Pune, Nov 24 (PTI) Months ahead of elections to municipal corporations in Maharashtra, including the crucial Mumbai civic body, NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday asked leaders and workers of his party to concentrate on urban areas and take up issues like health infrastructure and drinking water.

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Stating that 40 per cent population lives in urban areas, Pawar told a convention of the youth wing of NCP at Mahabaleshwar in the Satara district that political parties cannot run the country without considering the urban population and their issues.

He also asked NCP cadres to involve more young women in the party conventions.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) mainly draws its power from the western Maharashtra hinterland. The party is making efforts to expand its urban footprint.

"There are several issues related to agriculture and rural areas. When we hold discussions in NCP during conventions, there is one shortcoming I have noticed. We give more emphasis to rural issues and it is necessary also as 60 to 65 per cent of the population in India lives in rural parts. We should, no doubt, remain empathetic towards rural issues," he told the NCP workers.

But one must understand that 40 per cent population lives in urban areas in the country, he said.

"Today, more than one crore people live in the metro like Mumbai and over 1.25 crore in Delhi. By keeping them aside, political parties like us cannot run the country. We should concentrate on urban issues like drinking water, health infrastructure, educational facilities etc," the NCP chief said.

He criticised the BJP for calling a bandh following recent violence in Amravati city, Malegaon and Nanded in Maharashtra.

"Something happened in Tripura but why call a bandh in Maharashtra? What was the connection that agitations were organised at different places in Maharashtra? Some untoward incidents had taken place in Malegaon, Nanded and Amravati but immediate action was also taken (by the government). How was it justified to call for a Maharashtra bandh? Was it really necessary ?" Pawar asked.

He also slammed former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis without taking his name.

'Whenever there is tension in the society, the wise people in politics should ensure that it doesn't spill over. But a person who was chief minister of the state once and his aides are saying that they would not tolerate this and that. This is sort of provocation," Pawar added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)