India, Jan. 8 -- Deputy chief minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit Pawar Wednesday launched the party's 'Alarm' campaign for the upcoming Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) elections, stepping up the attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP's) local leadership over what the NCP described as mismanagement and failure to deliver basic civic services in the twin city.

Pawar likened persistent civic problems such as water shortages, garbage pileups, traffic congestion and rising pollution levels to 'alarm bells' pointing to the imminent administrative collapse at the municipal level.

In recent weeks, Pawar has alleged corruption and mismanagement on the part of BJP-led c...