Chavan said that the alliance in the civic body was sending wrong signals at state and national level secular politics represented by Congress-NCP power-sharing combine.

Speaking at a party rally on Thursday night, Chavan made a pointed reference to 'Pune Pattern' – in which NCP ditched its ally Congress, to wrest power in PMC last year by aligning with the saffron brigade – and described it as an "unholy alliance" that could embarrass Congress- NCP in the forthcoming assembly and parliamentary elections.

The Chief Minister said the people had right to question the "duplicity" being practised by NCP which is sharing power with Congress at Centre and in Maharashtra on a secular plank.

Ajit Pawar, Maharashtra minister in charge of Pune district is considered the architect of the seemingly incongruous 'Pune Pattern' to which he would not have given shape without mute consent of his uncle and NCP president Sharad Pawar, political observers note.

Meanwhile, Ajit Pawar has expressed his regrets over another controversial decision in which he had ceremoniously admitted to NCP a history-sheeter from the district Baba Bodke a few days back.

Pawar said he was not aware of the criminal background of Bodke and it was a mistake to welcome such a person in the party.