I’m a true-blue Punekar, says Ajit Pawar

At PMC projects inauguration, DY CM urges people to vote NCP, says party understands city issues better than 'outsiders'

I'm a true-blue Punekar, says Ajit Pawar

At PMC projects inauguration, Dy CM urges people to vote NCP, says party understands city issues better than 'outsiders'

"Iu00a0and Sharad Pawar are born and brought up in Pune district, of which Pune city is a part. However, the others (politicians from other parties) are outsiders," said Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar yesterday. After making this statement, he went on to claim he and his uncle knew the issues related to the city better than others.

Son of the soil: Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar at the inaguration of
an 85 litre water supply tank at Chandni Chowk near Kothrud yesterday.
Pic/Jignesh Mistry

Pawar was in the city yesterday to inaugurate the PMC's 84 lakh litre water supply tank, the bridge on Ram Nadi and a biogas plant at Chandni Chowk. The tank will supply water to Paud Road, Bavdhan, Baner and Balewadi areas and the biogas project has already started generating power for 125 streetlights in the area.

Local corporator Shankar Khemse had invited Pawar to inaugurate these projects, which was a way of indirectly and unofficially beginning the party's election campaign.u00a0Pawar urged the residents of Bavdhan, Baner and Paud Road to vote for the NCP, claiming his candidates were "Punekars" who would be better at solving all important civic issues compared to candidates of other parties.

Also, being the Finance Minister of the state who submitted a Rs 42,000 crore budget, Pawar said he had given priority to "his own Pune". As a result of the recent agitations and attempt to burn his effigy by Shiv Sena over his controversial statement on their chief Bal Thackeray, Pawar was provided with a sizeable police bandobast.