Mumbai: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Monday pushed back strongly against speculation of differences within the ruling alliance, saying his recent remarks about the BJP were taken out of context and inaccurately portrayed by sections of the media.
Clarifying his stand, Pawar said he had not made any accusations against the BJP or the Mahayuti government. Instead, he maintained that his comments were meant to underline the functioning of the Maharashtra government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Centre and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at the state level.
“The media has presented my statement differently. Allegations were not levelled. Maharashtra Government is doing good work. Work is being done under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi and similarly under the leadership of CM Devendra Fadnavis. That is what I said, but my complete statement was not shown,” Pawar told reporters.
Earlier in the day, the NCP leader also explained why his party chose to contest the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections independently, despite being part of the Mahayuti alliance in the state government. Pawar, whose faction is contesting the civic polls alongside Sharad Pawar’s NCP (SP), said local-level governance failures required a different political approach.
He pointed out that while adequate funds were being allocated by both the Centre and the state, their execution at the municipal level was falling short. Highlighting long-standing civic issues in Pune, Pawar cited worsening traffic congestion, recurring water shortages, and poor basic amenities, particularly in older areas of the city.
Referring to Pune’s rapid population growth, Pawar said the pressure on civic infrastructure had increased significantly, exposing the shortcomings of the municipal administration. He also noted that contesting local body elections separately from allies was not unusual, recalling similar political arrangements during the UPA government led by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
