PUNE: NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar appealed to the people to unite and make Maharashtra a "premier destination" for trade and industry.

Speaking at a party rally in neighbouring Pimpri-Chinchwad on Saturday, he recalled how this area on the outskirts of Pune city emerged as an industrial hub due to the initiative taken by late Y B Chavan, the first chief minister of the state.

Assembly elections are due in Maharashtra in October this year.

Pimpri-Chinchwad grew as an automobile hub and then Hinjewadi, Chakan and other areas in the Pune district emerged as IT centres, Pawar noted.

"The development should not stop. We have to come together to make the state a premier destination for trade and industry," he said.

“Our government changed the face of Pimpri Chinchwad. This used to be a collection of small villages. We brought the IT sector here, we gave jobs to youth here. Today, the Opposition will not rest without giving a new direction to this state, to our country,” Pawar added.

Meanwhile, Madhav Kinhalkar, who was with the BJP until recently, joined the NCP (SP) on this occasion. Kinhalkar was a minister of state for home in the Sharad Pawar-led Maharashtra government between 1990 to 1995.

Originally a Congress leader, he has represented Bhokar in Nanded district as an MLA.