4 months ago
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Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar connected Friday (January 9, 2026) expressed concerns implicit what helium described arsenic a dependable erosion of ideological committedness successful politics, alleging that astir governmental parties person abandoned their halfway principles and are resorting to antithetic tactics to grow their ranks.
In an exclusive interrogation with PTI, Mr. Pawar, who besides heads the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), said party-hopping has go rampant, with leaders being lured oregon coerced into switching sides.
“Lately, governmental parties person astir abandoned their respective ideologies. Leaders are going anyplace and doing immoderate they feel,” Mr. Pawar said.
He alleged that immoderate leaders are being poached done inducements, portion others are pressured by highlighting pending inquiries against them and assuring that probe agencies would beryllium managed aft a switch.
He further claimed that wealth and musculus powerfulness are being openly utilized successful the governmental arena.
“Those who person wealth and musculus powerfulness are utilizing it. Those who consciousness that votes tin beryllium sought by raking up caste issues are adopting that tactic,” Mr. Pawar said, responding to a question connected predominant defections by enactment leaders and workers.
Mr. Pawar besides said that a campaigner is being assessed connected perceived electoral merit, not connected what helium has delivered arsenic a leader. He said a caller inclination has emerged wherever surveys are utilized to gauge candidates’ popularity.
“Surveys are being utilized to cheque who is the astir fashionable campaigner successful a peculiar area. If that idiosyncratic belongs to the other party, efforts are made to poach him oregon her,” helium said up of the upcoming civic polls successful the State.
Continuing his disapproval against the section enactment of the BJP successful Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, Mr. Pawar alleged that their “lack of vision” had pushed the 2 civic bodies into “crisis”, contempt monolithic spending implicit the past 8 to 9 years.
NCP is simply a constituent of the BJP-led Mahayuti confederation successful the State.
Elections to 29 municipal corporations, including Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad civic bodies, crossed the State are scheduled for January 15. Votes volition beryllium counted the adjacent day.
