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Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Monday clarified that his recent remarks on the BJP were "misrepresented" by the media, asserting that he had not levelled any allegations against the ruling alliance.
Pawar said his statement was intended to highlight that the Maharashtra government was functioning effectively under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, but only selective portions of his comments were aired. Speaking to reporters, Pawar maintained that both the Centre and the state were doing their part in ensuring development across Maharashtra. "The media has presented my statement differently. Allegations were not levelled. Maharashtra Govt is doing good work. Work is being done under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi and similarly under the leadership of CM Devendra Fadnavis. That is what I said, but my complete statement was not shown. I made the statement on that basis," he said. Earlier on Monday, the Nationalist Congress Party leader justified his decision to contest the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections separately from the Mahayuti alliance, despite being part of the coalition at the state level. Pawar, who is fighting the civic polls with Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP), said that while sufficient funds were being provided by the Centre and the state, their implementation was lacking at the local level. Flagging civic issues in Pune, Pawar blamed the Pune Municipal Corporation for failing to address persistent problems such as traffic congestion, water scarcity and inadequate basic amenities. He noted that Pune's rapidly growing population had further strained civic infrastructure, especially in older parts of the city. Pawar also pointed out that contesting local body elections separately was not unprecedented, recalling a similar situation during the UPA era under former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Polling for the local body elections in Maharashtra is scheduled for January 15, with results to be declared on January 16. (ANI)
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