Pune Lok Sabha Candidates Clash Over Metro Development

Pune, 17th April 2024: Pune Lok Sabha Candidates Muralidhar Mohol and Ravindra Dhangekar engaged in a dispute on Tuesday (16th April) over the development of the metro in Pune city. Dhangekar, representing the Maha Vikas Aghadi, argued that the metro project was realized due to the efforts of Congress, claiming that the BJP had not contributed significantly over the last decade. He stated that the metro project was a Congress initiative and accused the BJP of inactivity in implementing the project.

However, BJP candidate Muralidhar Mohol countered this claim, stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was responsible for the expansion of the metro line. Mohol pointed out that Dhangekar had to create ‘reels’ for social media while riding the metro, which was inaugurated by the Prime Minister.

The argument took place during an interview program organized by the Pune Shramik Patrakar Sangh for Pune’s candidates. Muralidhar Mohol, Ravindra Dhangekar, and Vanchit Bahujan Vikas Aghadi candidate Vasant More participated in the event. Dhangekar criticized the BJP for its lack of substantial achievements over the past ten years, while Mohol highlighted the ongoing work on the new airport during the BJP’s tenure and the approval for metro line expansion.

In response to Dhangekar’s remarks, Mohol accused Dhangekar of trying to benefit from the metro line expansion initiated by Prime Minister Modi. Vasant More also criticized the practice of preparing development reports, only to keep them concealed after elections, using Katraj as an example of development practices that should be implemented city-wide.