War of words between Ajit Pawar, Devendra Fadnavis ahead of high-stakes BMC race

Cracks within the ruling Mahayuti alliance have spilled into the open as deputy CM Ajit Pawar and chief minister Devendra Fadnavis sparred over governance, freebies and corruption allegations ahead of the crucial BMC and civic body elections.

The latest flashpoint came on Sunday after Pawar hit back at Fadnavis for remarks made during the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) campaign, insisting that he was merely flagging governance failures and not launching personal attacks.

Speaking at a press briefing in Pimpri after unveiling the joint manifesto of his Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP), Ajit Pawar said his criticism had sharpened because civic elections were being held after a gap of nearly nine years.

“I am not criticising the BJP. I am only highlighting mistakes in the PCMC. Pointing out mistakes is not criticism,” he said.

A day earlier, Fadnavis had taken a veiled swipe at Pawar at a rally, saying some leaders become vocal only when elections approach.

Ajit Pawar accused the BJP of corruption and misgovernance during its control of the PCMC from 2017 to 2022, alleging that none of the 27 promises made by the party were fulfilled.

He demanded probes into alleged irregularities in slum rehabilitation authority (SRA) projects in areas such as Ravet and Bhosari and questioned who benefited from transferable development rights given under the schemes.

He also cited cost escalations in infrastructure, claiming that a bridge project had ballooned from ₹70 lakh to ₹7 crore.

Unveiling his alliance’s poll plank, Pawar announced a slew of promises, including a property tax waiver for houses up to 500 sq ft from April 1, 2026, scrapping of the draft development plan, daily water supply, and free bus and metro travel. Other assurances included better roads, pollution control, modern healthcare facilities, model schools, free tablets for students, and interest-free loans of up to ₹5 lakh for women who complete skill training.

Devendra Fadnavis responded sharply from Pune, where he was speaking during an interaction with Marathi actor Girija Oak. “Ajit dada talks, I work,” the chief minister said, asserting that his government preferred performance over rhetoric.

The BJP and Ajit Pawar-led NCP are contesting the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad civic polls separately despite being part of the ruling Mahayuti alliance. Fadnavis said both sides had earlier agreed that the contest would be “friendly” and without personal attacks.

“I have maintained that restraint, but they seem to have lost patience,” he said, suggesting that election pressure was driving Pawar's comments.

Taking a swipe at the NCP-SP-NCP alliance’s promise of free metro travel, Fadnavis said such announcements were detached from reality. He pointed out that metro fares are fixed by a statutory Fare Fixation Committee involving both the Centre and the state.

“Even if I want to waive fares, I cannot do it. You have to say who will bear the cost,” he said, adding that Punekars prefer reliable services over freebies.

In a sarcastic remark, Fadnavis said he might as well announce free air travel for women in Pune, underlining what he called the ease of making “unrealistic” poll promises.

The chief minister also criticised past urban planning, referring to flyovers that were later dismantled for metro work, and said the government was now working on integrated infrastructure corridors to avoid repeated disruptions.

At a rally in Pimpri-Chinchwad, Fadnavis said the BJP’s development work had left opponents “frustrated and angry”. He cited housing projects under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and contrasted them with what he called poor-quality construction under earlier NCP-led administrations.

The exchanges come as Maharashtra heads into one of its most consequential civic election cycles in years.

Polls to the BMC and 28 other municipal corporations, including Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, will be held on January 15, with counting on January 16. As many as 2,869 seats are at stake, with over 3.48 crore voters eligible to vote.

The BMC election, in particular, is being closely watched as it will be the first since the 2022 split in the Shiv Sena and will determine control of the country’s richest civic body. The polls are also being held amid a “vote chori” row, with opposition parties alleging bogus and duplicate entries in electoral rolls.

With alliances fraying and rhetoric sharpening, the war of words between Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis is expected to only get louder as Maharashtra’s civic battle, including the all-important BMC race, heads into its final stretch.