PUNE: The growing clout of Nagpur leaders in state and central politics might cause Pune to lose out to the state’s second capital in another race. After getting Nagpur’s metro rail project sanctioned ahead of Pune and pitching strongly for an IIM, leaders from the city are keen to get it included in the ‘smart cities’ scheme to be launched by the central government.

According to sources in the state urban development department, the central government is likely to select just a few cities from the state in the first phase of the programme. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union minister Nitin Gadkari have strongly pitched for Nagpur’s inclusion over Pune and other cities.

The Union urban development ministry, which is working on the ‘smart cities’ project to develop/build 100 such cities, is thinking of launching the plan in phases. Accordingly, urban development minister M Venkaiah Naidu is consulting elected representatives from all states.

State urban development sources said that even as Pune MP Anil Shirole has pitched Pune for the ‘smart cities’ programme, Mumbai’s inclusion in the first phase of the initiative has nearly been finalised. “The state government is strongly pitching for Nagpur if only a couple of cities are going to make it in the first round,” said an urban development official .

Shirole said, “Pune’s proposal is already with the central government. I am confident that the city will make it into the list. There is no opposition for Pune’s inclusion in the programme.”

However, city BJP leaders admitted that other senior party leaders and MLAs from the city are not willing to speak openly on this matter as they don’t want to be in the chief minister’s bad books.

“Fadnavis has already made it clear that the IIM will be set up in Nagpur. The central government has kept aside Pune’s metro proposal and approved Nagpur’s project. Now, Pune is also going to lose the smart city race. BJP leaders in city, however, are mum on this issue,” admitted a senior BJP corporator.

The central government has allocated Rs 7,600 crore to develop 100 smart cities and has committed itself to extending central funds to augment urban infrastructure in 500 other cities and towns, providing safe drinking water, sewerage, solid waste management and digital connectivity. West Bengal has already identified its cities, but the Maharashtra government has not yet started its official process.