Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday said the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party should merge with the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), citing their alliance for the upcoming Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad municipal elections.
Raut questioned Ajit Pawar’s continued presence in the BJP-led Mahayuti government, a day after the Maharashtra deputy chief minister alleged large-scale corruption in the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC).
‘Why Stay In Government If You Allege Corruption?’
The Mahayuti comprises the BJP, the Shiv Sena led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP.
Referring to mutual allegations between the BJP and Ajit Pawar, Raut said, “Then why are you in the government? He (Ajit Pawar) should come back to Sharad Pawar. Now that you have forged an alliance in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad, Ajit Pawar should leave the BJP-led government, and merge (the NCP) with the original NCP (SP).”
Raut said Ajit Pawar’s recent remarks indicated a shift in political stance. “It seems Ajit Pawar’s direction has changed. If this is the case, then he should abandon the BJP,” he added.
NCP Split And EC Recognition
The NCP split in 2023 after Ajit Pawar joined the Mahayuti government with several MLAs. The Election Commission later recognised his faction as the official NCP and allotted it the party’s original clock symbol.
Despite the split, the NCP and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) are contesting the January 15 civic polls for Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad together.
Ajit Pawar Alleges Corruption In PCMC
On Friday, Ajit Pawar alleged that the PCMC had been “infested by corruption” for the past nine years and pushed into debt. His remarks came a day after Union minister and BJP leader Murlidhar Mohol criticised the NCP for fielding candidates with criminal backgrounds.
The Pimpri-Chinchwad civic body was governed by the BJP from 2017 to 2022 and has since been run by a state-appointed administrator.
The PCMC will go to the polls on January 15 along with 28 other municipal corporations across the state.
Defence Of Candidates With Criminal Allegations
Ajit Pawar defended the decision to give tickets to candidates facing criminal allegations, saying guilt must be proven. Referring to allegations against himself, he said, “Everybody knows that allegations of a Rs 70,000 crore irrigation scam were levelled against me. Today, I am in power alongside those who made those allegations. Can a person be labelled guilty even before it is proved?”
He also recalled the PCMC’s earlier standing under the NCP. “This municipal corporation was once known as the richest in Asia. It even received awards as the best city of India when NCP was in power… Yet, despite being so wealthy, it was never pushed into debt,” he said.
Swipe At BJP Over Fugitive Gangster
Taking an apparent dig at Union minister Murlidhar Mohol, Ajit Pawar referred to Pune gangster Nilesh Ghaywal, who has reportedly fled the country. “Who helped a person from Pune escape?” the deputy chief minister asked.
