PMC polls: Mohol takes on Ajit Pawar for fielding candidates with ‘criminal background’

Union Minister of State for Aviation Murlidhar Mohol (left) and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. (Express photo)

Contesting independently and taking on each other despite being in alliance in the state and Centre, the BJP on Thursday took on the Ajit Pawar-led NCP for fielding candidates with what it called “criminal backgrounds” for the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections.

“Being the guardian minister of Pune, it is necessary to give priority to maintaining the law and order situation by controlling crime. Instead, look at the list of candidates of our rival (NCP). It is filled with persons of criminal background,” Union Minister of State (MoS) for Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said. “It is necessary for all the political parties to think about the situation seriously and work towards keeping politics free of criminal elements,” he added.

When pointed out that the BJP has fielded Pratibha Chorghe, whose husband has been accused of being linked to illegal activities, Mohol said, “Chorghe has done social work and is popular among locals. We are not aware of any criminal background of their family.”

The Union minister said the BJP is contesting only on development issues and confident that the next mayor of Pune would be from the party. Mohol said the BJP has fielded 92 women candidates for the 165 seats.

“We wanted to have an alliance with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena but they fielded more number of candidates than expected. We too fielded more candidates. However, we still want an alliance with the Shiv Sena and the situation will be resolved by the state leadership by Friday,” Mohol said.

The BJP had 105 corporators in the previous general body of the PMC, so it staked claim on more seats, he said, adding that the Shiv Sena with one former corporator wanted to contest from several seats. “The BJP offered 16 seats but the Shiv Sena wanted 25 seats, which was not acceptable,” Mohol said, adding that the BJP hopes alliance with the Shiv Sena survives in the civic polls and that after reaching consensus both will try to withdraw their candidates wherever required.