Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Sunday said the Mahayuti constituents, including the Nationalist Congress Party led by him, are free to contest local bodies elections independently.

Addressing Nationalist Congress Party workers in Pimpri Chinchwad city, he argued that independent contests would help strengthen the cadres.

"Even though we are allies in Lok Sabha and state assembly, Mahayuti members are free to contest local bodies polls independently," he said.

The schedule for elections to local bodies, which include municipal councils, nagar panchayats and zilla parishads, is not yet finalised.

The ruling Mahayuti alliance includes Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, BJP, and the NCP led by Ajit Pawar. 

Ajit Pawar also asserted that Pimpri Chinchwad is synonymous with his name.

"Pimpri Chinchwad means Ajit Pawar and Ajit Pawar means Pimpri Chinchwad. No one can deny this fact," he said in an apparent swipe at his estranged uncle Sharad Pawar who had claimed credit for the development of the township.

Addressing a rally in Pimpri Chinchwad on Saturday, the Pawar senior said, "Our government had changed the face of Pimpri Chinchwad. This used to be a collection of small villages. We brought the IT sector here, we gave jobs to youth here".

Meanwhile, Ajit Pawar said "new and old faces" from all sections of the society will be fielded in elections to local bodies whenever they are conducted.

He denied stopping Sharad Pawar from speaking at a Pune District Planning and Development Committee (DPDC) meeting held on Saturday. -- PTI