A DAY after Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar blasted the BJP rule in Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation from 2017 to 2022 and three years after that under the administrator terming it as corruption-ridden, an embarrassed BJP seemed to have gone on the backfoot as both its state leadership and local leadership refused to get into any duel with the NCP and its leadership.
Without taking the name of Ajit Pawar, BJP state president Ravindra Chavan, who was in Pimpri-Chinchwad on Saturday, said, “A press conference was held here on Friday in which allegations were made against us…But I want to tell you that no one should dare to cross swords with our ‘pailwan’ (wrestler).” Chavan was referring to Bhosari MLA Mahesh Landge, who is known for his wrestling skills. Both Ajit Pawar and Landge are known for their fierce rivalry.
Chavan had come to launch the party’s campaign for PCMC elections. BJP workers, leaders and candidates had turned up in large numbers at Bhakti Shakti statue in Nigdi from where a rally was taken up. It was widely believed that Chavan would give a befitting reply to Ajit Pawar’s spate of allegations. However, much to the disappointment of BJP’s rank and file, Chavan avoided targeting Ajit Pawar. He did not even respond to the allegations of corruption made against the BJP’s rule in PCMC. He merely tossed the ball in Mahesh Landge’s court.
Chavan, however, spoke about how the central and state government have taken steps for the welfare of the people. “And that is why Modi government and Fadnavis government are popular among the people,” he said.
Chavan said during Lok Sabha elections, a false narrative was set. “Similarly, some people are doing the same during the civic elections. Some people are getting scripts written by the agencies. They are taking agencies on rent and splurging money on them. They are recruiting people and paying them for indulging in trolling. All this is being done to show how much popular they are,” he said in an indirect attack on Ajit Pawar.
Similarly, when state BJP leader and Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule was asked on Friday about Ajit Pawar’s allegations, he merely said they never expected the Deputy Chief Minister to attack BJP rule in this manner.
The local leadership of BJP in Pimpri-Chinchwad also refused to hit back at Ajit Pawar. MLA Landge said, “Our state leadership will respond to the allegations made against us..” Speaking to Express, BJP’s Chinchwad MLA Shankar Jagtap said, “On our behalf, our party president has said what needed to be said. We have no other comment to offer.” He refused to comment when asked whether the state leadership had directed the local unit to avoid getting into any argument with Ajit Pawar.
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The NCP and BJP have locked horns in PCMC polls. Both are going all-out to win the PCMC. BJP is trying to regain the power which it had won in 2017. NCP too is trying to return to power which it lost to BJP in 2017.
At a joint press conference with NCP (SP) leaders in Pimpri-Chinchwad on Friday, Ajit Pawar was unsparing in his attack on the BJP rule in Pimpri-Chinchwad for five years and also three years under the administrator, which he said, was also under BJP. He said PCMC witnessed widespread corruption, loot and mismanagement of funds in the past nine years. He said during NCP rule, PCMC was cash-rich, but in last nine years, PCMC’s crucial funds were splurged on unnecessary projects. He claimed that NCP had brought all-round development of Pimpri-Chinchwad during its 25 years tenure but under BJP rule, they should show what development they have carried out.