Unkept Promises: Why BJP bastion of Kothrud may face rebellion from committed voters

Getting on voters’ good side

In the past five years, Patil kept himself pacifying party cadres and pleasing voters of the constituency while development projects took a backseat. He was seen distributing food packets, clothes, raincoats to people in a bid to ensure his acceptance increases in the constituency from where he wants to recontest the assembly election.

Wrath of local party leaders

Patil secured his position in the state legislative assembly but continued to face opposition from the local BJP leadership, especially from aspirants whose prospects were scuttled with his entry into Kothrud assembly constituency. The division in the party would come to the fore during important functions. This was evident when Patil and then city mayor and now union minister Murlidhar Mohol were taken head on by former legislator and now Rajya Sabha MP Medha Kulkarni for taking credit for the multi-level flyover at Chandni chowk.

Projects irk citizens

During his tenure as guardian minister of Pune, Patil pushed for the proposed Balbharti to Paud Phata road project that reportedly affected the envirnoment of Vetal hill. People heavily protested against the project with agitators taking to the streets. Patil was forced to shelve the project
In addition to this project, the BJP pushed for a proposed tunnel from Pashan to Kothrud cutting through Vetal hill when it was in power in the Pune Municipal Corporation from 2017 to 2022. This further irked citizens.

There was another project where BJP leaders pushed for a monorail proto type in Thorat garden. There too, citizens launched a mass protest campaign to stall the plan.

Pune metro boon

One of the biggest achievements that Kothrud has received in the last few years was the start of the metro rail. It was first till Civil court and provided connectivity to Pimpri Chinchwad, then it was extended to Ramwadi on Nagar road and now connects till Swargate, providing much relief from the chaos of daily traffic.

The heavy traffic on Karve Road was eased with the construction of a flyover on the busy road. However, its landing before SNDT has upset traders plying their livelihoods on roads over loss of business. Sitting BJP legislators then roped in traffic wardens to ease the traffic situation on Karve Road.
The constituency is the only one in the city that has two metro rail routes — one from Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar, and another from Vanaz to Ramwadi.

Garbage plant, water woes

Every pushback by citizen groups has for some reason put politicians of the area in the dock. Residents of Bavdhan and Baner led a legal fight to shift the garbage processing plant of PMC out from the locality, but despite assurances of sitting legislators, there has been no success as the Supreme Court rejected the demand.

A citizens’ group also had to approach the court over the government’s failure to ensure a sufficient water supply to the fastest growing locality of the city as citizens had to spend lakhs to buy water for their basic needs. It was only recently that there was some change in this situation.