Pune, Jan. 5 -- Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar justified his decision to fight the Mahayuti alliance in 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 but decided to fight the PMC elections with his Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP), 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 Stat...