The government of Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis will complete its first anniversary in the following one and a half months. In this period, the focus has been on legal battles, allegations and counter allegations and development has taken a back seat.
Last week, the Shinde government got a major respite from the Supreme Court when it delivered a verdict on the year-long crisis sparked by a revolt within Shiv Sena. The apex court said it cannot disqualify Shinde and 15 other MLAs for revolting against the then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray in June last year. That power, according to the court, rests with the speaker until a larger panel of judges’ rules on it.
If the recent defeat in Kasba Peth bypoll followed by a major setback in Karnataka is an indicator, it is certain that Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will contest all upcoming elections in the state together, as reflected in Sunday’s meeting chaired by Sharad Pawar in Mumbai.
In Karnataka, it was clear from the beginning that the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) national narrative did not find takers compared to local issues.
In Maharashtra, if the BJP was critical of Uddhav Thackeray as a chief minister on the issue of lack of development, the current government has to offer better performance to justify its criticism when the ex-CM has been gaining sympathy over the way his government was toppled in June 2022.
{{/usCountry}}In Maharashtra, if the BJP was critical of Uddhav Thackeray as a chief minister on the issue of lack of development, the current government has to offer better performance to justify its criticism when the ex-CM has been gaining sympathy over the way his government was toppled in June 2022.
{{/usCountry}}In the past ten months, the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government’s track record in Pune and many parts of Maharashtra isn’t reflecting the speed and vigour that the BJP-Sena government showed between 2014 and 2019.
Take the case of Purandar airport, the story of which is now reduced to internet memes. The project has not moved an inch further after the new government reintroduced the old site for the proposed airport. In a way, it’s been two steps forward and four steps backwards.
The Metro rail tale is no different. With only a 12km stretch operational so far and the next stretch still to be completed even as multiple deadlines are already missed, Pune’s traffic condition is worsening every passing day.
If that is not enough, the new government hasn’t been able to approve any new stretches while the work on the most awaited Swargate-Katraj, and Chinchwad-Nigdi extension corridor is yet to begin as they await the centre’s nod.
The two proposed ring roads – one by Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA), and another by Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) – along with Pune-Nashik semi-highspeed rail projects have still not kick-started. Some of these projects require land, the acquisition of which is complex and difficult. However, if the government exhibits the same energy as it did in acquiring land for the Samruddhi highway, these two projects can pick up the pace.
Citizens feel if the politicians show the same swiftness and efficiency in other infrastructure projects as seen in Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) executed riverfront project, it will minimise their day-to-day woes, and possibly help ruling parties in the upcoming elections.
The outcome in Kasba Peth assembly constituency in March was considered a major victory for MVA, and the Congress party in particular, as the assembly seat from central parts of Pune was known as BJP bastion for three decades.
For MVA, the victory of Congress nominee Ravindra Dhangekar over Hemant Rasane in Kasba Peth in a constituency retained by BJP for 30 years sent a message that it can win against BJP-Shiv Sena if they stuck together and also connect with the people, something that was seen during the bypolls.
The MVA would now want Kasba Peth as a bellwether, whose experience can be replicated in the coming polls. The BJP along with Shiv Sena (Shinde) on its part can take a leaf out of the Karnataka verdict and change the narrative by bringing the development agenda back on its radar to be able to retain power.