Pawar uncle & nephew prep to battle it out in PCMC poll
Pune: The two factions of
Nationalist Congress Party
(NCP) have intensified their campaigns in Pimpri Chinchwad with civic election expected later this year.
Pimpri Chinchwad was once the stronghold of undivided NCP, especially of
Ajit Pawar
— who is credited with the city's development.
The uncle-nephew battle witnessed during the assembly and Lok Sabha elections in 2024 is likely to repeat.
On Tuesday, both leaders held separate events in the city, rallying their workers to gear up for a return to power in the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC).
BJP had seized control of PCMC in 2017, ending NCP's uninterrupted rule of 15 years. After the split, both NCP factions are eyeing a return to power.
While addressing party workers in Tathawade,
Sharad Pawar
said, "When our party was in power, we took many decisions for Pimpri Chinchwad's development. It is important to note that the ideology behind our decisions was that of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. Those who follow the ideology must return to power, if we are to carry forward the development."
Ajit Pawar, who addressed a gathering at Bhosari later in the evening, said his party follows the ideology of leaders who promoted equality.
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"We joined the Mahayuti govt to ensure citizen-oriented actions. I assure everyone that we will always move ahead with the ideology of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj, Mahatma Phule and BR Ambedkar."
Senior Pawar recalled that it was former CM Yashvantrao Chavan's decision that brought in big industrial units to Chakan and Pimpri Chinchwad. He said that because of his efforts, the city got an IT park — which provides employment in large numbers now.
"There are many who contributed to the development, which changed the face of Pimpri Chinchwad," he added.
Pawar raised the issue of unauthorised constructions built on gunthewari plots in the city and said the authorities must find a solution to regularise them. "Several issues — like regular water supply and objections raised by activists and residents about the Riverfront Development Project — are among the matters that have remained unsolved under the BJP and later the administrative rule," said the NCP (SP) chief, adding that the party will give opportunities to many new faces in the civic poll.
While addressing a gathering in Bhosari, Ajit Pawar said all projects undertaken during the time when NCP was in power in PCMC were aimed at development for the next 50 years and the city — considered one of the fastest developing ones in India — will require similar planning for future growth.
"There are issues like objections raised by people about the revised draft of the development plan and the town planning scheme for Chikhali.
I will raise it with the municipal commissioner and get it addressed," he added.
Meanwhile, former PCMC corporator Ajit Gavhane and his supporters, who joined NCP (SP) during the assembly poll, last year, returned to NCP in an event on Tuesday.
Gavhane said there were 37 former corporators who switched sides only with the intent to support his candidature for the assembly election.
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