Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) National Working President and Member of Parliament Supriya Sule on Monday, 6 July demanded that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis immediately declare a state emergency, as torrential rainfall brought the state to a near-standstill. Speaking to reporters in Pune, Sule described the scale of infrastructure collapse as unprecedented, even by Maharashtra's standards of seasonal flooding.

Key Disruptions Across Maharashtra

The downpour has severed connectivity between Mumbai and Pune — the state's two economic engines — with the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, the Old Mumbai-Pune Highway, and the newly developed 'Missing Link' project all shut down. Local train services have faced major disruptions, Alandi has reported flooding, and landslides and caved-in roads are emerging from multiple districts. The Tamhini Ghat route has also been rendered impassable.

'The entire state seems paralysed by a single spell of rain. In such a scenario, what happens to patients, doctors, students, or citizens travelling for essential or emergency work? The government must show some consideration for them,' Sule said, accusing the ruling coalition of prioritising political matters over public safety and disaster management.

Sule's Critique of the Missing Link Project

Sule reserved pointed criticism for the Missing Link expressway project, a high-profile infrastructure initiative that was inaugurated with considerable fanfare. She alleged that despite significant public expenditure, the project has failed its first serious stress test.

'This project was inaugurated with great pomp and show, and it was welcomed by everyone. However, the videos emerging from the site now are deeply shocking. Massive public funds were spent on this project, yet the expected results are missing. The government must answer: Was a proper safety audit conducted? Was there any planning to mitigate natural disasters?' she questioned.

She extended the criticism to ongoing construction projects in Vasai-Virar, Bhandup, and other parts of Mumbai, alleging a systemic lack of foresight on public safety and environmental impact. Sule demanded a transparent, high-level inquiry into total expenditure, safety clearances, and disaster preparedness across these initiatives.

Calls for Chief Minister's Accountability

Sule stressed that while heavy rainfall is not unusual for Mumbai and Pune, the current level of infrastructure failure is without precedent. 'Rain is not new to Mumbai and Pune; the state has witnessed heavy downpours before. However, the scenes we are witnessing today have never been seen before. This is deeply concerning. Devendra Fadnavis needs to address the public and clarify the actual ground reality in Maharashtra,' she stated.

This comes amid broader questions about the state's disaster preparedness framework, particularly the adequacy of pre-monsoon audits for major expressway and urban infrastructure projects.

NCP-Congress Merger Speculation Dismissed

Separately, Sule dismissed circulating speculation about a potential merger between the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) and the Indian National Congress (INC). She noted that both parties have worked together on mutual trust for 27 years and will continue to do so, but confirmed that any formal merger talk exists strictly in media speculation and has no basis in internal party discussions.

Sule also confirmed that the INDIA bloc would raise allegations of corruption related to civic infrastructure near the Ayodhya temple in the upcoming Parliament session. With Maharashtra's monsoon season far from over, the pressure on the Fadnavis administration to demonstrate effective disaster response is set to intensify in the days ahead.