PMC Elections: Congress Calls for Planned Urban Development, Better Health and Education Facilities

Pune, 12th January 2026: Senior Congress leader Gopaldada Tiwari on Sunday appealed to voters to elect Congress candidates to ensure “planned development” focused on primary healthcare, education, and relief from traffic congestion, while strongly criticising the BJP-led governments at the Centre, state, and civic level.

Addressing a public meeting at Golandaj Chowk in Ward No. 12, covering Wadarwadi and Shivajinagar areas, Tiwari said that despite being in power continuously at all levels, the BJP’s reliance on hoardings featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis instead of local leaders during municipal elections reflects the party’s failure at the grassroots level. He alleged that the much-touted ‘Smart City’ concept has collapsed, with the idea of a ‘Metro City’ being reduced merely to excessive Floor Space Index (FSI) distribution and uncontrolled construction.

Tiwari stated that local self-governments are meant to carry out development based on the needs and aspirations of citizens. However, due to the prolonged delay in municipal elections, Pune Municipal Corporation functioned under an administrative regime for the past four years, during which, he alleged, unrealistic policies were implemented under pressure from the ruling state government. This, he claimed, led to indiscriminate allocation of Metro-linked FSI without considering the city’s changing definition, rising urban density, or essential planning instruments such as the Development Plan (DP) and Town Planning (TP).

As a result, Pune has been trapped in a vicious cycle of traffic congestion, Tiwari said. He further pointed out the severe shortage of basic civic amenities in residential areas, including primary healthcare centres, dispensaries, anganwadis, primary schools, playgrounds, open soil grounds, and public gardens. Instead, he alleged, environmentally harmful “concrete jungles” are rapidly replacing open spaces across the city.

Highlighting the lack of adequate roads and supporting infrastructure to match Pune’s growing urbanisation, Tiwari criticised the continued approval of construction projects driven solely by economic considerations. He argued that for holistic and environmentally sustainable urban development, it is essential for the Congress–Shiv Sena alliance to come to power in the Pune Municipal Corporation.

Former Minister of State for Home Ramesh Bagwe, former MLA Dipti Chaudhary, and other leaders also addressed the gathering. The meeting was organised as part of the campaign for Congress youth and women candidates from Ward No. 12—Rishikesh Jadhav, Priyanka Pawar, Rajshri Adsul, and Javed Nilgar.

The event was organised by Ashish Gunjal, Ganesh Gugale, Suresh Jadhav, and Mahendra Pawar, while Advocate Faiyaz Sheikh anchored the proceedings. Several local leaders and party workers, including Sanjay More, Narayan Patole, Ashok Jadhav, Rahul Vanjari, and Buva Kamble, were present.