Pune Municipal Corporation’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party have moved to ease tensions over the allocation of development funds, with both sides agreeing to avoid criticism of their state-level leaders during civic proceedings. The understanding emerged at a meeting in Pune on Tuesday, held in connection with a decision to install a portrait of late deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar at the civic headquarters.
The meeting followed a dispute between councillors from the two parties over proposals linked to works in the Kothrud Assembly constituency. According to the report, NCP councillor Amol Balwadkar had proposed an inquiry into works in the constituency of minister Chandrakant Patil during a standing committee meeting last month.
The BJP subsequently secured approval in the Pune Municipal Corporation’s general body to reduce Balwadkar’s budget allocation to zero through a vote. A similar proposal concerning NCP councillor Suhas Tingre, who had supported Balwadkar’s motion, was later approved by the standing committee, according to the report. The decisions led to tensions between office-bearers of the two parties.
The BJP and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP are allies in the Union and Maharashtra governments. In the civic body, the NCP has the second-largest number of councillors after the BJP and holds the Leader of the Opposition position. Despite that formal position, the two parties have taken joint decisions in the civic house because of their alliance at the state level.
The decision to install Ajit Pawar’s oil portrait had been approved unanimously by the general body several months ago. The issue was discussed again at Tuesday’s meeting attended by NCP city presidents Sunil Tingre, MLA Chetan Tupe and civic opposition leader Nilesh Nikam, along with Mayor Manjusha Nagpure and House Leader Ganesh Bidkar.
Bidkar said the parties could have differences of opinion while working in the municipal corporation but did not have personal differences. He said voters had elected them to work for Pune’s development and that the parties would work together toward that objective.
Tingre said Bidkar had called the meeting to discuss the installation of Ajit Pawar’s portrait. He also said the councillors had agreed not to criticise leaders at the state level during civic proceedings. The understanding is being viewed within the municipal corporation as an attempt to restore working relations between the two alliance partners.
The allocation of funds remains unresolved. Tingre said a decision on the issue would be taken within the next two to three days. No further details on the proposed allocation or the implementation schedule for the portrait installation were provided in the report.
