Pune hopes its MLAs get plum ministries

PUNE: From infrastructural development to solutions on traffic congestion and garbage management, citizens of Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad hope the new government will have adequate representation in the ministry to address these issues.
Together, Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad have nine BJP MLAs and hopes are running high for a cabinet minister. The senior-most among them is Girish Bapat who has been elected for the fifth time from Kasba Peth.Bapat is tipped to be a cabinet minister.
Others who may be considered for a ministry include Dilip Kamble, who has been the minister of for social welfare. Political observers say that in Pimpri Chinchwad where the BJP is trying to expand its base, Laxman Jagtap, elected from Chinchwad, may either get a ministry or would head a corporation.
In the last 25 years, there have been eight ministers from these parts- three were of cabinet rank, and others were ministers of . Political observers said these former ministers could not make any direct contribution to the city as they were allotted portfolios of home, revenue, social welfare and tourism.
Former ministers of from the city included Prakash Dhere (revenue), Dilip Kamble (social welfare), Balasaheb Shivarkar (public works), and Chandrakant Chhajed (tourism). The cabinet ministers were late Jayantrao Tilak and late Ramkrishna More (MLCs), and Shashikant Sutar (agriculture).
A Congress leader from the city said none of these ministers had proposed any face-changing project for the cities. The lone significant contribution came from More, who as the education minister, had introduced English in Marathi schools from standard I, he added.
The district fared better as the legislators, elected for three or more terms, got important portfolios and contributed to the district including Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad. NCP's Ajit Pawar from Baramati constituency, who was the deputy chief minister , had also held important portfolios like water resources, and energy. Pawar was also the guardian minister for Pune district, though the city benefitted little from his high post. NCP's Dilip Walse Patil from Ambegaon constituency was the energy minister and the speaker of the
legislative assembly. Harshavardhan Patil of the Congress, elected from Indapur, was minister for cooperation.