PUNE: The Sanay Chhatrapati Shasan Party will contest the upcoming municipal corporation elections independently in all 29 civic bodies across Maharashtra, party national president Prof Namdeorao Jadhav said on Tuesday. The party will go to the polls with the agenda of “making cities like Singapore” and will field candidates for all 165 seats in the Pune Municipal Corporation.Addressing a press conference in Pune, Jadhav said the party would prioritise educated and tax-paying candidates. Criticising the current political climate, he said public interest has taken a back seat, while leaders are increasingly driven by personal gain. “People’s issues remain unresolved, and there is a growing need to bring in new, educated faces who are genuinely committed to urban development,” he said, adding that the first list of candidates for municipal corporations would be announced shortly.Jadhav flagged rising pollution levels as a key concern in Pune and other districts. He claimed that Pune district’s air quality index has reached 316, a level he described as dangerous, compared to 12 to 15 in Singapore. He further alleged that worsening pollution is reducing the average life expectancy of residents in the district by nearly 20 years.He also criticised the lack of effective regulation of dust and pollution from large-scale construction projects in the city. While stringent norms are enforced at construction sites in Singapore to curb pollution, similar measures in Pune are not implemented effectively, he said.According to Jadhav, Pune’s development remains confined to basic issues such as water supply, sewage, and roads, limiting the city’s overall progress. Repeatedly electing the same representatives has led to public frustration, he said, adding that citizens feel elected representatives have failed to deliver the desired development.Jadhav said that candidates elected from his party would focus on planned, transparent, and holistic development of the city. He also announced the appointment of Rahul Mate as the party’s Pune city president.
