"I will respond when I am provoked": Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis ahead of PMC elections

Pune (Maharashtra) [India], January 6 (ANI): Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday took a dig at the Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders, saying that the upcoming Pune Municipal Corporation election is "slowly heating up."
Addressing a public rally in Pune's Katraj, CM Fadnavis said, "The Pune election is slowly heating up. One 'Dada' (Ajit Pawar) is making statements (allegations), another 'Dada' is speaking, and 'Anna' is speaking as well. Now the election is beginning to gain momentum."
Commenting on the discussions regarding the works done by political parties in the past, the CM said that explaining what has been done will "create several difficulties." He further stated that he will respond when provoked in order not to appear weak, but meanwhile, he stays focused on development in the state.
"The more we talk of the past, the more many people will have to explain what they have done, and that will create several difficulties...So I have decided that when I am provoked, like in Mumbai, I will respond. If I do not respond, it appears as weakness. However, my focus remains on development," Fadnavis said.
Earlier in the day, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar justified his decision to independently contest the Pune Municipal Corporation elections, flagging "several issues" in local leadership that are affecting Pune's development.
Ajit Pawar, who is part of the Mahayuti alliance has decided to fight the PMC elections with his Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP), the party he split from. He said that the Central and state governments are providing "ample" funds, but the implementation has not been realised at the local level.
"Both the Central and State governments are providing ample funds for development works across every corner of Maharashtra. No development scheme is being kept pending by either the Centre or the State. But the question is, what has been the condition of the municipal corporations that have remained under the same leadership for the past several years?" Ajit Pawar said.
"There is no fault of the Central or State governments in this. The real question is about the performance of the local leadership," he added. Ajit Pawar further stated that this is not the first time local elections have been fought separately by alliance members. (ANI)