Page 4 - Ajit Pawar

Power and Pawars: Behind coin-toss electoral showdown in sugarland

Pune's sugar mills shape local politics and elections; a number of prominent candidates in the region are tied to such factories. Prachi Pisal reports from the ground

Sharad Pawar urges voters to decisively defeat Ajit Pawar's faction

NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar has cautioned his detractors that they should mess with anyone but him and appealed to voters to not just defeat those who rebelled under Ajit Pawar, but "defeat them big" in the Maharashtra assembly polls. Addressing a rally at Madha in Solapur district on Sunday ahead of the November 20 state polls, Sharad Pawar recounted an episode of defection that led to him losing the post of leader of opposition in the assembly almost five decades ago and his resolve that led to the defeat of all those who had backstabbed him. "In the elections of 1980, 58 persons won polls from our party and I became leader of opposition. I had gone abroad and when I came back I realised Chief Minister AR Antulay saheb had done some miracle and 52 of the 58 MLAs had switched sides. I lost the post of LoP," he said. "I did nothing (at the time). I just started reaching out to people across the state and worked hard for three years. In the next elections, I fielded young candidate

Left Sharad Pawar as MLAs wanted to join govt to resume stalled work: Ajit

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Sunday said he had to part ways with NCP founder and uncle Sharad Pawar as all party MLAs wanted to join the Eknath Shinde government to tide over stalled development works. The Nationalist Congress Party split in July last year after Ajit Pawar and eight MLAs joined the Shinde government. Following a decision by the Election Commission, he got the party name and 'clock' symbol, while the faction head by the octogenarian patriarch was named NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) with 'man blowing tutari' as its symbol. Campaigning in Baramati, the Deputy CM said, "You might be thinking that I shouldn't have left Pawar saheb at this age. I didn't leave saheb. I told him it is the opinion of all MLAs that we must join the (Shinde) government as multiple development works we approved (under the Maha Vikas Aghadi dispensation) were put on hold. The MLAs even signed (in support of the government joining proposal)." Seeking support, the NCP chief told ..

In Baramati's intense battle between Saheb and Dada, people are the king

Ajit Pawar's development pitch encounters Sharad Pawar's emotional hold over voters as this constituency of glitzy shops and spotless roads turns into a do-or-die battlefield for the younger Pawar amid an intense canvassing never seen before by most voters. And people are not complaining. Dada, as the deputy chief minister is often addressed, carries a certain air and would not even bother spending much time in campaigns as his win was a forgone outcome, Sandeep Jagtap (32), a farmer, said. "He is now smiling, bowing and folding his hands seeking our votes," he adds with a laugh. His friend Amol Kulange notes that the election has also seen an unlikely turnout of the members of the Pawar clan who are mostly backing Yugendra Pawar, the grand nephew of Sharad Pawar and fielded by him as his NCP(SP) candidate to take on the deputy chief minister. Sharad Pawar's wife Pratibha Pawar, not much seen in previous polls, has hit the campaign trail and so have some other members of the family

Amid controversy, EC checks bags of Maha CM Shinde, Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar

Earlier today, the bags of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was also checked by the poll officials at Palghar Police ground helipad as part of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

Ajit Pawar names Gautam Adani in BJP-NCP talks, sparks Opposition outrage

Ajit Pawar disclosed that the discussions before his early morning swearing-in as deputy chief minister in 2019 took place at a 'businessman's house' in Delhi

Husband vs wife, uncle vs nephew: Families battle their own in Maharashtra

Amid parties accusing rivals of promoting dynastic politics, the November 20 Maharashtra assembly polls will see brothers, cousins and father-children in the fray, with members of the same family taking on each other in some seats. In one constituency, the battle is between husband and wife, while another seat has an uncle and nephew pitted against each other. In the high stakes battle of Pawars, debutant Yugendra Pawar, the candidate of the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP), will take on his uncle and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, representing the NCP, in Baramati seat. Ajit Pawar has won the Baramati assembly poll seven times and also once bagged the Baramati parliamentary seat. This is the second time that Baramati, the bastion of Pawars, will see a contest within the family. In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the deputy CM's wife Sunetra Pawar was defeated by his cousin and NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule in the Baramati parliamentary seat. In the neighbouring Karjat-Jamkhed, Rohit Pawar,

Didn't seek PM's rally as Baramati contest within family: Ajit Pawar

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has said he did not request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold a campaign rally in his Baramati constituency because the fight there is within the family. Pawar, the sitting MLA, is contesting against his nephew Yugendra Pawar, the candidate of the rival Nationalist Congress Party led by Sharad Pawar. The prime minister would be holding campaign rallies for the November 20 Maharashtra assembly elections starting Friday. Contest in Baramati is within the family, Ajit told reporters here on Thursday when asked why the PM would not be holding a rally in his constituency. The NCP led by Ajit Pawar is part of the ruling coalition along with the BJP and Shiv Sena. Asked about NCP candidates also not seeking rallies of senior BJP leaders like Amit Shah in their constituencies, Pawar said it could be because there is not much time left for campaigning, and also due to the limit on election expenses. Earlier in the day, when asked what would

Supriya Sule rules out reconciliation with Ajit Pawar while he's with BJP

Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) leader Supriya Sule said she will not be contesting the Maharashtra Assembly elections

Oppn 'bluffing' by assuring Rs 3,000 monthly aid to women: Ajit Pawar

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday claimed the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) was "bluffing" by promising Rs 3,000 per month to women in the state if the opposition alliance comes to power after the November 20 state polls. Talking to reporters here, NCP leader Pawar noted that when the Mahayuti government offered Rs 1,500 per month to women under its Ladki Bahin Yojana, the opposition questioned its feasibility. The MVA alliance, comprising Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and NCP (SP) led by Sharad Pawar, on Wednesday promised Rs 3,000 per month to women in Maharashtra. Responding to the MVA's guarantee, Ajit Pawar said the opposition was resorting to "bluffing" by making such promises. He said the decision to give Rs 1,500 (per month) under the Ladki Bahin Yojana was made because it was feasible. "Today, if they claim to give Rs 3,000 per month to women, the expenditure may reach Rs 90,000 crore. They are also promising Rs 4,000 per month to unemploye

Ajit Pawar condemns ally Sadabhau Khot's remarks onuncle Sharad Pawar

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has condemned adverse remarks made against his uncle and NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar by ruling Mahayuti legislator Sadabhau Khot, and said such comments will not be tolerated. As the remarks sparked a row ahead of the November 20 state polls, Khot, the founder of Rayat Kranti Sanghatana and an ally of the ruling Mahayuti in the state, in a video message on Thursday expressed his apology and said he takes back his comment if has hurt anyone's sentiments. During a public rally on Wednesday at Jath in Sangli district, where senior BJP leader and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis was in attendance, Khot made comments on the health condition of senior Pawar, sparking criticism from both factions of the NCP. Objecting to Khot's comments, Ajit Pawar, who broke ranks with Sharad Pawar last year and joined the Eknath Shinde-BJP government, in a post on X on Wednesday said the remarks were condemnable and inappropriate and will not be tolerated. Speakin

Ajit Pawar's NCP manifesto promises Rs 2,100 for Ladki Bahan scheme

The NCP led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Wednesday unveiled its manifesto for the state assembly polls, promising to raise the amount of Ladki Bahin scheme's monthly financial assistance to Rs 2,100 from the present Rs 1,500. For farmers, the party promised to raise the Shetkari Sanman Nidhi scheme amount from Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000 per year. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is contesting the November 20 assembly elections as part of the ruling Mahayuti alliance, which also comprises the Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The NCP, which is fighting the elections from 52 constituencies, also unveiled constituency-specific manifestos for all the assembly seats it is contesting. The manifesto was unveiled separately by party president Ajit Pawar in Baramati, by its state unit president Sunil Tatkare in Mumbai, and working president Praful Patel in Gondia. NCP candidates and local leaders also released the poll manifestos in their respective ...

Ajit to emerge as key player after Maharashtra Assembly polls: Nawab Malik

"There are even speculations that NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar and Eknath Shinde, who heads the Shiv Sena, will join hands," he claimed

Cong seeks probe over BJP's use of blackmail to bring Ajit Pawar into NDA

The Congress on Saturday called for a probe into alleged "blackmail" and "coercion" used to bring NCP leader Ajit Pawar into the NDA fold and said the BJP's "washing machine" was nowhere more powerful than in Maharashtra. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh cited Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's recent remarks to claim that the issue involved not just the use of "coercion and blackmail" but also breach of the oath of confidentiality and the Official Secrets Act. "The BJP's washing machine is an all-India phenomenon but perhaps nowhere was it more powerful than in Maharashtra," he said. When in opposition before 2014, the BJP raised allegations about massive corruption by Ajit Pawar, then the state's irrigation and water resources minister, Ramesh pointed out and added that the allegations claimed corruption to the tune of Rs 70,000 crore. Ajit Pawar has now confirmed that blackmail and coercion surrounding these charges were used by the B

Ajit Pawar, Supriya Sule greet people on occasion of Diwali Padwa

Amid rising political tensions ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections, Pawar family divided its Padwa festivities

Ajit Pawar backs Dhangar community, to continue 'Ladki Bahini' scheme

Additionally, Pawar mentioned various schemes implemented for the benefit of Muslim communities and the Dhangar community, including the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Swayam Yojana

'Everything will be clear by November 4', says NCP Chief Ajit Pawar

Earlier on Thursday, Mumbai BJP Chief Ashish Shelar said that the NCP Chief Ajit Pawar should not have given a ticket to Nawab Malik

Supriya Sule slams Ajit Pawar's insensitive' comments on RR Patil

Nationalist Congress Party (SP) leader Supriya Sule on Wednesday called Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's remarks against former state home minister RR Patil insensitive and said she apologised to the late leader's wife and mother for the comments. Speaking separately, Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan, who was chief minister at the time, said he had never ordered an inquiry into an alleged irrigation scam. Baramati Lok Sabha MP Sule said her politically estranged cousin's statement saddened her and made her restless. She also slammed Deputy CM and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis over it. NCP chief Ajit Pawar on Tuesday alleged that he was backstabbed by his close colleague RR Patil who ordered an open inquiry against him in an alleged multi-crore irrigation scam. He claimed a file mentioning Patil's remarks ordering an inquiry was shown to him by BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis after he became chief minister in 2014. Pawar made these remarks while addressing a rally for t

BJP not to campaign for ally NCP's Nawab Malik, backs daughter's bid

The BJP has made it clear that it will not campaign for ally NCP's candidate Nawab Malik in the assembly polls due to his alleged links with fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim, but has no objection to his daughter's candidature. Nawab Malik, a former state minister, on Tuesday filed his nomination from the Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar assembly constituency in Mumbai as a candidate of the Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), while the party also gave ticket to his younger daughter, Sana Malik, from the Anushakti Nagar constituency, a seat that her father represented multiple times in the past. This is Sana Malik's maiden assembly election. The Ajit Pawar-led party gave the nomination form to Nawab Malik just minutes before the deadline for the process ended, allowing him to officially contest elections as a party candidate. The NCP is contesting the November 20 assembly elections as part of the ruling Mahayuti alliance, which also has the Bharatiya Janata .

Maharashtra polls: Ajit Pawar targets uncle; says 'Saheb' splitting family

Maharashtra Assembly elections: Ajit Pawar said that Sharad Pawar has made an error by fielding his grandson Yugendra Pawar against him