Citizens were at the receiving end on Wednesday when political heavyweights landed on the city to show their strength by holding rallies and roadshows. Many found themselves stuck in traffic jams for hours.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray participated in two roadshows. The morning rally covered the old city areas like Shaniwar Peth, Ravivar Peth, Budhwar Peth before concluding at Swargate, while the evening roadshow was conducted in areas like Law College Road, Kothrud, Karvenagar, Warje and Sinhgad Road.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar also held a brief roadshow on Wednesday morning in Pashan, Aundh, Bopodi, Kamalnayan Bajaj garden, Shivajinagar, Erandwane areas. The traffic police temporarily blocked the stretches in Pawale Chowk, Kumbharwada, Narpatgir Chowk and Apollo theatre areas causing severe inconvenience to officegoers and collegians.
The MNS workers took part in the rally carrying life-size replica of railway engines. Later the parked vehicles, including trucks, used in the rally were blocking the roads near Shaniwarwada, forcing the traffic police to clear the road for traffic.
