Chavan remarked that if the Bharatiya Janata Party begins making accusations, it could pose serious challenges for him (Pawar), suggesting the NCP leader needs to “reflect” before making such claims.
The NCP, led by Pawar, is a partner of the BJP in the governing Mahayuti coalition.
Chavan’s comments came in response to Pawar’s assertions that the civic body has been plagued by corruption for the past nine years and has incurred significant debt during this time.
Notably, the Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporation was controlled by the BJP from 2017 to 2022, after which a state-appointed administrator took over.
The civic body is set to hold elections on January 15, alongside 28 other municipal corporations.
“Ajit Pawar made this statement with the elections approaching. He should first reflect before making allegations. He needs to clarify which party he is referring to. Is this meant for the party led by PM Narendra Modi?” he questioned during a press conference.
If we were to start making accusations, it would create serious problems for him (Pawar), he added.
Chavan defended the unopposed election of BJP candidates in Kalyan-Dombivli and other regions by citing the lack of opposition candidates.
“For many years, the BJP and Shiv Sena (undivided) were competing against one another in Kalyan-Dombivli. However, now that the BJP and Shiv Sena (led by Deputy CM Eknath Shinde) have formed an alliance, there are no opposition parties contesting,” Chavan noted.
Pawar on Friday defended allocating tickets to candidates with criminal backgrounds for civic elections, stating he himself has faced allegations related to a Rs 70,000 crore irrigation scam, asserting that no one should be considered a criminal until proven otherwise.
“Everyone knows that I was accused of being involved in a Rs 70,000 crore irrigation scam. Today, I stand in power beside those who made those allegations. Can someone be labeled guilty before the charges are substantiated?” Pawar questioned.
The Ajit Pawar-led NCP has nominated Sonali Andekar, daughter-in-law of gang leader Suryakant alias Bandu Andekar, and his sister-in-law Laxmi Andekar, through its ally RPI (Sachin Kharat faction). All three are implicated in the murder of Bandu Andekar’s grandson, Ayush Komkar, and are currently incarcerated.
