Ajit Pawar Slams BJP for Pune's Development Woes Ahead of Civic Polls

Ajit Pawar, Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister, accuses BJP of Pune's developmental failures ahead of the January 15 civic polls. He emphasizes traffic congestion woes and criticizes the BJP's governance during its tenure at the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC).

Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has openly criticized the BJP for allegedly hindering Pune's development. Speaking at a press conference, Pawar highlighted severe traffic congestion issues and inadequate civic amenities in the city, despite the Pune Municipal Corporation's ample resources.

Pawar pointed out that, according to a traffic survey, Pune ranked as one of the most congested cities globally. He alleged that despite the establishment of a dedicated authority to tackle traffic issues, promised improvements have yet to be implemented. The NCP leader accused the BJP of mismanagement during their governance from 2017 to 2022.

The NCP plans to contest the upcoming Pune civic polls in alliance with RPI. Pawar defended his decision to support candidates with familial links to criminals, stating other parties have the right to choose their candidates as they see fit. He reiterated that he did not advance criminals but their relatives who are not directly involved in crimes.

(With inputs from agencies.)