Civic polls: Amid Ajit Pawar's attack on BJP, Bawankule asks Dy CM to honour pact, observe restraint

Jalna, Jan 4 (PTI) Maharashtra minister and senior BJP leader Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Sunday advised Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar to not target allies during the civic poll campaign.

Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party, the BJP and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena are part of the ruling Mahayuti alliance in the state, but are fighting separately in some of the 29 municipal corporations that will go to polls on January 15.

In his press conferences on Friday and Saturday, Pawar had alleged corruption and irregularities in the civic bodies in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad, both of which were ruled by the BJP between 2017 and 2022 before the appointment of administrators.

He had blamed the civic leadership, a reference to the Bharatiya Janata Party, for the "derailed development" of Pune, the state's second largest city, and for Pimpri Chinchwad getting debt-ridden despite having "adequate resources". The NCP and BJP are fighting polls in the two civic bodies, both in Pune district, separately.

Speaking to reporters during the campaign for the Jalna Municipal Corporation polls, Bawankule said," It was collectively decided during a coordination meeting that leaders of the alliance would not criticise one another during the campaign." "Despite this, Ajit Pawar broke the agreement. He should observe restraint in the future," Bawankule said.

Bawankule also backed Maharashtra BJP chief Ravindra Chavan's statements on Pawar.

Chavan on Saturday said if the BJP starts making allegations, it would create serious difficulties for him (Pawar). Chavan had advised the NCP chief to "introspect" before levelling allegations. PTI COR BNM