NEW DELHI: Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday dismissed suggestions that deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar had been “rejected” on his home turf, saying voters had instead endorsed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and the BJP’s governance model. “I will not say that people have rejected dada, rather they have accepted the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, the BJP and us,” Fadnavis said, as quoted by PTI.Fadnavis’ remarks came a day after the party’s sweeping victory in key civic polls.Ajit Pawar, popularly known as ‘dada’, had allied with his uncle Sharad Pawar’s faction of the NCP for the civic elections in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad, long considered Pawar family strongholds. The alliance, however, failed to stem the BJP’s surge.Asked who now held the title of ‘dada’ in Pune politics, Fadnavis replied that authority ultimately rested with the electorate. “The people of Pune are the dada, and we are their sevaks,” he said.Thanking voters for what he described as a “landslide” mandate, Fadnavis said, “I thank the voters of Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad for reposing their faith in the BJP and giving us a landslide victory. I am not merely thanking them; I am indebted to them.” He added that while the results were encouraging, they also carried responsibility. “While we are happy with this mandate, it also reminds us of our responsibility towards these cities.”The campaign had seen Ajit Pawar attack BJP-led civic administrations over alleged irregularities and stalled development between 2017 and 2022. Fadnavis, however, said the results had settled speculation around the contest, noting that they were “beyond the expectations of many people”.He said voters had placed their trust in the BJP’s development vision and Modi’s leadership, adding, “We will have to work even harder to live up to the trust that people have placed in us. I will ensure that the vision we presented before the people is translated into reality immediately after the mayor is elected.”The BJP secured 119 of 165 seats in the Pune civic body, while the Ajit Pawar-led NCP won 27 seats and the NCP (SP) managed just three. In Pimpri Chinchwad, the BJP won 84 of 128 seats, comfortably crossing the majority mark.
