Pune: BJP Cuts Suhas Tingre’s Development Fund to Zero, NCP Calls It ‘Political Vendetta’
Pune, 20th August 2026: After NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) corporator Amol Balwadkar, Suhas Tingre’s development fund has also been reduced to zero, days after the two corporators sought a special audit of development works in the constituency of Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil.
The proposal to reduce Tingre’s development fund was approved at the Pune Municipal Corporation’s standing committee meeting held on Thursday. The move by the ruling BJP has triggered a political controversy, with discussions also emerging that the development fund of a former mayor could be targeted at the next meeting.
Balwadkar and Tingre had jointly submitted a proposal at last week’s standing committee meeting seeking a special audit of development works carried out in Patil’s Kothrud constituency. Although the proposal was taken on record, the ruling BJP had simultaneously approved a proposal to reduce Balwadkar’s development fund to zero.
At Tuesday’s general body meeting, the Rs 12 crore development fund earlier sanctioned for Balwadkar was cancelled, effectively reducing his allocation to zero.
Dispute over Rs 38.15 lakh worth of works
The controversy centres on four development works worth Rs 38.15 lakh carried out through the Pune Municipal Corporation using funds from the Pune District Planning Committee, the MLA Local Area Development Programme and other sources.
Balwadkar and Tingre had demanded a special audit of these works. As Tingre had signed the proposal submitted by Balwadkar, the BJP has now moved to reduce the development fund allocated to Tingre in the municipal budget to zero.
The standing committee approved the proposal on Thursday. However, the decision will require approval from the general body. The proposal is expected to be included in the September agenda.
Tingre is brother of NCP city chief Sunil Tingre
Suhas Tingre is the brother of NCP city president and former MLA Sunil Tingre. The action against the brother of the city chief of one of the major parties in the Mahayuti alliance has sparked political discussions in Pune.
The NCP has alleged that the BJP’s action is aimed at suppressing opposition within the alliance. The move is expected to have political repercussions, particularly amid differences over development funds and municipal decision-making.
Reacting to the development, Sunil Tingre accused the BJP of acting out of political vendetta.
“Cases of development funds being withdrawn out of political revenge are taking place under the BJP. When the late leader Ajit Pawar faced various allegations, did he ever withdraw anyone’s development fund? The NCP is in power in several other local bodies, but we will not resort to such childish action of withdrawing BJP corporators’ funds there,” Sunil Tingre said.
