Kasba, Chinchwad bypolls: In video, Uddhav seeks probe into corruption charges during BJP rule in PCMC
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has dared the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government to probe the alleged corruption in the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) during the BJP’s five-year tenure from 2017 to 2022.
“They (BJP) keep talking about corruption in the Mumbai civic body. But what about the corruption during the five-year term of the BJP in PCMC? Does the government have the guts to probe the corruption in PCMC during BJP tenure,” Uddhav asked in a video message released ahead of the Kasba and Chinchwad bypolls.
Voting for the Kasba and Chinchwad bypolls will be held on February 26 and counting on March 2.
Uddhav alleged that the BJP Standing Committee chairman was caught taking a bribe in the PCMC. “Even MLAs were involved in wrongdoings…Contractors were favoured, one of them got a Rs 400 crore contract on a platter. Will they (the government) launch a probe into this,” he asked.
Uddhav said there were 50,000 illegal constructions in Pimpri-Chinchwad. “The BJP had promised to regularise these illegal constructions. What happened to their promise? Why should people vote for BJP? If BJP does not have sympathy, people should also show that they don’t have any sympathy for the party,” he added.
Uddhav said he has a long list of problems being faced by the people in Pimpri-Chinchwad. “From issues like regularisation of illegal constructions to water shortage, people are facing numerous problems in the industrial city. To get sympathy, BJP has fielded Ashwini Jagtap. But a party which does not show respect to a family like the Mukta Tilak family and an ailing MP Girish Bapat does not deserve any sympathy. Therefore, we decided to field our candidates rather than allowing an unopposed election,” he said.
Uddhav also hit out at the “cruel” BJP for “virtually dragging” an ailing Girish Bapat into the election fray. “A party which has no sympathy for its own ailing leader should not be shown any sympathy,” he said.
Pimpri-Chinchwad NCP chief Ajit Gavahane said they too have been demanding a probe into the functioning of the BJP during its five-year term. “However, no cognisance has been taken about our complaint so far,” he said.
