Ajit’s corruption charge: Look in mirror, says CM | Mumbai News
Pune: CM Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said people questioning the performance of BJP should first look in the mirror before asking what the party had done in Pune. Although he didn’t name his deputy, Ajit Pawar, observers said he was likely alluding to the NCP chief’s recent corruption charges levelled against BJP over its governance in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad civic bodies.“I decided that I would be speaking on the development of cities in my campaign rallies [for the 29 municipal corporations going to polls on Jan 15]. However, in Mumbai, I will have to respond [to the criticism by the opposition]. If I do not speak there, some people may think we are weak,” Fadnavis said without referring to the Thackeray cousins, Sena (UBT) president Uddhav and MNS chief Raj.
Mahayuti allies BJP and NCP are contesting against each other in Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation. Ajit Pawar’s NCP has formed an alliance with his uncle Sharad Pawar’s NCP (SP). Recently, the deputy CM alleged that the development in both cities had slowed down because of BJP’s corrupt governance and that he is now part of the govt with those who had levelled corruption charges against him in the past. State BJP chief Ravindra Chavan hit back, saying if they started speaking against him, it would create trouble for the NCP chief. On Monday, it was Fadnavis’s turn to respond to the criticism. “The political campaign in Pune is heating up, with members from both sides speaking against each other. I just want to say if we go back in the past to speak about Pune’s development, some people will be in trouble as they will struggle to list out what they did for the city,” he said. Citing the example of the Pune Metro project, he said before BJP won the PMC election in 2017, the party (NCP) that earlier governed the local body only made an announcement about it but it never took off. “It was only after BJP started governing in 2017 that the project gained momentum,” Fadnavis said.
