Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar has accused political parties across the spectrum of abandoning ideology for expediency, alleging that defections, inducements and pressure tactics have become routine tools to expand party strength.
In an exclusive interview with PTI, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief said there was a “steady erosion” of ideological commitment, with politics increasingly driven by vendetta rather than principles.
“Lately, political parties have almost abandoned their respective ideologies. Leaders are going anywhere and doing whatever they feel,” Pawar said.
His remarks come amid a sharp political contest in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, where the NCP and BJP, partners in the ruling Mahayuti coalition at the state level, are fighting civic elections independently.
Pawar alleged that leaders are being drawn away from parties through inducements or coerced by invoking pending investigations.
“Some leaders are being poached through inducements, while others are pressured by highlighting pending inquiries against them and assuring that probe agencies would be managed after a switch,” he said. “Money and muscle power are being openly used in the political arena.”
According to Pawar, electoral calculations now override leadership track records.
“Those who have money and muscle power are using it. Those who feel that votes can be sought by raking up caste issues are adopting that tactic,” he said while responding to a question on frequent defections.
He said candidates are increasingly judged on perceived winnability rather than governance. “The NCP chief also said that a candidate is being assessed on perceived electoral merit, not on what he has delivered as a leader.”
Surveys, Pawar said, are central to this trend.
“Surveys are being used to check who is the most popular candidate in a particular area. If that person belongs to the opposite party, efforts are made to poach him or her.”
Recalling the political ethos of Maharashtra’s first chief minister Yashwantrao Chavan, Pawar contrasted it with current practices. “He used to pay equal respect to opposition leaders. He used to distribute funds without thinking whether the person was from the opposition. However, over the years, some sort of vendetta politics has crept in. This should not happen.”
Pawar also trained his guns on the BJP’s civic record in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, blaming what he described as the “lack of vision” of local BJP leaders for pushing both corporations into a “crisis” despite heavy spending.
Though allies in the state government, the BJP and NCP are locked in a direct contest in the two civic bodies. The BJP has publicly urged Pawar to refrain from attacking coalition partners during the campaign.
Pawar claimed the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) saw planned development between 1992 and 2017 when the NCP was in control, while corruption and mismanagement marked the BJP’s term from 2017 to 2022.
“From 1992 till 2017, Pimpri-Chinchwad was developed with minute planning. The corporation became the richest civic body in Asia due to sound financial management and able leadership. There was no need to take loans or issue bonds during our tenure,” he said.
Bonds were issued during the BJP-led term, Pawar said, alleging irregularities in the Smart City project and cleanliness and waste management works.
“In the last eight to nine years, around Rs 60,000 crore was spent. Administrative expenses that account for nearly 30-35 per cent amount to about Rs 20,000 crore. Development works worth Rs 40,000 crore were supposed to take place, but that work is not visible on the ground,” he said.
He said basic civic issues continue to plague both cities. He said roads remain in poor condition, while drinking water has become a major issue in Pune civic body and PCMC. “During our tenure, water was brought from the Pavana dam to the industrial township (Pimpri-Chinchwad). Unfortunately, the local leadership lacked the vision to plan for the growing industrial town, and today PCMC is facing multiple problems.”
Pawar also alleged discrepancies in staffing and waste management. “In waste management departments, the number of employees shown on paper does not match the actual workforce,” he said.
“Over 12,300 employees are listed, but more than 50 per cent are not working on the ground,” Pawar said, adding that “tanker mafia” are operating freely in Pune and PCMC.
Targeting the BJP’s earlier tenure in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), Pawar alleged corruption in projects such as CCTV installation. “Nearly 70 per cent of CCTV cameras are not functioning. The work that should have happened has not happened.”
Addressing criticism that he was attacking the BJP despite sharing power with it at the Centre and in Maharashtra, Pawar said civic polls are different from state and national contests. “National and state elections are different. Voters know with whom the country and the state should be entrusted. Civic elections are about local problems, and we are raising issues faced by citizens in Pune and PCMC.”
On the alliance between the NCP and NCP (SP) in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, Pawar said the arrangement was driven by local workers. “Local party workers felt that contesting together would be beneficial. That is how the alliance was formed.”
He dismissed speculation about a merger with the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP). “Right now, we are focused only on winning maximum seats.”
Elections to 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra, including Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, are scheduled for January 15, with counting on January 16.