‘Deva Bhau’ to stand as ‘Guarantor’ for Nagpur Corporators, Unveils Sweeping Vision of Growth and Welfare

Nagpur: CM Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday put personal political capital on the line for the upcoming Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) elections, declaring that he would act as a "guarantor" for all corporators elected from the BJP–Shiv Sena alliance and ensure that development funds and projects faced no hurdles after the polls.Addressing three election rallies at Borgaon, Tiranga square and Trimurti Nagar, Fadnavis told voters that Union minister Nitin Gadkari and he would jointly back every elected corporator from January 16 (result day) for the next five years. "I take the guarantee to complete remaining works and fulfil people's expectations, and there would be no shortage of funds," he said.Projecting Nagpur as a showcase of BJP governance, the CM said the city underwent rapid transformation over the past decade under Gadkari and him. Referring to a recent international survey, he claimed Nagpur was identified among the top 5 fastest-growing Indian cities projected for 2030. "People are surprised when they see how a network of big expressways, flyovers and infrastructure came up here," he said.On civic infrastructure, Fadnavis said Nagpur was close to achieving round-the-clock drinking water supply. "For the first time, 24x7 water reached nearly 90% of the city. In the expanded areas, tanks and pipelines are being laid. In three years, Nagpur will be the first city to be completely tanker-free, even in summer," he said. He recalled that when he was mayor in 1997, the city had just 8 water tanks, compared with 105 today.Highlighting sanitation reforms, he said Nagpur became the country's first city to scientifically clean water flowing through sewer lines and use it to generate power. "We are not only saving the environment, but also earning from it. Other cities are now adopting this model," he said.Fadnavis pointed to large-scale cement concrete road projects as a permanent solution to potholes. "Once cement roads are laid, there is no need for repairs for 50 years. Thousands of crores earlier went into annual patchwork. We changed the face of the city," he said, adding that major roads across the city were already concretised.On transport, he said Nagpur remained one of the few metro cities where traffic was still manageable. "In other cities, vehicles can't move even 10–12 km. In Nagpur, you can go from one end to the other in 30 minutes," he said, attributing this to flyover networks, metro rail and upcoming electric buses. He said daily metro ridership crossed 1 lakh and would double after the second phase.Fadnavis highlighted lake rejuvenation projects at Shukrawari, Sakkardara, Sonegaon and Futala, saying they were protected and converted into "vibrant water bodies". He also spoke about Gorewada as an emerging eco-tourism hub, with an African safari to be started soon.On healthcare, he cited a Rs 700-crore upgrade of the century-old govt Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) and Mayo (IGGMCH), which included new operation theatres and an upcoming 200-bed cancer hospital. "This is for the common man. Under the Mahatma Phule Jan Arogya Yojana, treatment up to Rs 5 lakh is free, and for some diseases up to Rs 35 lakh," he said.Fadnavis said Nagpur was being positioned as an education and employment hub, with institutions such as AIIMS, IIM, IIIT, Symbiosis and NMIMS. He claimed MIHAN and MADC together already generated over 1 lakh jobs, with another 1 lakh expected from the Samruddhi-linked industrial clusters, including solar module manufacturing and MRO facilities. "Already top 6He spoke about a world-class stadium and sports university at Mankapur, saying international-level facilities would ensure local athletes no longer needed to move out. He also highlighted slum land rights, Nazul land regularisation and housing schemes, saying, "For 50 years nothing happened. We fought up to the Supreme Court and gave ownership rights to the poor."Fadnavis dismissed opposition claims that schemes would be scrapped. "Till Deva Bhau is CM, the Ladki Bahin scheme will not be closed," he said, adding that the goal was to turn beneficiaries into "Lakhpati Didis". "We already created over 50 lakh Lakhpati didis in 2025. Now, we plan to take their numbers to 1 crore, and my sisters from these 3 constituencies should be a part of it."Fadnavis appealed for a clean sweep in East, South and Southwest Nagpur. "We have the vision and the power to deliver. You know how others would fare if you elect them. Give Nagpur's charge once again to BJP and Mahayuti. Leave the rest to me," he said.