Deputy chief minister Sunetra Pawar on Saturday assured elected members of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) that she would raise their concerns regarding the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) functioning in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Pawar was addressing party corporators and office-bearers during a meeting held at Baramati Hostel in Pune. This was her first interaction with PMC elected representatives after becoming deputy chief minister.
She said the meeting had been delayed as developments had unfolded suddenly after the government formation. “Whatever concerns have been raised by elected members will be discussed with the chief minister,” she said.
During the meeting, NCP corporators alleged that the BJP, which leads the civic body, was not treating alliance partners fairly, especially in financial and administrative matters.
“The BJP is not approving proposals submitted by NCP corporators and is giving priority to members from the ruling party,” some corporators said during the meeting.
Leader of opposition Nilesh Nikam said the issue had already been raised with BJP leaders in PMC and written complaints had also been submitted in certain cases.
Pawar assured party workers that she would take up the matter with BJP’s state leadership and ensure that proposals submitted by NCP representatives receive due consideration.
{{/usCountry}}Pawar assured party workers that she would take up the matter with BJP’s state leadership and ensure that proposals submitted by NCP representatives receive due consideration.
{{/usCountry}}She urged party corporators to become more aggressive on civic issues and actively raise citizens’ concerns, including in the PMC general body meetings if necessary.
Responding to the allegations, BJP leader of the house Ganesh Bidkar said the party was trying to ensure fairness to all elected representatives.
“If there is any misunderstanding, we will resolve it,” Bidkar said.
Meanwhile, Pawar has started holding a series of meetings in Pune after being appointed guardian minister of the district.