP, said, “Ajit Pawar worked really hard during the campaign. While highlighting civic issues in Pune and PCMC, `Dada’ (as he is called by his supporters) put forth a well-balanced manifesto that assured free Metro and PMPML (bus) rides for all, exemption from property tax for homes below 500 sq ft, and improved water supply. We accept the defeat with humility.” Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the BJP had ridiculed the promises of free Metro and bus services, saying the NCP was giving these assurances only because it knew it was not going to win.
Notably, the civic elections, held after a gap of eight years, came against the backdrop of Mundhwa land deal controversy involving Ajit Pawar’s son Parth Pawar. A 40-acre government land parcel worth Rs 1,800 crore was illegally sold to Amadea Enterprises LLP, in which Parth is a partner, for just Rs 300 crore, but the deal came under scrutiny after it emerged that stamp duty of Rs 21 crore had been waived. Cases were registered against Digvijay Patil, a co-partner in Amadea LLP, the seller, and two government officials. PTI SPK KRK
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