Ajit Pawar rues ‘steady erosion’ of commitment across party lines

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday alleged that there is a “steady erosion” of ideological commitment across party lines, claiming that political organisations have traded their core values for tactical poaching and coercion. In an exclusive interview with PTI, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief pulled no punches, describing a shift toward “vendetta politics” and the rampant use of inducements to swell party ranks.

“Lately, political parties have almost abandoned their respective ideologies. Leaders are going anywhere and doing whatever they feel,” Pawar said, as he continued his attacks on the local BJP leadership in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, where his party is pitted against the saffron party in civic elections despite being allies in the state. Some leaders are being poached through inducements, while others are pressured by highlighting pending inquiries against them and assuring that probe agencies would be managed after a switch, said Pawar.  Money and muscle power are being openly used in the political arena, he added.

“Those who have money and muscle power are using it. Those who feel that votes can be sought by raking up caste issues are adopting that tactic,” Pawar said, responding to a question on frequent defections by party leaders and workers.

The NCP chief also said that a candidate is being assessed on perceived electoral merit, not on what he has delivered as a leader. A new trend has emerged where surveys are used to gauge candidates’ popularity, he noted.

“Surveys are being used to check who is the most popular candidate in a particular area. If that person belongs to the opposite party, efforts are made to poach him or her,” he said.

Hailing the politics of late Yashwantrao Chavan, Maharashtra’s first chief minister, Pawar said, “He used to pay equal respect to opposition leaders. He used to distribute funds without thinking whether the person was from the opposition. However, over the years, some sort of vendetta politics has crept in. This should not happen.”

The “lack of vision” of the local BJP leaders pushed the Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad civic bodies into a “crisis” despite massive spending over the last eight to nine years, said Pawar, who holds the finance portfolio in the State Government.

Though partners in the ruling Mahayuti coalition in the State, the BJP and NCP are contesting the civic polls in the two cities independently. The BJP has been urging Pawar to refrain from targeting allies while campaigning.

Pawar also claimed that the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) witnessed planned development between 1992 and 2017 when the NCP was in power, but corruption and financial mismanagement marked the BJP’s tenure from 2017 to 2022.

“From 1992 till 2017, Pimpri-Chinchwad was developed with minute planning. The corporation became the richest civic body in Asia due to sound financial management and able leadership. There was no need to take loans or issue bonds during our tenure,” he claimed. Bonds were issued during the last BJP-led term, he said, alleging irregularities in the Smart City project and works concerning cleanliness drives and waste management.

“In the last eight to nine years, around Rs 60,000 crore was spent. Administrative expenses that account for nearly 30-35 per cent amount to about Rs 20,000 crore. Development works worth Rs 40,000 crore were supposed to take place, but that work is not visible on the ground,” said Pawar.

He said roads remain in poor condition, while drinking water has become a major issue in the Pune civic body and PCMC. “During our tenure, water was brought from the Pavana dam to the industrial township (Pimpri-Chinchwad). Unfortunately, the local leadership lacked the vision to plan for the growing industrial town, and today PCMC is facing multiple problems,” he said.

In waste management departments, the number of employees shown on paper does not match the actual workforce, he claimed. “Over 12,300 employees are listed, but more than 50 per cent are not working on the ground,” Pawar said, adding that “tanker mafia” are operating freely in Pune and PCMC.

Targeting the BJP’s earlier tenure in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), Pawar alleged corruption in projects such as CCTV installation. “Nearly 70 per cent of CCTV cameras are not functioning. The work that should have happened has not happened.” Responding to criticism that he has been attacking the BJP despite sharing power with it at the Centre and in Maharashtra, Pawar said local body elections are fought on civic issues.

“National and state elections are different. Voters know with whom the country and the state should be entrusted. Civic elections are about local problems, and we are raising issues faced by citizens in Pune and PCMC,” he said. On the NCP-NCP(SP) alliance in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, Pawar said it was not premeditated. “Local party workers felt that contesting together would be beneficial. That is how the alliance was formed,” he said.

Dismissing speculation about a merger with the NCP (SP) led by his uncle Sharad Pawar, Ajit said such discussions existed only in the media. “Right now, we are focused only on winning maximum seats,” he added. Elections to 29 municipal corporations, including Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad civic bodies, across the state are scheduled for January 15. Votes will be counted the next day.