Pimpri-Chinchwad: The Pimpri-Chinchwad city on Tuesday witnessed a high-voltage political drama where Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a scathing attack on Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
Bawankule hinted that the infamous Rs 70,000 crore scam allegedly linked to Ajit Pawar is still pending before the court. Bawankule also said that a review of past records could prove difficult for him. Ajit Pawar, meanwhile, softened his earlier aggressive stance. He alleged that sections of the media are attempting to create rifts among Mahayuti leaders.
Both the leaders were in the Pimpri-Chinchwad city on Tuesday to campaign for the upcoming Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) Elections scheduled on 15th January 2026. The result will be declared on 16th January.
Despite being allies in the state and the centre, the BJP and NCP agreed to have a “friendly contest” in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. However, things turned unfriendly as soon as local leaders started fighting. Things escalated when Ajit Pawar slammed the BJP for its administration of PCMC in their last term. Pawar alleged corruption and intimidation tactics against local BJP leaders as well.
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After this was done, the very next day, the BJP Maharashtra State President, who visited the city, hit out at Pawar, saying he regretted his inclusion in Mahayuti, and revealed that he had warned CM Devendra Fadnavis many times. After that, on Tuesday, Chandrashekhar Bawankule also aggressively replied to Ajit Pawar’s claims.
‘Ajit Pawar Will Find It Difficult To Defend If We Dig Up The Past’
Speaking to the media after interacting with ex-servicemen in the Dighi-Bopkhel ward in Pimpri-Chinchwad, Bawankule expressed disappointment over Pawar’s remarks on Tuesday. He emphasised that as a member of the Mahayuti coordination committee, it was agreed that friendly contests in municipal elections should avoid personal attacks or creating internal rifts.
Bawankule reminded Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar that he held power in Pimpri-Chinchwad for many years and cautioned against opening “old chapters” of governance. He stated that while he does not wish to offer unsolicited advice to a senior leader like Pawar, the expectation remains that all alliance partners adhere to the code of conduct established by the coordination committee.
"I am not big enough to tell Ajit Pawar what to do or give him instructions. I don't know why he spoke like that, but he should have stuck to what was agreed upon,” Bawankule added.
He further said, “In truth, Ajit Pawar should not have spoken this way. He is an important leader of the state, so I won't offer him much advice. He was in power in Pimpri-Chinchwad for many years. If we turn back the pages of history, even Ajit Pawar will find it difficult to defend. We have no desire to dig up the past, so we expect him to behave according to the coordination committee's agreement."
Addressing Pawar’s previous comments about joining a government with those who once accused him of the irrigation scam, Bawankule clarified that being part of the administration does not mean the matter is resolved. He noted that the case is still sub judice and future actions will depend entirely on the court’s verdict. He urged Pawar to show political maturity and avoid bringing up such sensitive legal issues during local election campaigns.
Looking ahead to the municipal polls, Bawankule expressed absolute confidence in the BJP’s strength. He asserted that the party would not require external support to form the local government, predicting that the BJP would secure a majority of the votes. He concluded by claiming the party will achieve a two-thirds majority to appoint its own mayor in Pimpri-Chinchwad independently.
Ajit Pawar Blames The Media For Problems Within Mahayuti
Ajit Pawar took a review meeting of NCP’s candidates for the upcoming PCMC elections on Tuesday in Pimpri. After the event, he spoke with the media, where he was asked questions about potential rifts within Mahayuti and statements made in the city by Ravindra Chavan and Minister Bawankule. Ajit Pawar's stance softened compared to the fiery remarks he made against the BJP last time during the interaction.
Ajit Pawar said, “When municipal corporation elections are there, we speak and criticise parties we are allies with in the state and central government. When I was with Mahavikas Aghadi, and we had power in the state and centre, even at that time, there used to be these criticisms during elections. This is completely normal; there is nothing wrong.”
When asked about the statements made by Chavan and Bawankule, Ajit Pawar told the media, “I was talking about the municipal corporation happenings and was criticising it. But you journalists showed the wrong news that I was criticising the BJP. Chavan is the BJP leader. He might have spoken on it due to this. You are ignoring development issues and asking questions aimed at driving a wedge between us (the Mahayuti alliance). Therefore, I have 'no comments' on such questions; we can talk about this after the elections."
Ajit Pawar avoided responding to questions on Chandrashekhar Bawankule’s remarks regarding the alleged Rs 70,000 crore scam linked to him. He also declined to comment on Ashish Shelar’s statement that Pawar must adopt the Savarkar ideology within the Mahayuti.
