BJP leader Ram Kadam. File pic
Ahead of the upcoming local body elections, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ram Kadam said that the party is confident of winning in Pune, attributing its prospects to Chief Minister (CM) Devendra Fadnavis's leadership and image.
Speaking to news agency ANI, Kadam said, "There is a difference between Ajit Pawar's image and Devendra Fadnavis's image. The people of Pune want to vote for the BJP based on Devendra Fadnavis's image. Although we are together in Maharashtra (Assembly), I am confident that because of PM Modi's leadership and Devendra Fadnavis's image and work, we will surpass Ajit Pawar in the elections and win in Pune."
The Pune Municipal Corporation Election 2026 will be held on January 15, with the counting to take place the following day.
Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik has stated that his party's main electoral rivals in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Election 2026 are the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiv Sena led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, ANI reported.
Responding to allegations that the NCP is targeting minority votes, Malik clarified that the party is not contesting in several minority-dominated areas.
"On most of the seats, our party is contesting against the BJP and the Shinde's Sena. We are not contesting elections in the minority areas. We are not contesting in Shivaji Nagar's three wards, where the minority is 90 per cent," he told ANI.
He added, "Our fight in this election is directly with the candidates of the BJP and Shiv Sena. When the results are out, it will be clear that our direct opponents are the Shinde faction and the BJP."
Earlier, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis described the upcoming BMC elections as "life-changing" for Mumbai and its citizens. Addressing a gathering at the NSCI Dome in Worli, he criticised opposition parties, saying that the Mahayuti alliance will "teach a lesson" to those who focus solely on self-interest.
"We launched our BMC election campaign by breaking a coconut. This election will be a life-changing one for the people of Mumbai and for Mumbai itself. We have to teach a lesson to those who only care about their self-interest," Fadnavis said.
He further accused opposition parties of prioritising personal and political gains over public welfare. "There are people who only care about their own self-interest. These people (opposition) are all talk and no action, but now the public will elect those who fulfil their promises, that is, the Mahayuti alliance," he added.
Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde expressed confidence that the Mahayuti alliance will secure a decisive victory in the BMC polls.
(With ANI inputs)
