Pune: Traffic Disruption in City Due to Political Roadshows 

The city’s central traffic was significantly disrupted for around three hours yesterday due to a major roadshow organized by the Mahayuti alliance candidates, Murlidhar Mohol of the BJP and Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil of the NCP. The event was part of their campaign for the upcoming elections.

The roadshow, originally expected to be attended by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy chief ministers for the nomination filing, saw a change in plans due to the traffic conditions. Instead, Devendra Fadnavis, former Chief Minister and current MLA, attended Mohol’s rally, while NCP leader Ajit Pawar was present at Adhalrao’s event. Chief Minister Shinde was notably absent from both gatherings, a point that did not go unnoticed among the attendees.

The altered plans did little to mitigate the impact on the city’s traffic, which saw major slowdowns affecting thousands of commuters. The heavy congestion began in the early hours of the afternoon and lasted until late in the evening, complicating travel and access throughout the central areas.

Residents and commuters expressed frustration over the lack of prior warnings and the significant effect on their day. “We understand the importance of political events in a democratic society, but better planning could have prevented these severe disruptions,” said a local shopkeeper, whose business was affected by the reduced accessibility.

The roadshow arrives at a crucial time for both parties, as they strive to engage as many voters as possible in the highly competitive election season. However, the impact on ordinary citizens’ daily lives has sparked discussions on the need for more thoughtful organization of such events to minimize inconvenience to the public.