News Analysis India

Tag: Ajit Pawar

  • Sharad Pawar needs 2-3 days to think about decision of stepping down as NCP chief: Ajit

    Scores of Nationalist Congress Party workers refused to leave the venue, where Pawar earlier in the day announced his decision to step down as NCP chief. MUMBAI: Seeking to pacify party workers protesting against his announcement to step down as NCP chief, Sharad Pawar on Tuesday said he will need two to three days to “think over” his decision.

    Conveying his message to protesting party workers, his nephew Ajit Pawar also requested NCP functionaries not to resign from their posts in protest against Pawar senior’s surprise decision.

    “He (Sharad Pawar) has said he has made his decision, but he will need two-three days to think it over on account of your insistence.

    But he will think it over only when all workers go home,” Ajit told party workers at the premises of the Yashwantrao Chavan Pratishthan here.

    Scores of Nationalist Congress Party workers refused to leave the venue, where Pawar earlier in the day announced his decision during the launch of his revised autobiography.

    They stayed put even after Pawar left for his residence.

  • Ajit Pawar capable of becoming Maha CM, says Sanjay Raut

    By PTI

    JALGAON: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Saturday said Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar was capable of becoming Maharashtra chief minister since he has vast administrative experience, the statement coming days after the two engaged in a verbal tussle.

    Notably, amid speculation surrounding his next political move, Ajit Pawar on Friday said he would “100 per cent” like to become the chief minister. He had also said that NCP can stake a claim to the post of the chief minister “now also” instead of waiting for 2024.

    Raut, a key aide of Uddhav Thackeray, also said some undeserving people had gone on to become CM of the state by engineering splits, an apparent reference to Eknath Shinde whose rebellion along with 40 MLAs in June last year brought down the Maha Vikas Aghadi government.

    Raut also said there is no difference regarding the chief minister’s post in the Maha Vikas Aghadi, which includes Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP, and Congress, and the alliance is united and strong. He asserted that the MVA will come back (to power) in 2024 and it “will look into it (the post of chief minister).”

    “Who would not like to be chief minister? And Ajit Pawar is capable of becoming chief minister. He has been in politics for so many years now and has been a minister several times. He holds a record for having served as deputy CM the most number of times. Everyone thinks one should become CM,” Raut told reporters.

    ALSO READ | Why 2024, NCP can stake claim to Maharashtra CM post now also: Ajit Pawar

    On November 23, 2019, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Devendra Fadnavis, and Ajit Pawar, were sworn in as chief minister and deputy CM, respectively, but the government fell without proving its majority on November 28. Ajit Pawar went back to the NCP and was made deputy CM in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government led by Uddhav Thackeray.

    During an interview with a media house in Pune, Ajit Pawar on Friday responded to a query on his chief ministerial ambitions by saying “Yes, I would 100 per cent like to be (CM).”

    Queried on this, Raut said, “He (Ajit Pawar) has not expressed this desire for the first time. So my best wishes to him.”

    These statements come amid intense speculation about Ajit Pawar’s next political move, as the mercurial NCP leader cancelled some of his programmes recently, went incommunicado briefly and skipped the party’s one-day convention in Mumbai on Friday.

    While there is a buzz about his growing proximity with the ruling BJP, Ajit Pawar has said he will be with the NCP till he is alive, and Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule also recently stated the former was not in touch with the saffron party.

    ALSO READ | Sharad Pawar tightens his grip over NCP, tells Ajit not to break it

    Sparks flew recently between Ajit Pawar and Raut after the latter’s weekly column in Shiv Sena (UBT) mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ dealt with a meeting between NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray.

    Raut, in his column, claimed Sharad Pawar had told Thackeray that the NCP would never align with the BJP, though “if anyone takes a personal decision to leave, it is their individual issue.”

    Hitting back, Ajit Pawar, on Tuesday, trained his guns on Raut and said some spokespersons of other parties were behaving like spokespersons of the NCP. The former deputy CM also said he would raise this issue whenever there is a meeting of the NCP.

    Raut responded by saying he listens only to Sharad Pawar.

    JALGAON: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Saturday said Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar was capable of becoming Maharashtra chief minister since he has vast administrative experience, the statement coming days after the two engaged in a verbal tussle.

    Notably, amid speculation surrounding his next political move, Ajit Pawar on Friday said he would “100 per cent” like to become the chief minister. He had also said that NCP can stake a claim to the post of the chief minister “now also” instead of waiting for 2024.

    Raut, a key aide of Uddhav Thackeray, also said some undeserving people had gone on to become CM of the state by engineering splits, an apparent reference to Eknath Shinde whose rebellion along with 40 MLAs in June last year brought down the Maha Vikas Aghadi government.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Raut also said there is no difference regarding the chief minister’s post in the Maha Vikas Aghadi, which includes Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP, and Congress, and the alliance is united and strong. He asserted that the MVA will come back (to power) in 2024 and it “will look into it (the post of chief minister).”

    “Who would not like to be chief minister? And Ajit Pawar is capable of becoming chief minister. He has been in politics for so many years now and has been a minister several times. He holds a record for having served as deputy CM the most number of times. Everyone thinks one should become CM,” Raut told reporters.

    ALSO READ | Why 2024, NCP can stake claim to Maharashtra CM post now also: Ajit Pawar

    On November 23, 2019, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Devendra Fadnavis, and Ajit Pawar, were sworn in as chief minister and deputy CM, respectively, but the government fell without proving its majority on November 28. Ajit Pawar went back to the NCP and was made deputy CM in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government led by Uddhav Thackeray.

    During an interview with a media house in Pune, Ajit Pawar on Friday responded to a query on his chief ministerial ambitions by saying “Yes, I would 100 per cent like to be (CM).”

    Queried on this, Raut said, “He (Ajit Pawar) has not expressed this desire for the first time. So my best wishes to him.”

    These statements come amid intense speculation about Ajit Pawar’s next political move, as the mercurial NCP leader cancelled some of his programmes recently, went incommunicado briefly and skipped the party’s one-day convention in Mumbai on Friday.

    While there is a buzz about his growing proximity with the ruling BJP, Ajit Pawar has said he will be with the NCP till he is alive, and Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule also recently stated the former was not in touch with the saffron party.

    ALSO READ | Sharad Pawar tightens his grip over NCP, tells Ajit not to break it

    Sparks flew recently between Ajit Pawar and Raut after the latter’s weekly column in Shiv Sena (UBT) mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ dealt with a meeting between NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray.

    Raut, in his column, claimed Sharad Pawar had told Thackeray that the NCP would never align with the BJP, though “if anyone takes a personal decision to leave, it is their individual issue.”

    Hitting back, Ajit Pawar, on Tuesday, trained his guns on Raut and said some spokespersons of other parties were behaving like spokespersons of the NCP. The former deputy CM also said he would raise this issue whenever there is a meeting of the NCP.

    Raut responded by saying he listens only to Sharad Pawar.

  • Why 2024, NCP can stake claim to Maharashtra CM post now also: Ajit Pawar

    By PTI

    PUNE: Amid speculation over his next political move, senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar on Friday said his outfit can stake a claim to the post of Maharashtra’s chief minister “now also” instead of waiting for 2024 when Assembly polls are due in the state.

    The Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly also told an interviewer that he will “100 per cent” like to be chief minister of Maharashtra.

    In a free-wheeling interview to the Sakal Media Group at a programme called ‘Dilkhulas Dada’ in Pune, Pawar said he had heard that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, before his rebellion against the Shiv Sena leadership in June 2022, was unhappy and something was going in his mind.

    Pawar revealed his colleague late R R Patil would have become Chief Minister in 2004 when the NCP had won more Assembly seats than its ally Congress, but a message came from Delhi that his party will get the deputy CM’s post.

    Asked whether the NCP will stake a claim for the chief minister’s post next year when Assembly polls are due in Maharashtra, he remarked, “Why 2024, we are ready to stake a claim for the CM position now also.”

    He, however, did not elaborate on the statement.

    During the rapid fire round, the MLA from Baramati in Pune district, who has served as deputy CM multiple times, was asked by the interviewer whether he would like to become chief minister.

    To this, Pawar promptly replied, “Yes, I would 100 per cent like to be (CM).”

    ALSO READ | Sharad Pawar tightens his grip over NCP, tells Ajit not to break it

    Asked why the NCP has an attraction for the deputy CM’s position as the party has got that post on multiple occasions in the last 20 years, the veteran politician said in 2004, the NCP and the Congress fought Assembly elections in an alliance and the former had won more seats.

    “We got 71 seats, while the Congress won 69. Everyone, including the Congress, thought CM would be from the NCP. However, some decisions were taken at the highest level and a message came from Delhi that the NCP will get the deputy chief minister position and the CM post went to Congress,” he said.

    Pawar said his colleague Patil was chosen as the Leader of the House (Assembly), and he would have become chief minister in 2004 if the top post was given to the NCP. In the subsequent Assembly polls, the Congress bagged more seats than the NCP and naturally kept the CM’s post with itself, he said.

    Asked whether he liked working with Congress CM Prithviraj Chavan or Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, who occupied the top post from November 2019 to June 2022, Pawar said they worked with the latter “happily”, but working with the former was out of choice.

    On Shinde’s revolt and subsequent split in the Shiv Sena, the former deputy CM said they used to hear that Shinde, then his Cabinet colleague in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, was unhappy and sensed something was going on in his mind.

    “We had alerted Pawar Saheb (NCP president Sharad Pawar) and Thackeray was also apprised about it. The BJP had been trying to pull down the MVA government since the first day of its formation. The wife of a key politician confessed later that her husband used to go out in disguise, and later some ministers said Shinde and a particular leader used to meet,” Pawar said without taking any names.

    ALSO READ | Won’t be in govt if Ajit Pawar joins BJP with NCP group: Shinde camp

    He said during the MVA government, Thackeray had given full control of Thane district to Shinde, then a Cabinet minister, and some officials appointed by him had helped rebel Shiv Sena MLAs to sneak out of Mumbai and reach Surat on June 20.

    Queried about him being soft on senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, Pawar said the two had political and ideological differences but weren’t enemies, and cited the example of Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena founder late Bal Thackeray who attacked each other during rallies and speeches but were good friends.

    Pawar went on add that a commonality between him and Fadnavis was that they were both born on July 22. Pawar was born in 1959 and Fadnavis in 1970.

    Speaking about the rise of the BJP over the last few years, Pawar said it was all due to the charisma of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who managed to lead the party to a majority in consecutive Lok Sabha polls in 2014 and 2019, a feat which even veterans like former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani could not manage.

    “However, today when the question is asked who after Modi, then no name comes to the fore and we know going forward there will be coalition governments at the national level,” the NCP leader added.

    On India surpassing China as the world’s most populous nation, Pawar said some stringent measures need to be taken to check its growth.

    “A child is not a blessing of Allah or Parameshwar. It is the blessing of the husband and wife. This fact should be understood by all and superstitions on this issue must be removed,” Pawar said.

    He said had the five-point programme of Sanjay Gandhi (to check population growth) been implemented properly, the problems associated with the rise in population would not have been faced by the country.

    Pawar on Friday skipped a meeting of his party’s Mumbai unit, raising eyebrows in political circles as speculation about his next political move refuses to die down.

    Speaking to reporters in Pune, Pawar played down the buzz saying he was unable to attend the NCP convention as he had to remain present for some other programmes happening at the same time.

    He insisted nothing much should be read into this.

    ALSO READ | Ajit Pawar gets signatures of 40 ready to bolt

    PUNE: Amid speculation over his next political move, senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar on Friday said his outfit can stake a claim to the post of Maharashtra’s chief minister “now also” instead of waiting for 2024 when Assembly polls are due in the state.

    The Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly also told an interviewer that he will “100 per cent” like to be chief minister of Maharashtra.

    In a free-wheeling interview to the Sakal Media Group at a programme called ‘Dilkhulas Dada’ in Pune, Pawar said he had heard that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, before his rebellion against the Shiv Sena leadership in June 2022, was unhappy and something was going in his mind.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Pawar revealed his colleague late R R Patil would have become Chief Minister in 2004 when the NCP had won more Assembly seats than its ally Congress, but a message came from Delhi that his party will get the deputy CM’s post.

    Asked whether the NCP will stake a claim for the chief minister’s post next year when Assembly polls are due in Maharashtra, he remarked, “Why 2024, we are ready to stake a claim for the CM position now also.”

    He, however, did not elaborate on the statement.

    During the rapid fire round, the MLA from Baramati in Pune district, who has served as deputy CM multiple times, was asked by the interviewer whether he would like to become chief minister.

    To this, Pawar promptly replied, “Yes, I would 100 per cent like to be (CM).”

    ALSO READ | Sharad Pawar tightens his grip over NCP, tells Ajit not to break it

    Asked why the NCP has an attraction for the deputy CM’s position as the party has got that post on multiple occasions in the last 20 years, the veteran politician said in 2004, the NCP and the Congress fought Assembly elections in an alliance and the former had won more seats.

    “We got 71 seats, while the Congress won 69. Everyone, including the Congress, thought CM would be from the NCP. However, some decisions were taken at the highest level and a message came from Delhi that the NCP will get the deputy chief minister position and the CM post went to Congress,” he said.

    Pawar said his colleague Patil was chosen as the Leader of the House (Assembly), and he would have become chief minister in 2004 if the top post was given to the NCP. In the subsequent Assembly polls, the Congress bagged more seats than the NCP and naturally kept the CM’s post with itself, he said.

    Asked whether he liked working with Congress CM Prithviraj Chavan or Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, who occupied the top post from November 2019 to June 2022, Pawar said they worked with the latter “happily”, but working with the former was out of choice.

    On Shinde’s revolt and subsequent split in the Shiv Sena, the former deputy CM said they used to hear that Shinde, then his Cabinet colleague in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, was unhappy and sensed something was going on in his mind.

    “We had alerted Pawar Saheb (NCP president Sharad Pawar) and Thackeray was also apprised about it. The BJP had been trying to pull down the MVA government since the first day of its formation. The wife of a key politician confessed later that her husband used to go out in disguise, and later some ministers said Shinde and a particular leader used to meet,” Pawar said without taking any names.

    ALSO READ | Won’t be in govt if Ajit Pawar joins BJP with NCP group: Shinde camp

    He said during the MVA government, Thackeray had given full control of Thane district to Shinde, then a Cabinet minister, and some officials appointed by him had helped rebel Shiv Sena MLAs to sneak out of Mumbai and reach Surat on June 20.

    Queried about him being soft on senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, Pawar said the two had political and ideological differences but weren’t enemies, and cited the example of Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena founder late Bal Thackeray who attacked each other during rallies and speeches but were good friends.

    Pawar went on add that a commonality between him and Fadnavis was that they were both born on July 22. Pawar was born in 1959 and Fadnavis in 1970.

    Speaking about the rise of the BJP over the last few years, Pawar said it was all due to the charisma of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who managed to lead the party to a majority in consecutive Lok Sabha polls in 2014 and 2019, a feat which even veterans like former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani could not manage.

    “However, today when the question is asked who after Modi, then no name comes to the fore and we know going forward there will be coalition governments at the national level,” the NCP leader added.

    On India surpassing China as the world’s most populous nation, Pawar said some stringent measures need to be taken to check its growth.

    “A child is not a blessing of Allah or Parameshwar. It is the blessing of the husband and wife. This fact should be understood by all and superstitions on this issue must be removed,” Pawar said.

    He said had the five-point programme of Sanjay Gandhi (to check population growth) been implemented properly, the problems associated with the rise in population would not have been faced by the country.

    Pawar on Friday skipped a meeting of his party’s Mumbai unit, raising eyebrows in political circles as speculation about his next political move refuses to die down.

    Speaking to reporters in Pune, Pawar played down the buzz saying he was unable to attend the NCP convention as he had to remain present for some other programmes happening at the same time.

    He insisted nothing much should be read into this.

    ALSO READ | Ajit Pawar gets signatures of 40 ready to bolt

  • Was unwell, says Ajit Pawar; berates media for speculation over his absence on Friday

    By PTI

    PUNE: Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar on Saturday said he cancelled his programmes for Friday as he was unwell after long tours across Maharashtra over the past few days and asked the media to not speculate on such issues as it caused confusion.

    “I was unwell so I cancelled tours and events scheduled for Friday. Over the past few days, I have travelled across Maharashtra and have not got enough rest. Due to lack of proper sleep, pulmonary irritation was also on the rise. I took medicines and took rest at home as advised by the doctor,” he said.

    “I too am human and might face health issues. The media must stop speculating during such times and verify before publishing any news. We are public figures but it is wrong to defame us in this manner,” he added.

    He was speaking after inaugurating a jewellery shop in Pimpri in Pune district on Saturday along with his wife.

    When NCP chief Sharad Pawar was asked by media about Ajit Pawar’s “absence” and not being reachable on phone, he said, “What does that mean? Supriya Sule may not be reachable to you but she is at home.”

    Pawar’s cancellation of programmes and the fact that he was unreachable on phone gave rise to speculation on Friday about his next move among some political circles.

    PUNE: Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar on Saturday said he cancelled his programmes for Friday as he was unwell after long tours across Maharashtra over the past few days and asked the media to not speculate on such issues as it caused confusion.

    “I was unwell so I cancelled tours and events scheduled for Friday. Over the past few days, I have travelled across Maharashtra and have not got enough rest. Due to lack of proper sleep, pulmonary irritation was also on the rise. I took medicines and took rest at home as advised by the doctor,” he said.

    “I too am human and might face health issues. The media must stop speculating during such times and verify before publishing any news. We are public figures but it is wrong to defame us in this manner,” he added.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    He was speaking after inaugurating a jewellery shop in Pimpri in Pune district on Saturday along with his wife.

    When NCP chief Sharad Pawar was asked by media about Ajit Pawar’s “absence” and not being reachable on phone, he said, “What does that mean? Supriya Sule may not be reachable to you but she is at home.”

    Pawar’s cancellation of programmes and the fact that he was unreachable on phone gave rise to speculation on Friday about his next move among some political circles.

  • BJP’s bid to form govt with Ajit Pawar had one benefit, it ended Prez Rule in Maha: Sharad Pawar

    By PTI

    PUNE: Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar said on Wednesday that the BJP’s attempt to form a government with his nephew and NCP leader Ajit Pawar had one benefit as it ended the President’s Rule in Maharashtra in 2019.

    His remarks prompted Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to assert that the NCP chief should also explain why the President’s Rule was imposed in the state in the first place after the 2019 assembly polls.

    Addressing a press conference at Pimpri-Chinchwad, Sharad Pawar said that had the exercise not happened, the President’s Rule would have continued in the state. He was replying to a question about Fandavis’s claim that the formation of the government with Ajit Pawar had the backing of the NCP chief.

    “There was an attempt to form a government. One benefit of that exercise was that it helped to lift the President’s Rule in Maharashtra and everyone has witnessed what happened after that,” he said.

    When asked if he was aware of the formation of such a government and why Ajit Pawar is tight-lipped on the issue, the NCP chief wondered if there was a need to speak about it. “I just said that had this kind of exercise not happened, would the President’s Rule have been lifted? Had the President’s Rule not been lifted, would Uddhav Thackeray have been sworn in as the chief minister?” he asked.

    In one of the biggest political surprises in Maharashtra, then Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari had sworn in Fadnavis as chief minister and Ajit Pawar as deputy CM in an early morning ceremony on November 23, 2019.

    But the government lasted just three days, after which Uddhav Thackeray was sworn in as chief minister with the backing of the NCP and Congress.

    ALSO READ | SC refuses to stay Uddhav’s plea against EC granting ‘Shiv Sena’ name to Shinde faction

    Asked if he was hinting that he was aware of the developments, the NCP chief quipped, “A person recently said that one person (Sharad Pawar) is responsible for anything that happens in Maharashtra.”

    Speaking on the Election Commission’s decision to recognise the Eknath Shinde-led group as the real Shiv Sena, Pawar said differences are common in politics but it has never happened in the country that a party’s name and symbol were “snatched away” by misusing power.

    “When there was a split in the Congress, two entities named Congress (I) and Congress (S) emerged. I was the Congress (I) president and Indira Gandhi was the chief of Congress (I). That time, I had the right to use the Congress’ name. In today’s scenario, the party’s name and its symbol have been given to others. Such a thing never happened in the history of India,” said the veteran politician.

    Citing his experience, the NCP chief said that whenever there is “excessive misuse of power” and attempts are made to suppress a party, the public stands by that party. “I recently travelled to many districts and found that though leaders have left the Shiv Sena, the staunch Shiv Sainiks (party workers) are still with Uddhav Thackeray and it will be proved in the elections,” he said.

    “Who took the decision? Was it (Election) Commission, or someone who is guiding the Commission? Such decisions were not made in the past. The role of a big power behind this cannot be ruled out,” he said.

    The NCP refused to comment on what could be the Supreme Court’s decision in the matter, saying, “It is the judiciary, and we believe in the judiciary.”

    ALSO READ | Raut alleges Rs 2,000 crore deal to ‘purchase’ Shiv Sena name, symbol; Shinde camp, BJP dismiss claim

    On former governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari’s interviews, which sparked controversies, Sharad Pawar said he is happy that Koshyari has quit. “In Maharashtra, several governors came and everyone elevated the dignity of the governor’s position but there is only one exception to that list and that is Koshyari,” he said.

    Asked about Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut’s ‘threat to life’ allegation and Congress leader Ashok Chavan’s spying claims, Pawar said the prevailing situation in the state is not good. “Those who have the responsibility of the state’s law and order should keep a watch on the situation and conduct a thorough investigation,” he said.

    About the National Investigation Agency’s claim in the Bombay High Court that Gautam Navlakha, one of the accused in the Elgar Parishad case, was in touch with Pakistan’s spy agency ISI, Pawar said he cannot speak on the issue as the matter is sub judice. “I have read about the case. According to me, there can be ideological differences, but I do not think it is good to term someone anti-national just because the person’s ideology is opposite,” he said.

    Before the press conference, Pawar took part in an election meeting in Pimpri-Chinchwad in support of NCP’s candidate Nana Kate, who is contesting the bypoll in the Chinchwad constituency against BJP’s Ashwini Jagtap.

    Referring to the NCP chief’s remarks, Deputy CM and BJP leader Fadnavis said he should also explain why the President’s Rule was imposed in Maharashtra in the first place after the 2019 assembly polls.

    The Shiv Sena under Uddhav Thackeray and the BJP had fallen apart after the 2019 state polls over the post of the chief minister.

    Thackeray then joined hands with the NCP and Congress to former the government under the banner of the Maha Vikas Aghadi.

    Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Fadnavis said, “If Pawar has explained about the lifting of the President’s Rule, then he should also explain on whose instructions it was imposed in the first place. Who asked to impose it, why it came into effect are the questions he should also answer.”

    The deputy CM added, “If he (Pawar) can clarify these issues, then all links will be connected and people will come to know the exact timeline of events. He himself should reveal more details.”

    PUNE: Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar said on Wednesday that the BJP’s attempt to form a government with his nephew and NCP leader Ajit Pawar had one benefit as it ended the President’s Rule in Maharashtra in 2019.

    His remarks prompted Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to assert that the NCP chief should also explain why the President’s Rule was imposed in the state in the first place after the 2019 assembly polls.

    Addressing a press conference at Pimpri-Chinchwad, Sharad Pawar said that had the exercise not happened, the President’s Rule would have continued in the state. He was replying to a question about Fandavis’s claim that the formation of the government with Ajit Pawar had the backing of the NCP chief.

    “There was an attempt to form a government. One benefit of that exercise was that it helped to lift the President’s Rule in Maharashtra and everyone has witnessed what happened after that,” he said.

    When asked if he was aware of the formation of such a government and why Ajit Pawar is tight-lipped on the issue, the NCP chief wondered if there was a need to speak about it. “I just said that had this kind of exercise not happened, would the President’s Rule have been lifted? Had the President’s Rule not been lifted, would Uddhav Thackeray have been sworn in as the chief minister?” he asked.

    In one of the biggest political surprises in Maharashtra, then Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari had sworn in Fadnavis as chief minister and Ajit Pawar as deputy CM in an early morning ceremony on November 23, 2019.

    But the government lasted just three days, after which Uddhav Thackeray was sworn in as chief minister with the backing of the NCP and Congress.

    ALSO READ | SC refuses to stay Uddhav’s plea against EC granting ‘Shiv Sena’ name to Shinde faction

    Asked if he was hinting that he was aware of the developments, the NCP chief quipped, “A person recently said that one person (Sharad Pawar) is responsible for anything that happens in Maharashtra.”

    Speaking on the Election Commission’s decision to recognise the Eknath Shinde-led group as the real Shiv Sena, Pawar said differences are common in politics but it has never happened in the country that a party’s name and symbol were “snatched away” by misusing power.

    “When there was a split in the Congress, two entities named Congress (I) and Congress (S) emerged. I was the Congress (I) president and Indira Gandhi was the chief of Congress (I). That time, I had the right to use the Congress’ name. In today’s scenario, the party’s name and its symbol have been given to others. Such a thing never happened in the history of India,” said the veteran politician.

    Citing his experience, the NCP chief said that whenever there is “excessive misuse of power” and attempts are made to suppress a party, the public stands by that party. “I recently travelled to many districts and found that though leaders have left the Shiv Sena, the staunch Shiv Sainiks (party workers) are still with Uddhav Thackeray and it will be proved in the elections,” he said.

    “Who took the decision? Was it (Election) Commission, or someone who is guiding the Commission? Such decisions were not made in the past. The role of a big power behind this cannot be ruled out,” he said.

    The NCP refused to comment on what could be the Supreme Court’s decision in the matter, saying, “It is the judiciary, and we believe in the judiciary.”

    ALSO READ | Raut alleges Rs 2,000 crore deal to ‘purchase’ Shiv Sena name, symbol; Shinde camp, BJP dismiss claim

    On former governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari’s interviews, which sparked controversies, Sharad Pawar said he is happy that Koshyari has quit. “In Maharashtra, several governors came and everyone elevated the dignity of the governor’s position but there is only one exception to that list and that is Koshyari,” he said.

    Asked about Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut’s ‘threat to life’ allegation and Congress leader Ashok Chavan’s spying claims, Pawar said the prevailing situation in the state is not good. “Those who have the responsibility of the state’s law and order should keep a watch on the situation and conduct a thorough investigation,” he said.

    About the National Investigation Agency’s claim in the Bombay High Court that Gautam Navlakha, one of the accused in the Elgar Parishad case, was in touch with Pakistan’s spy agency ISI, Pawar said he cannot speak on the issue as the matter is sub judice. “I have read about the case. According to me, there can be ideological differences, but I do not think it is good to term someone anti-national just because the person’s ideology is opposite,” he said.

    Before the press conference, Pawar took part in an election meeting in Pimpri-Chinchwad in support of NCP’s candidate Nana Kate, who is contesting the bypoll in the Chinchwad constituency against BJP’s Ashwini Jagtap.

    Referring to the NCP chief’s remarks, Deputy CM and BJP leader Fadnavis said he should also explain why the President’s Rule was imposed in Maharashtra in the first place after the 2019 assembly polls.

    The Shiv Sena under Uddhav Thackeray and the BJP had fallen apart after the 2019 state polls over the post of the chief minister.

    Thackeray then joined hands with the NCP and Congress to former the government under the banner of the Maha Vikas Aghadi.

    Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Fadnavis said, “If Pawar has explained about the lifting of the President’s Rule, then he should also explain on whose instructions it was imposed in the first place. Who asked to impose it, why it came into effect are the questions he should also answer.”

    The deputy CM added, “If he (Pawar) can clarify these issues, then all links will be connected and people will come to know the exact timeline of events. He himself should reveal more details.”

  • Award withdrawal for Kobad book’s translation a bid to impose ‘undeclared emergency’: Ajit Pawar

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Amid a row over the Maharashtra government withdrawing an award for the Marathi translation of alleged former Maoist ideologue Kobad Ghandy’s memoir, Opposition leader Ajit Pawar on Wednesday said the ruling dispensation was trying to control the fields of literature and culture.

    He alleged the state government was trying to impose an “undeclared emergency” by scrapping the literary award, which was finalised by a selection committee, for the translation of the memoir.

    Addressing a press conference against the backdrop of the row, the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly said the Eknath Shinde-led government is interfering in the selection of literary awards. He said political parties should not interfere in these matters.

    The row erupted after the state government reversed the decision of the selection committee and withdrew the Late Yashwantrao Chavan Literature Award 2021 for Anagha Lele for her translation of Ghandy’s “Fractured Freedom: A Prison Memoir”, six days after announcing the prize.

    The decision came in for criticism on social media because of Ghandy’s alleged Maoist links.

    A Government Resolution (order) issued on Monday stated the decision of the selection committee had been reversed for “administrative reasons”, and the award (for Lele), which included a cash prize of Rs one lakh, has been withdrawn.

    The committee has also been scrapped.

    “The Eknath Shinde government is trying to control the fields of literature and culture,” Pawar said.

    Meanwhile, three members of the award selection committee have resigned from the state Literature and Culture Board citing an “insult to democratic procedures”.

    The three authors – Dr Pradnya Daya Pawar, Neeraja and Heramb Kulkarni – were also members of the committee that selected the Marathi translation of Ghandy’s memoir for the award, which was withdrawn by the government.

    Pawar wondered if the resignation of the selection committee members wasn’t “shameful” for the government. “Earlier this month, an award was announced for Anagha Lele’s translation of the book (written by Ghandy). But suddenly the award was withdrawn and the selection panel scrapped.

    “This interference in the work of the committee set up by the State Literature and Culture Board chairperson is wrong and condemnable. Political parties need not interfere in these matters,” the former deputy chief minister said.

    He said authors Sharad Baviskar and Anand Karandikar who were selected for the Late Yashwantrao Chavan Literature Award 2021 like Lele in different categories have declined to accept their awards in protest.

    Karandikar on Tuesday told PTI he would return his award in protest against the Maharashtra government withdrawing an award for the Marathi translation by Lele.

    He had said the government’s move to take back the award is the “absolute gagging of freedom of thoughts and freedom of expression”.

    MUMBAI: Amid a row over the Maharashtra government withdrawing an award for the Marathi translation of alleged former Maoist ideologue Kobad Ghandy’s memoir, Opposition leader Ajit Pawar on Wednesday said the ruling dispensation was trying to control the fields of literature and culture.

    He alleged the state government was trying to impose an “undeclared emergency” by scrapping the literary award, which was finalised by a selection committee, for the translation of the memoir.

    Addressing a press conference against the backdrop of the row, the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly said the Eknath Shinde-led government is interfering in the selection of literary awards. He said political parties should not interfere in these matters.

    The row erupted after the state government reversed the decision of the selection committee and withdrew the Late Yashwantrao Chavan Literature Award 2021 for Anagha Lele for her translation of Ghandy’s “Fractured Freedom: A Prison Memoir”, six days after announcing the prize.

    The decision came in for criticism on social media because of Ghandy’s alleged Maoist links.

    A Government Resolution (order) issued on Monday stated the decision of the selection committee had been reversed for “administrative reasons”, and the award (for Lele), which included a cash prize of Rs one lakh, has been withdrawn.

    The committee has also been scrapped.

    “The Eknath Shinde government is trying to control the fields of literature and culture,” Pawar said.

    Meanwhile, three members of the award selection committee have resigned from the state Literature and Culture Board citing an “insult to democratic procedures”.

    The three authors – Dr Pradnya Daya Pawar, Neeraja and Heramb Kulkarni – were also members of the committee that selected the Marathi translation of Ghandy’s memoir for the award, which was withdrawn by the government.

    Pawar wondered if the resignation of the selection committee members wasn’t “shameful” for the government. “Earlier this month, an award was announced for Anagha Lele’s translation of the book (written by Ghandy). But suddenly the award was withdrawn and the selection panel scrapped.

    “This interference in the work of the committee set up by the State Literature and Culture Board chairperson is wrong and condemnable. Political parties need not interfere in these matters,” the former deputy chief minister said.

    He said authors Sharad Baviskar and Anand Karandikar who were selected for the Late Yashwantrao Chavan Literature Award 2021 like Lele in different categories have declined to accept their awards in protest.

    Karandikar on Tuesday told PTI he would return his award in protest against the Maharashtra government withdrawing an award for the Marathi translation by Lele.

    He had said the government’s move to take back the award is the “absolute gagging of freedom of thoughts and freedom of expression”.

  • Ajit Pawar ditched at NCP national convention, sparks rift rumours as he leaves the event

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Sunday skipped the chance to speak at the NCP’s national convention meeting despite being one of the top leaders in the party.

    He left midway in front of party supremo Sharad Pawar.

    Ajit Pawar left the stage just moments after party leader Jayant Patil was given the chance to speak before him which sparked rumours of a rift in the party.

    Although the Maharashtra leader later clarified that he did not speak in the meeting because it was a national-level meeting.

    NCP MP Praful Patel had announced on the stage that Ajit Pawar will speak before Sharad Pawar’s concluding remark but the former deputy Chief Minister was missing from his seat.

    It was later on announced by Patel that Pawar had excused himself to go to the washroom and will come back for the speech in front of cadres who raised slogans in support of the former Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister.

    Meanwhile, NCP MP Supriya Sule was seen convincing Ajit Pawar to return for his speech on the stage.

    When Ajit Pawar entered the meeting venue, party veteran Sharad Pawar had already started his concluding remarks after which the former didn’t get any chance to speak.

    In 2019, while Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress in Maharashtra were still discussing the alliance, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on November 23, 2019, took oath as CM with NCP leader Ajit Pawar as his deputy. The duo were sworn in at an early morning ceremony but the government lasted only 80 hours.

    Earlier on Saturday, Sharad Pawar was re-elected as the President of the National Congress Party (NCP) for the next four years.

    Sharing the information, the chief spokesperson of NCP, Mahesh Bharat Tapase said that Sharad Pawar unanimously was re-elected as the chief of the party.

    Notably, Pawar has been holding the office since 1999 when he founded the party with P.A. Sangma and Tariq Anwar after splitting from Indian National Congress.

    At present, the General Secretaries of the party are Sunil Tatkare and Praful Patel.From NCP, Ajit Pawar is the current leader of the Opposition in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly.

    However, for the upcoming Lok Sabha election, Sharad Pawar has advocated the unity of Opposition parties. (ANI)

    NEW DELHI: Former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Sunday skipped the chance to speak at the NCP’s national convention meeting despite being one of the top leaders in the party.

    He left midway in front of party supremo Sharad Pawar.

    Ajit Pawar left the stage just moments after party leader Jayant Patil was given the chance to speak before him which sparked rumours of a rift in the party.

    Although the Maharashtra leader later clarified that he did not speak in the meeting because it was a national-level meeting.

    NCP MP Praful Patel had announced on the stage that Ajit Pawar will speak before Sharad Pawar’s concluding remark but the former deputy Chief Minister was missing from his seat.

    It was later on announced by Patel that Pawar had excused himself to go to the washroom and will come back for the speech in front of cadres who raised slogans in support of the former Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister.

    Meanwhile, NCP MP Supriya Sule was seen convincing Ajit Pawar to return for his speech on the stage.

    When Ajit Pawar entered the meeting venue, party veteran Sharad Pawar had already started his concluding remarks after which the former didn’t get any chance to speak.

    In 2019, while Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress in Maharashtra were still discussing the alliance, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on November 23, 2019, took oath as CM with NCP leader Ajit Pawar as his deputy. The duo were sworn in at an early morning ceremony but the government lasted only 80 hours.

    Earlier on Saturday, Sharad Pawar was re-elected as the President of the National Congress Party (NCP) for the next four years.

    Sharing the information, the chief spokesperson of NCP, Mahesh Bharat Tapase said that Sharad Pawar unanimously was re-elected as the chief of the party.

    Notably, Pawar has been holding the office since 1999 when he founded the party with P.A. Sangma and Tariq Anwar after splitting from Indian National Congress.

    At present, the General Secretaries of the party are Sunil Tatkare and Praful Patel.From NCP, Ajit Pawar is the current leader of the Opposition in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly.

    However, for the upcoming Lok Sabha election, Sharad Pawar has advocated the unity of Opposition parties. (ANI)

  • Central agencies should work transparently: Maharashtra dy CM Ajit Pawar over ED raids on colleague

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday said central probe agencies should work in a transparent manner without any interference and not misuse their powers.

    He was replying to queries from reporters on the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) raids in Maharashtra on Thursday as part of a money laundering probe against state Transport Minister Anil Parab and others linked to alleged irregularities in a land deal in coastal Dapoli area of Ratnagiri district and other charges, officials said.

    The federal probe agency has filed a fresh case against Parab and others under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

    At least seven premises, including Parab’s official residence in Mumbai, linked premises in Dapoli and Pune were being searched by the agency with a security escort provided by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

    Talking to reporters here, Pawar said if the central agencies carry out their probe without interference, no one will oppose them. “Law has given these agencies some powers which they can use on getting complaints. We only want that those powers shouldn’t be misused,” the NCP leader said when asked about the ED raids against state Shiv Sena minister Parab.

    The NCP shares power with the Shiv Sena and Congress in Maharashtra. Pawar also lashed out at state BJP chief Chandrakant Patil for his comments, made during a protest on Wednesday, asking NCP MP Supriya Sule to “go home and cook” instead of being in politics.

    “This is not Maharashtra’s culture. Patil’s statement hasn’t been liked by his own party men. Political leaders must exercise restraint when speaking in public, and they should not say anything that will hurt sentiments,” he said.

    Pawar also said that six Rajya Sabha seats from Maharashtra falling vacant soon will not filled without a contest. “(Former MP) Sambhaji Chhatrapati held discussions with all political parties, but the NCP doesn’t have enough votes to get him elected. We can get only one seat given our numbers in the state Assembly,” he said.

    Six Rajya Sabha seats from the state are scheduled for polls on June 10, with the opposition BJP having the numbers to get two of its candidates elected. The ruling Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress in Maharashtra have enough votes to secure one win each, while together they can win the sixth seat as well, for which the Sena has thrown its hat in the ring.

    The tenure of six Rajya Sabha members from Maharashtra — Piyush Goyal, Vinay Sahastrabuddhe and Vikas Mahatme (all three from the BJP), P Chidambaram (Congress), Praful Patel (NCP) and Sanjay Raut (Shiv Sena) – ends on July 4.

    The 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly constitutes the electoral college Rajya Sabha elections, and a candidate needs 42 votes to win a seat.

    Pawar also defended the Maharashtra government’s recent move to reduce the Value Added Tax (VAT) on petrol and diesel (after the Centre cut excise duty on the fuels), saying the state will lose revenue worth Rs 2,400 crore. “The opposition is demanding that there should have been more tax relief, but we have done all what we could,” he said.

  • Won’t give even an inch of land to Maharashtra, asserts Karnataka CM Bommai

    By PTI

    BENGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday urged politicians of Maharashtra not to use language bogey or border issue for their political survival, as he made it clear that the state will not give even an inch of its land to the neighbouring state.

    Noting that several Kannada speaking areas were in Maharashtra, he said the thinking is on about incorporating them into Karnataka.

    He was responding to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s statement on Sunday that they would continue to support the fight of Marathi-speaking people residing in border areas of neighbouring Karnataka to include those places in Maharashtra.

    “There is a political crisis in Maharashtra, it is there now, their entire government is on the rock bottom, so they create a language bogey and raise the border issue. To survive politically they do this,” Bommai said.

    Speaking to reporters here, he said, Karnataka’s stand on the border issue is very clear, and the state is not going to yield for anything.

    “We stand firmly by our decisions, they (Maharashtra) also know it. I strongly urge the politicians of Maharashtra not to use language bogey or border issue for their political survival,” he said, adding that there is no question of giving even an inch of Karnataka’s land.

    Maharashtra claims the border district of Belagavi and nearby areas were part of the erstwhile Bombay Presidency, but is currently a part of Karnataka, on linguistic grounds.

    “While we are celebrating 62 years of formation of Maharashtra, we regret that the Marathi-speaking villages in Bidar, Bhalki, Belgaum, Karwar, Nippani and other places in Karnataka could not be merged with Maharashtra. The citizens of Maharashtra and its government are with their fight to be part of Maharashtra. I assure that we would keep supporting their fight till these villages become part of Maharashtra,” Pawar had said on the occasion of Maharashtra’s foundation day on Sunday.

    The Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES), which has been fighting in the border areas of Belagavi for the merger of 800-odd villages with Maharashtra, had also some time ago submitted a memorandum of their demands to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

    On its part as an assertion that Belagavi is an integral part of the state, Karnataka has built the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, modelled on the Vidhana Soudha, the state secretariat in Bengaluru, where the legislature session is held once a year.

  • ‘COVID cases rising in Delhi’: Maharashtra Dy CM Ajit Pawar bats for voluntary use of masks

    By PTI

    PUNE: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday cited rising COVID-19 cases in Delhi and said people can continue wearing masks like him voluntarily though the state government had now made it optional.

    During the day, Delhi logged 1,042 COVID-19 cases at a positivity rate of 4.64 per cent, while two people died of the infection, taking the tally there to 18,72,699 and toll to 26,164. This was a rise from the 965 cases and one death recorded a day earlier there.

    “The danger of COVID-19 is not over completely. The situation in Delhi is changing. And once the virus spreads in one state, it won’t take much time for it to spread in other states. We have removed all restrictions on masks but those who want to wear it like me can do so. However, this is voluntary and optional,” Pawar told reporters here.

    Maharashtra on Friday reported 121 cases, including 68 in Mumbai.