Mumbai: At a press conference in Mumbai on June 6, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut commented on Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis’s resignation proposal, calling it mere drama and launched a sharp attack on the leader by calling him the “villain of Maharashtra politics” and accused him for the BJP’s downfall in the state. Sanjay Raut remarked that they are all students of Prime Minister Modi, who himself uses emotions like crying and smiling to advance his political career. Additionally, he stated that the people of Maharashtra have rejected Devendra Fadnavis’s politics.
Tag: Maharashtra politics
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Uddhav warns of payback for those targeting his party; Shinde accuses him of betraying Hindutva
By Agencies
MUMBAI: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday said those harassing his party will face consequences when it returns to power, while Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde who heads a rival faction accused him of “burying” the Hindutva ideology.
The two Shiv Senas held their separate Dussehra rallies in the city on Tuesday evening.
Speaking at Shivaji Park, the traditional venue of the party’s Dussehra rally, Thackeray also batted for coalition governments. Attempts were being made to “steal” the Shiv Sena, he said.
“After we come to power, we will hang upside down those who are harassing us,” Uddhav said.
Targeting the BJP, his friend-turned-foe, Thackeray said there should be a strong government, but not of “any one party with a brute majority.”
Uddhav said the parties who used to target the BJP by questioning the timeline for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya are feeling embarrassed now. “They have lost their face. How will they go to Ayodhya now?” he asked.
Speaking at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai, Shinde slammed Thackeray for forming an alliance with Congress and the Samajwadi Party while “burying Hindutva thoughts” of late Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray.
“At one time Uddhav’s father Bal Thackeray gave the slogan ‘Garvase kaho hum Hindu hai’ (say with pride we are Hindu), but now the new slogans being shouted at Shivaji Park are ‘Garvase kaho hum Congressi hai, Garvase kaho hum Samajwadi hai’,” Shinde claimed.
Shinde said he won’t be surprised if they (Shiv Sena-UBT) ally with Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM and even “hug terrorist organisations such as Hamas, Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Toiba for their selfish motives and chair (power)”.
The Shinde faction had applied for permission for a Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park this year, but later withdrew the application. Shinde later announced that the annual Dussehra rally will be organised at Azad Maidan instead of Shivaji Park.
This cleared the path for the Uddhav-led Shiv Sena to hold the annual rally at Shivaji Park.
Shiv Sena (Shinde group) and Shiv Sena (UBT), last year, locked horns over organising the annual Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park, where the party has been holding the rally since 1966, indicating the significance of this venue for both of them.
However, the Bombay High Court had ruled in favour of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and allowed the Uddhav Thackeray faction to hold the Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park.
This came after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) refused to give permission to the two factions to hold the rally, based on the local police report, which said that the event may cause law and order issues in the area.
The event is significant as Sena is now divided into two factions and the rally was not held in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
(With inputs from PTI and ANI) Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
MUMBAI: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday said those harassing his party will face consequences when it returns to power, while Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde who heads a rival faction accused him of “burying” the Hindutva ideology.
The two Shiv Senas held their separate Dussehra rallies in the city on Tuesday evening.
Speaking at Shivaji Park, the traditional venue of the party’s Dussehra rally, Thackeray also batted for coalition governments. Attempts were being made to “steal” the Shiv Sena, he said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
“After we come to power, we will hang upside down those who are harassing us,” Uddhav said.
Targeting the BJP, his friend-turned-foe, Thackeray said there should be a strong government, but not of “any one party with a brute majority.”
Uddhav said the parties who used to target the BJP by questioning the timeline for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya are feeling embarrassed now. “They have lost their face. How will they go to Ayodhya now?” he asked.
Speaking at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai, Shinde slammed Thackeray for forming an alliance with Congress and the Samajwadi Party while “burying Hindutva thoughts” of late Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray.
“At one time Uddhav’s father Bal Thackeray gave the slogan ‘Garvase kaho hum Hindu hai’ (say with pride we are Hindu), but now the new slogans being shouted at Shivaji Park are ‘Garvase kaho hum Congressi hai, Garvase kaho hum Samajwadi hai’,” Shinde claimed.
Shinde said he won’t be surprised if they (Shiv Sena-UBT) ally with Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM and even “hug terrorist organisations such as Hamas, Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Toiba for their selfish motives and chair (power)”.
The Shinde faction had applied for permission for a Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park this year, but later withdrew the application. Shinde later announced that the annual Dussehra rally will be organised at Azad Maidan instead of Shivaji Park.
This cleared the path for the Uddhav-led Shiv Sena to hold the annual rally at Shivaji Park.
Shiv Sena (Shinde group) and Shiv Sena (UBT), last year, locked horns over organising the annual Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park, where the party has been holding the rally since 1966, indicating the significance of this venue for both of them.
However, the Bombay High Court had ruled in favour of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and allowed the Uddhav Thackeray faction to hold the Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park.
This came after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) refused to give permission to the two factions to hold the rally, based on the local police report, which said that the event may cause law and order issues in the area.
The event is significant as Sena is now divided into two factions and the rally was not held in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
(With inputs from PTI and ANI) Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
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Senior NCP leader Jayant Patil denies having ‘secret’ meeting with Amit Shah in Pune
By PTI
MUMBAI: Senior NCP leader Jayant Patil, a Sharad Pawar loyalist, on Sunday dismissed reports that he met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Pune “secretly” and also scotched speculation that he was set to join the Ajit Pawar-led group in the Shiv Sena-BJP government.
Patil said he was with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday evening and later met senior colleagues Anil Deshmukh, Rajesh Tope and Sunil Bhusara at his home.
“They were at my house till 1.30 am. I met Sharad Pawar again this morning. Those who spread these rumours should answer at what time I met Shah in Pune and show proof. I am always with Sharad Pawar. Such speculations should stop,” Patil, who heads the Maharashtra NCP unit, told reporters.
Amit Shah on Sunday launched the digital portal of the Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies (CRCS) office in Pune.
Patil said there was no pressure on him to switch sides and he hasn’t held talks with anyone.
“I attended the MVA meeting (on Saturday) for organizing the INDIA conclave in Mumbai. I am part of the organizing committee, so it is evident why such speculations are coming,” the senior NCP leader added.
Patil also said that his only aim is to expand the NCP’s base.
ALSO READ | Maha dilemma on LoP post to Congress; NCP still largest Opposition bloc claims Speaker
Notably, Ajit Pawar and eight MLAs of NCP joined the Eknath Shinde-led state government last month.
Ajit took oath as Deputy Chief Minister and the eight MLAs as ministers.
Since then, political circles in Maharashtra are rife with speculations about growing restlessness among MLAs who are in the Sharad Pawar camp.
Meanwhile, NCP MLA Jitendra Awhad also said that reports of Jayant Patil meeting Shah are wrong.
“I will be with Sharad Pawar till my last breath,” he told reporters.
MUMBAI: Senior NCP leader Jayant Patil, a Sharad Pawar loyalist, on Sunday dismissed reports that he met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Pune “secretly” and also scotched speculation that he was set to join the Ajit Pawar-led group in the Shiv Sena-BJP government.
Patil said he was with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday evening and later met senior colleagues Anil Deshmukh, Rajesh Tope and Sunil Bhusara at his home.
“They were at my house till 1.30 am. I met Sharad Pawar again this morning. Those who spread these rumours should answer at what time I met Shah in Pune and show proof. I am always with Sharad Pawar. Such speculations should stop,” Patil, who heads the Maharashtra NCP unit, told reporters.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
Amit Shah on Sunday launched the digital portal of the Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies (CRCS) office in Pune.
Patil said there was no pressure on him to switch sides and he hasn’t held talks with anyone.
“I attended the MVA meeting (on Saturday) for organizing the INDIA conclave in Mumbai. I am part of the organizing committee, so it is evident why such speculations are coming,” the senior NCP leader added.
Patil also said that his only aim is to expand the NCP’s base.
ALSO READ | Maha dilemma on LoP post to Congress; NCP still largest Opposition bloc claims Speaker
Notably, Ajit Pawar and eight MLAs of NCP joined the Eknath Shinde-led state government last month.
Ajit took oath as Deputy Chief Minister and the eight MLAs as ministers.
Since then, political circles in Maharashtra are rife with speculations about growing restlessness among MLAs who are in the Sharad Pawar camp.
Meanwhile, NCP MLA Jitendra Awhad also said that reports of Jayant Patil meeting Shah are wrong.
“I will be with Sharad Pawar till my last breath,” he told reporters.
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Shinde, Ajit men to meet Amit Shah as Maharashtra Cabinet’s rift over key portfolios deepens
Express News Service
MUMBAI: A tug-of-war continues between Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar-led NCP over allocations of key portfolios such as finance, urban development department, cooperation, irrigation and agriculture. Both sides have decided to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah to resolve the issue.
Sources said Shinde has refused to concede the key portfolios to NCP ministers, including Ajit Pawar, arguing that it will reduce his importance in the government.
“Shinde has conveyed to the BJP leadership that unless Shiv Sena MLAs are sworn in, he will not allocate the portfolios to the NCP ministers. Shinde fears that after the allocation of portfolios to the NCP ministers, the BJP may not allow him further cabinet expansion. Shinde plans to meet top BJP leaders in Delhi,” said a source.
Another senior minister said the BJP has conveyed it will be reluctant to induct Shiv Sena MLA Bharat Gogawale and Sanjay Shirsat into the cabinet.
“Shinde told the BJP leadership that if these two faces — Gogawale and Shirsat - are not inducted, then he will have a tough time keeping the flock together. Most of the Shiv Sena MLAs of Shinde factions already started extending olive branches to Uddhav Thackeray and opening the communications line. If a significant number of Shiv Sena MLAs join Uddhav Thackeray, then Shinde’s CM chair will be in trouble and his party will also face another split. This can damage the BJP. Therefore BJP needs to stand by him,” said a Shiv Sena minister.
Meanwhile, Sunil Tatkare, the state NCP chief (Ajit Pawar faction) said that there is no dispute over allocations of ministries.
MUMBAI: A tug-of-war continues between Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar-led NCP over allocations of key portfolios such as finance, urban development department, cooperation, irrigation and agriculture. Both sides have decided to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah to resolve the issue.
Sources said Shinde has refused to concede the key portfolios to NCP ministers, including Ajit Pawar, arguing that it will reduce his importance in the government.
“Shinde has conveyed to the BJP leadership that unless Shiv Sena MLAs are sworn in, he will not allocate the portfolios to the NCP ministers. Shinde fears that after the allocation of portfolios to the NCP ministers, the BJP may not allow him further cabinet expansion. Shinde plans to meet top BJP leaders in Delhi,” said a source.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
Another senior minister said the BJP has conveyed it will be reluctant to induct Shiv Sena MLA Bharat Gogawale and Sanjay Shirsat into the cabinet.
“Shinde told the BJP leadership that if these two faces — Gogawale and Shirsat - are not inducted, then he will have a tough time keeping the flock together. Most of the Shiv Sena MLAs of Shinde factions already started extending olive branches to Uddhav Thackeray and opening the communications line. If a significant number of Shiv Sena MLAs join Uddhav Thackeray, then Shinde’s CM chair will be in trouble and his party will also face another split. This can damage the BJP. Therefore BJP needs to stand by him,” said a Shiv Sena minister.
Meanwhile, Sunil Tatkare, the state NCP chief (Ajit Pawar faction) said that there is no dispute over allocations of ministries.
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Sharad Pawar does a U-turn, to stay as NCP chief
Express News Service
MUMBAI: After all the drama, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar on Friday withdrew his resignation, checkmating nephew Ajit Pawar’s ambitions to align the party with the BJP. Significantly, Ajit was missing when Pawar senior announced the withdrawal of his resignation.
Along with Ajit, powerful MLAs like Dilip Walse Patil, Chhagan Bhujbal and Dhananjay Munde, wanted to join hands with the BJP to enjoy power while staying out of the radar of central probe agencies. But Pawar Saheb refused to budge, said a well-placed source.
Since Ajit kept pestering him, Sharad Pawar called a meeting of his family members that included spouse Pratibha Pawar and daughter Supriya Sule to discuss the way forward.
That was when it was decided that Sharad Pawar will step down and Supriya will handle the party at the national level while Ajit would do so at the state level.
“It was meant to insulate Sharad Pawar from the fallout of Ajit’s plan to ally with the BJP,” the source said.
While Ajit wanted him to quit, Supriya was against it. A panel that discussed the resignation, passed a one-line resolution asking Pawar to withdraw it. Later in the evening, he accepted their decision.
Speaking at a press conference, Pawar, who had sprung a surprise by announcing his resignation three days ago, said he could not disrespect the sentiments of his colleagues and party workers who insisted that he withdraw his decision.
“I cannot disrespect their feelings. I am overwhelmed by the love, trust and faith showered on me. Considering the appeals made by all of you, and honouring the decision of the committee constituted by the party, I am withdrawing my decision to retire,” the veteran politician said amid a thunderous round of applause.
“I will also work vigorously for the growth of the organisation and take our ideology and goals of the party to the people,” he added.
READ MORE:
Sharad Pawar blames Congress for his nephew’s revolt against the party in 2019
Uddhav failed to quell revolt, surrendered with no effort to save govt: Sharad Pawar
MUMBAI: After all the drama, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar on Friday withdrew his resignation, checkmating nephew Ajit Pawar’s ambitions to align the party with the BJP. Significantly, Ajit was missing when Pawar senior announced the withdrawal of his resignation.
Along with Ajit, powerful MLAs like Dilip Walse Patil, Chhagan Bhujbal and Dhananjay Munde, wanted to join hands with the BJP to enjoy power while staying out of the radar of central probe agencies. But Pawar Saheb refused to budge, said a well-placed source.
Since Ajit kept pestering him, Sharad Pawar called a meeting of his family members that included spouse Pratibha Pawar and daughter Supriya Sule to discuss the way forward.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
That was when it was decided that Sharad Pawar will step down and Supriya will handle the party at the national level while Ajit would do so at the state level.
“It was meant to insulate Sharad Pawar from the fallout of Ajit’s plan to ally with the BJP,” the source said.
While Ajit wanted him to quit, Supriya was against it. A panel that discussed the resignation, passed a one-line resolution asking Pawar to withdraw it. Later in the evening, he accepted their decision.
Speaking at a press conference, Pawar, who had sprung a surprise by announcing his resignation three days ago, said he could not disrespect the sentiments of his colleagues and party workers who insisted that he withdraw his decision.
“I cannot disrespect their feelings. I am overwhelmed by the love, trust and faith showered on me. Considering the appeals made by all of you, and honouring the decision of the committee constituted by the party, I am withdrawing my decision to retire,” the veteran politician said amid a thunderous round of applause.
“I will also work vigorously for the growth of the organisation and take our ideology and goals of the party to the people,” he added.
READ MORE:
Sharad Pawar blames Congress for his nephew’s revolt against the party in 2019
Uddhav failed to quell revolt, surrendered with no effort to save govt: Sharad Pawar
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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.
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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
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Maharashtra farming community in doldrums: Average of eight farmers end life every day
Express News Service
MUMBAI: Death by suicide among Maharashtra’s farming community continues to be an area of concern with an average of eight farmers ending their lives every day due to several factors including economic distress and falling crop prices.
According to the state government data, as many as 1,203 farmers have died by suicide in the last seven months under the Eknath Shinde administration’s rule, while 1,660 farmers died in the two-and-a-half-year period under the Uddhav Thackeray-lea MVA administration.
As many as 5,061 farmers died by suicide during the Devendra Fadvais-led BJP administration between 2014 and 2019, as per the data.
Citing the data, senior NCP leader and Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar said that farmer suicides had increased under the Shinde-Fadnavis administration and accused the ruling government of being insensitive to farmers’ problems.
“We do not want to blame any individual or any particular chief minister, but it is the harsh reality that the farmers are ending their lives in the Shinde government in large numbers. Financial distress among farmers is one of the major reasons behind farmer suicide. The cotton, onion, and Soyabean growing farmers did not get fair prices for their crops this year. We have seen how onion farmers are throwing the products on the road while some of them are burning them on farms. The farmers are unable to recover their input cost and expenses as well,” Pawar said.
“In the Marathwada region, 62 farmers committed suicide in the last two months, while a total of 22 farmers ended their lives in the Beed district,” he added.
The criticism comes amid Finance Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ slew of farmer welfare schemes as part of the state budget for 2023-24 including an additional financial assistance of Rs 6000 annually, along with the Rs 6000 per year provided by the Union government.
Meanwhile, NCP state president Jayant Patil said that farmers were being discriminated on the basis of their caste under the ruling government. Patil was referring to an incident in the Sangli district where farmers were allegedly being asked about their caste before buying chemical fertilizers.
“Now while buying the fertilizers on a government site, the farmer’s caste has been asked. It is bizarre how they can humiliate the farmers by asking about their caste. A Farmer is a farmer, please do not divide them on the basis of caste and religion,” he said
Criticising the caste discrimination incident, NCP Chief Sharad Pawar said, “It is wrong to ask the farmers’ caste. Such a thing has never happened before in the history of this country or in the state. If farmers are being asked about caste, what is the reason for this? This should come up.”
The NCP chief also targeted the state and central government for failing to help or provide subsidies to onion farmers. “The Govt should either buy the farmers’ onions or give them adequate compensation. Other neighbouring states like Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh are helping the farmers but our state is only making empty promises, nothing has been done on the ground that will arrest the anger of the farmers and pull them from the distress,” Pawar said.
Farmer deaths by suicide in Maharashtra
A total of 7,444 deaths in the last eight years
5,061 deaths between 2014-19 under the BJP administration
1,660 deaths between 2019-21 under the MVA administration
1,023 deaths between July 2022 – Jan 2023 under the Shinde administrationMUMBAI: Death by suicide among Maharashtra’s farming community continues to be an area of concern with an average of eight farmers ending their lives every day due to several factors including economic distress and falling crop prices.
According to the state government data, as many as 1,203 farmers have died by suicide in the last seven months under the Eknath Shinde administration’s rule, while 1,660 farmers died in the two-and-a-half-year period under the Uddhav Thackeray-lea MVA administration.
As many as 5,061 farmers died by suicide during the Devendra Fadvais-led BJP administration between 2014 and 2019, as per the data.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2′); });
Citing the data, senior NCP leader and Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar said that farmer suicides had increased under the Shinde-Fadnavis administration and accused the ruling government of being insensitive to farmers’ problems.
“We do not want to blame any individual or any particular chief minister, but it is the harsh reality that the farmers are ending their lives in the Shinde government in large numbers. Financial distress among farmers is one of the major reasons behind farmer suicide. The cotton, onion, and Soyabean growing farmers did not get fair prices for their crops this year. We have seen how onion farmers are throwing the products on the road while some of them are burning them on farms. The farmers are unable to recover their input cost and expenses as well,” Pawar said.
“In the Marathwada region, 62 farmers committed suicide in the last two months, while a total of 22 farmers ended their lives in the Beed district,” he added.
The criticism comes amid Finance Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ slew of farmer welfare schemes as part of the state budget for 2023-24 including an additional financial assistance of Rs 6000 annually, along with the Rs 6000 per year provided by the Union government.
Meanwhile, NCP state president Jayant Patil said that farmers were being discriminated on the basis of their caste under the ruling government. Patil was referring to an incident in the Sangli district where farmers were allegedly being asked about their caste before buying chemical fertilizers.
“Now while buying the fertilizers on a government site, the farmer’s caste has been asked. It is bizarre how they can humiliate the farmers by asking about their caste. A Farmer is a farmer, please do not divide them on the basis of caste and religion,” he said
Criticising the caste discrimination incident, NCP Chief Sharad Pawar said, “It is wrong to ask the farmers’ caste. Such a thing has never happened before in the history of this country or in the state. If farmers are being asked about caste, what is the reason for this? This should come up.”
The NCP chief also targeted the state and central government for failing to help or provide subsidies to onion farmers. “The Govt should either buy the farmers’ onions or give them adequate compensation. Other neighbouring states like Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh are helping the farmers but our state is only making empty promises, nothing has been done on the ground that will arrest the anger of the farmers and pull them from the distress,” Pawar said.
Farmer deaths by suicide in Maharashtra
A total of 7,444 deaths in the last eight years
5,061 deaths between 2014-19 under the BJP administration
1,660 deaths between 2019-21 under the MVA administration
1,023 deaths between July 2022 – Jan 2023 under the Shinde administration -
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.”
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‘We are Hindutvawadi, but we are not the BJP’s slave’, says Shiv Sena in editorial
By PTI
PUNE: The Shiv Sena on Tuesday said Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s claim of working to fulfil the “dream” of Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray was a ploy to break the Marathi unity in Mumbai where civic polls are due.
“Why are you seeking votes in the name of Balasaheb? Has your Modi era, Modi wave started receding?” an editorial in the Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ asked.
In June this year, Sena MLA Eknath Shinde and 39 other legislators rebelled against the party leadership, leading to the collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government.
Shinde was then sworn in as the chief minister on June 30 along with BJP leader Fadnavis as his deputy.
The editorial said leaders like Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP are now embracing the “dream of Balasaheb”, but they did not remember the late Sena supremo while snapping ties with the party in 2014.
They did not remember the dreams of Balasaheb while going back on the word of chief ministerial post to the Shiv Sena in 2019, it said.
“Fadnavis’s words are akin to the deceitful invitation of a fox, and people of Mumbai and Thane should be cautious,” the Marathi daily said.
“The language of ‘dream of Balasaheb’ used by the BJP is nothing but a ploy to break the Marathi unity in Mumbai and for that they are injuring the Shiv Sena,” it claimed.
The people who forgot (BJP veterans) Lal Krishna Advani, Atal Bihar Vajpayee, will they fulfil the dreams of Balasaheb? it asked.
Today’s Bharatiya Janata Party is “not the real BJP”, the editorial claimed and asked if the party, which belonged to Vajpayee and Advani, really exists.
“The BJP of Vajpayee was all about keeping the promise but it is not there now and that is why we left such BJP (alliance) and set out on a different path of “Hindutva”.
“Our political stand is still the same. We are Hindutvawadi, but we are not the BJP’s slave. We are honest servants of Maharashtra, not the ‘charandas’ (servant) of Delhi,” the Sena said.
ALSO READ | Uddhav vs Shinde: SC refers petitions filed by rival Shiv Sena factions to constitution bench
Further hitting out at Fadnavis, it said he is continuously chanting the name of Balasaheb.
“He is saying give us votes in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections and we (BJP) will fulfil Balasaheb’s dreams. What is this sham? Which dream of Balsaheb are you going to fulfil?” it asked.
“Your dream of creating a split in the Shiv Sena, was it the dream of Balasaheb?”, it asked.
Fadnavis was “wise and profound” but that status is now denigrated in the company of the Eknath Shinde faction, it claimed.
He (Fadnavis) does not speak on the issue of the state, he only speaks on the Shiv Sena.
“When Fadnavis was going and breaking Dahi Handis in Mumbai, thus competing with the Shiv Sena, at the same time threat messages were received from terrorists that they would launch an attack like 26/11,” the editorial said.
Who does not want festivals like Dahi Handi, but if life is there, anything can be achieved, it said.
In the last two years, restrictions were imposed on festivals by Prime Minister Narendra Modi because of COVID-19, the editorial said.
“Today you say there are no restrictions on festivals. We improved the health of Maharashtra by making it COVID-free and gave the state to you,” it said.
On the day of Dahi Handi, 1,500 COVID-19 cases were reported, the editorial said, but did not specify where those infections were recorded.
PUNE: The Shiv Sena on Tuesday said Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s claim of working to fulfil the “dream” of Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray was a ploy to break the Marathi unity in Mumbai where civic polls are due.
“Why are you seeking votes in the name of Balasaheb? Has your Modi era, Modi wave started receding?” an editorial in the Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ asked.
In June this year, Sena MLA Eknath Shinde and 39 other legislators rebelled against the party leadership, leading to the collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government.
Shinde was then sworn in as the chief minister on June 30 along with BJP leader Fadnavis as his deputy.
The editorial said leaders like Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP are now embracing the “dream of Balasaheb”, but they did not remember the late Sena supremo while snapping ties with the party in 2014.
They did not remember the dreams of Balasaheb while going back on the word of chief ministerial post to the Shiv Sena in 2019, it said.
“Fadnavis’s words are akin to the deceitful invitation of a fox, and people of Mumbai and Thane should be cautious,” the Marathi daily said.
“The language of ‘dream of Balasaheb’ used by the BJP is nothing but a ploy to break the Marathi unity in Mumbai and for that they are injuring the Shiv Sena,” it claimed.
The people who forgot (BJP veterans) Lal Krishna Advani, Atal Bihar Vajpayee, will they fulfil the dreams of Balasaheb? it asked.
Today’s Bharatiya Janata Party is “not the real BJP”, the editorial claimed and asked if the party, which belonged to Vajpayee and Advani, really exists.
“The BJP of Vajpayee was all about keeping the promise but it is not there now and that is why we left such BJP (alliance) and set out on a different path of “Hindutva”.
“Our political stand is still the same. We are Hindutvawadi, but we are not the BJP’s slave. We are honest servants of Maharashtra, not the ‘charandas’ (servant) of Delhi,” the Sena said.
ALSO READ | Uddhav vs Shinde: SC refers petitions filed by rival Shiv Sena factions to constitution bench
Further hitting out at Fadnavis, it said he is continuously chanting the name of Balasaheb.
“He is saying give us votes in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections and we (BJP) will fulfil Balasaheb’s dreams. What is this sham? Which dream of Balsaheb are you going to fulfil?” it asked.
“Your dream of creating a split in the Shiv Sena, was it the dream of Balasaheb?”, it asked.
Fadnavis was “wise and profound” but that status is now denigrated in the company of the Eknath Shinde faction, it claimed.
He (Fadnavis) does not speak on the issue of the state, he only speaks on the Shiv Sena.
“When Fadnavis was going and breaking Dahi Handis in Mumbai, thus competing with the Shiv Sena, at the same time threat messages were received from terrorists that they would launch an attack like 26/11,” the editorial said.
Who does not want festivals like Dahi Handi, but if life is there, anything can be achieved, it said.
In the last two years, restrictions were imposed on festivals by Prime Minister Narendra Modi because of COVID-19, the editorial said.
“Today you say there are no restrictions on festivals. We improved the health of Maharashtra by making it COVID-free and gave the state to you,” it said.
On the day of Dahi Handi, 1,500 COVID-19 cases were reported, the editorial said, but did not specify where those infections were recorded.