Metro, ring road, riverfront, airport expansion: Can BJP’s big projects counter Pune’s civic woes? 

In 2014, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept all eight assembly seats in Pune city, riding high on a Modi wave. By 2019, the party had lost two of those seats as the undivided NCP managed to win in Wadgaonsheri and Hadapsar. 

With the upcoming assembly poll scheduled on November 20, the saffron party faces a challenge to retain its stronghold as the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance poses a strong challenge to its urban stronghold amid issues of infrastructure woes leading to frequent traffic chaos, air pollution, and rising crime likely to dominate the election. 

The absence of civic polls for the past three years is likely to add resentment against incumbents as it has affected the civic work resulting in overall deterioration of civic standards. 

The BJP, however, is heavily banking on some of the big projects the government and the civic body has undertaken in Pune such as Metro rail, riverfront development, river rejuvenation, ringroad, multi-level flyover at Chandani Chowk and Pune airport expansion. In the past three years, Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad have got crucial Metro connectivity of 32 kilometres while 30 kilometres are likely to be added within a year and around 31 kilometres of Metro stretches are proposed. The ring road project will take time for completion as the land acquisition is currently underway while riverfront development is facing opposition from green activists. The new airport terminal, however, has improved the flying experience for flyers from Pune.  

“While Pune has seen some big projects like Metro rail, New airport terminal, the overall standard of life here has deteriorated due to crumbling civic infrastructure,” said Vaishali Deshpande, a banker from Sahakarnagar.   

Historically, Congress and BJP held a balanced presence in Pune city. Urban voters have leaned towards the BJP but changing dynamics have emboldened Congress and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) to challenge for these seats. The MVA coalition, comprising NCP (SP), Congress, and Shiv Sena (UBT), is strategically dividing seats to capitalise on this momentum. 

NCP (SP) is likely to contest from Hadapsar, Wadgaonsheri, Khadakwasla, and Parvati, while Congress is eyeing Shivajinagar, Kasba Peth, and Pune Cantonment, with aspirations of a clean sweep. The Kothrud seat remains with Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction). Congress, which lacked representation in Pune city until recently, now holds the Kasba Peth seat after winning it in a by-election following the death of BJP MLA Mukta Tilak. However, Congress faces an uphill battle to retain this traditional BJP bastion. 

 Pune MP and Union Minister of State for civil aviation Murlidhar Mohol said, “The BJP carried out a lot of development work in the city. We did the groundbreaking of Metro work and now the first phase has been completed. The state government had given a nod for extension routes. We even upgraded the Pune Airport. Our government implemented numerous welfare packages. We are confident that we will win large in the assembly election.”

 The BJP currently holds five Pune city seats, represented by MLAs Madhuri Misal (Parvati), Bhimrao Tapkir (Khadakwasla), Siddharth Shirole (Shivajinagar), Chandrakant Patil (Kothrud), and Sunil Kamble (Pune Cantonment). Aside from Patil, who is considered relatively secure, the other incumbents face stiff competition not only from the MVA but also from within the BJP. 

In contrast, NCP’s Ajit Pawar faction holds Wadgaonsheri and Hadapsar, represented by MLAs Sunil Tingre and Chetan Tupe, respectively. Both joined Ajit Pawar after the NCP split.  

 Prashant Jagtap, head of the NCP city chapter, stated, “We are receiving tremendous support. This time, Maha Vikas Agadhi will triumph in Pune city. The BJP administration and local BJP leaders failed to provide the necessary infrastructure.”

While Congress city unit president Arvind Shinde stated, “We will win all of the seats in Pune. Now voters are criticising the BJP government. The city’s infrastructure has crumbled due to the lack of elected members in the corporation.”

The Sharad Pawar-led NCP faction, despite not having any incumbent MLAs, is hopeful for an upset in Khadakwasla. Straight fights are anticipated between the two NCP factions in Wadgaonsheri and Hadapsar, while Parvati and Khadakwasla are likely to witness BJP candidates defending their seats against the NCP (SP). 

Three seats at stake in Pimpri-Chinchwad 

In Pimpri-Chinchwad, which has three assembly seats in semi-urban areas, the BJP holds two (Chinchwad and Bhosari) while the NCP holds one (Pimpri). This time, however, the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) is expected to mount a significant challenge to the BJP incumbents. Local sources indicate that some leaders from both the BJP and NCP may join Sharad Pawar in PCMC areas in pursuit of tickets. 

As the election season heats up, Pune’s urban voters will be a key factor in determining whether BJP can hold onto its strongholds or if the MVA can seize the opportunity to gain ground in Pune’s assembly seats.