Pawar, Fadnavis at the event. (Photo: Arul Horizon) City BJP and NCP workers on Friday engaged in sloganeering at a function in Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to display their strength but their senior party leaders refrained from making any political statement.
All eyes were set on Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar of NCP and former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of BJP sharing dais for inauguration of a water supply project of PMC. Both leaders had joined hands in 2019 to form a government in the state but it was very short-lived.
Workers of both parties were present in large numbers at the civic headquarters to witness the function that held political significance considering the civic polls next year. Local BJP and NCP leaders were already at loggerheads to claim credit for the project to draw water from Bhama Askhed dam to Pune city to meet the drinking water needs of the eastern part of the city. They were insisting on inauguration of the project by their leaders but it was decided to get leaders of both parties for the function.
On Friday, as the deputy chief minister entered the civic headquarters building, BJP workers started raising slogans in favour of their leaders. NCP workers too raised slogans in support of their leader. However, Pawar asked his party workers to stop raising slogans but BJP workers continued to raise slogans.
In his speech, Pawar said he was aware of the hype created about him and Fadnavis sharing dais. “Media creates it whenever they don’t have any new issue to report,” he said, adding it was necessary for leaders of all political parties to work together in the development process.
Earlier, Fadnavis said there was too much talk about him sharing dais with Pawar. “I have failed to understand the talk whenever Pawar and I share dais. Are we going to play wrestling or singing? It’s beyond my understanding,” he said, urging Pawar to have frequent tea parties with him to create news.
