Video: Traffic Snarls On Highway Near Balewadi Sports Complex Due To NCP Event; Punekars Raise Concerns On Social Media

Punekars took to social media to raise issues of traffic congestion near Balewadi Sports Complex on the highway and Radha Chowk due to the foundation day event of Ajit Pawar-led NCP.

The Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is celebrating its foundation day in Pune’s Balewadi area, drawing a large crowd of party officeholders, workers, VIPs, and hundreds of supporters.

Taking to X, one user wrote, "Huge traffic jam near Radha Chowk-Balewadi Sports Complex, and the entire NH48 stretch as well as service roads are totally jammed with traffic. School buses and private vehicles."

Another wrote, "Dada, small request: Please consider having your foundation day celebration during the midnight hours to avoid inconvenience to the general public. Today’s celebration at Balewadi Stadium, Pune, was very inconvenient for my kids, as well as many other school-going kids since it coincided with school hours. This is the second time this has happened to us; the first was in Lonavala. Please don’t have celebrations at the cost of your future voters."

Meaanwhile, NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday said they never thought the Nationalist Congress Party, co-founded by him 26 years ago, would suffer a split and appreciated workers of his outfit for taking it ahead despite challenges.

Pawar was speaking in Pune at an event marking the 26th foundation day of the NCP, which split in 2023.

The NCP split in July 2023 after Sharad Pawar's nephew Ajit Pawar joined the then Shiv Sena-BJP coalition government.

The party name and its clock symbol were given to the Ajit Pawar faction, while the one headed by the former Union agriculture minister was christened NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar).