NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday claimed that Maharashtra has fallen into the wrong hands in the past few years and has suffered a decline.

He was in the Chinchwad assembly constituency in Pune district to canvass for his party candidate Rahul Kalate, who faces off against BJP’s Shankar Jagtap in the November 20 Maharashtra polls.

Pawar took part in a roadshow and addressed a public gathering in support of Kalate.

“Maharashtra was once ranked number one in the country but it has fallen into the wrong hands in recent times leading to the state’s downfall,” he said.

The NCP (SP) president said the Chinchwad constituency lacks even basic infrastructure. The Pimpri-Chinchwad area near Pune is an auto hub.

“Those in power here for the last 10 years didn’t complete any development projects. It’s time for the transformation of Chinchwad,” he said, and urged the public to vote for Kalate.

Pawar said Kalate has huge experience as he was earlier a corporator from the area. “I am sure good days will be back here,” he added.

In the Chinchwad constituency, the BJP replaced sitting MLA Ashwini Jagtap, the wife of late party leader Laxman Jagtap, and instead, nominated his brother Shankar Jagtap, who is contesting his first election.

In the 2019 state polls, Laxman Jagtap had defeated Kalate by over 38,000 votes.

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