Pune, 7th January 2026: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) national president and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Wednesday announced a new campaign themed ‘Alarm’ ahead of the upcoming Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) elections, flagging what he described as a steady decline in civic services and urban infrastructure in both cities.
The campaign seeks to tap into growing public discontent over daily civic hardships, ranging from water tanker dependence and traffic congestion to waste management failures and deteriorating air quality. Party leaders said the ‘Alarm’ is meant to signal not just inconvenience to citizens, but a broader failure of municipal administration.
According to the NCP, the campaign is based on extensive ground surveys conducted over the past six months and complaints gathered through direct public interactions. Issues such as garbage piles emitting foul odour, irregular water supply, rising Air Quality Index (AQI) levels and chronic traffic bottlenecks have been identified as the key “alarm points” in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad.
“The present civic administration has failed to resolve basic issues and implement solutions on the ground. Our message is simple — the alarm is ringing, and it is now up to Punekars and Pimpri-Chinchwad residents to press the button and set their cities right,” Pawar said, as per party leaders present at the announcement.
As part of the campaign strategy, NCP candidates will visit problem locations themselves and record videos highlighting local issues such as long tanker queues, garbage dumps and pothole-ridden roads. The party claims this is among the first civic campaigns where candidates are documenting problems on-site rather than limiting outreach to speeches or rallies.
The NCP said the campaign draws from its ideological roots inspired by Shiv, Shahu, Phule and Ambedkar, with an emphasis on development-driven social welfare rather than symbolic promises. Pawar’s reputation as a “man of work” and the party’s focus on administrative efficiency are being projected as central to the narrative.
Under the ‘One Alarm, Five Works’ framework, the party has outlined key priorities: Water: Assured 24×7 supply of clean drinking water. Roads and traffic: Pothole-free, high-quality roads and smoother traffic movement. Cleanliness: Timely garbage collection and comprehensive sanitation. Public spaces and pollution control: Playgrounds and recreation parks for all age groups, along with measures to curb pollution. Healthcare: Well-equipped and accessible health facilities in every ward.
The party acknowledged that Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad have historically enjoyed a high quality of life, but said weakening civic governance has begun to erode these standards. While the NCP is a partner in the state government, leaders stressed that restoring efficiency at the municipal level requires what they termed the “Ajit Pawar model” of disciplined administration.
Party workers also invoked Pawar’s long-standing reputation for execution, saying public trust built over the past three decades is rooted in delivery rather than slogans. With the “alarm of inefficiency” ringing, the campaign calls on citizens to “press the button” to restart development and governance in both cities.
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