Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday said just because he is not the son of NCP (SP) head Sharad Pawar, he did not get political opportunity. NCP leader Ajit Pawar said after the age of 80, one should give opportunity to new people. On his uncle Sharad Pawar's statement that discussions had been held with the BJP but the decision to go with it was not made, Ajit Pawar said he is at least admitting that discussions were held and added he was witness to the talks. In July last year, Ajit Pawar and eight other Nationalist Congress Party MLAs joined the Eknath Shinde-BJP government in Maharashtra, leading to a split in the NCP founded by Sharad Pawar (83). Addressing a rally at Shirur in Pune district, Ajit Pawar said, "I am also above 60. Do we have a chance or not? Are we behaving wrongly? That is why we get emotional. Pawar saheb is also our 'daivat' (like a God) and there is no doubt about it, but every person has his time. After crossing 80, new people should b
Baramati in Maharashtra's Pune district is one of the most keenly watched seats in the state in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls as it is for the first time that two members of the influential Pawar family are contesting against each other. Sharad Pawar's daughter and sitting MP Supriya Sule and nephew Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra Pawar have been pitted against each other by the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) from the constituency that goes to polls on May 7. This is also the first major electoral battle between the factions after the party split in July last year. In February, the Election Commission (EC) recognised the Ajit Pawar-led faction of the NCP as the official party and granted it the party's "clock" symbol while allotting "Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar" as the party name for the group led by Sharad Pawar. With the constituency gearing up for polling in the third round of the seven-phase general elections, campaigning by the candidates has .
The returning officer of Baramati Lok Sabha constituency has filed a report stating that there was no prima facie evidence of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar violating the Model Code of Conduct through his funds for votes remarks. The Sharad Pawar-led NCP(SP) had filed a complaint against Ajit Pawar with the Election Commission of India alleging the violation of the Model Code of Conduct and the Representation of the People Act. At a poll rally at Indapur in Baramati constituency, Ajit Pawar recently said, ...As far as funds are concerned, we will cooperate to give you as much as you want, but at the same time, the EVM button needs to be pressed in abundance. If the EVM button is pressed in abundance, I will also feel good allocating funds, or else, I will have to restrict myself, Pawar holds the finance portfolio in the state. The remarks had drawn criticism from the opposition, with NCP (SP) moving EC seeking action against Ajit Pawar, who heads the Nationalist Congr
The Supreme Court on Thursday asked both Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar factions of the Nationalist Congress Party to abide by its directions on use of symbols, party names and disclaimers in publicity material for the assembly and general elections. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and KV Viswanathan, while disposing of the applications filed by both sides on non-compliance of its March 19 order, said it is high time that leaders of both factions should be somewhere else and not courts. It directed the Sharad Pawar faction to sensitise party workers on using the name 'Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar' and symbol 'man blowing turha' (a traditional trumpet also known as tutari) in poll campaigns. It further directed that the faction led by the veteran leader to ask their party workers, leaders, office bearers and lawmakers not to use the clock' symbol in poll advertisements, which has been allotted to the Ajit Pawar led bloc of the NCP. Similarly, it asked the Ajit Pawar ..
The Nationalist Congress Party on Saturday declared the candidature of Sunetra Pawar, wife of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, from Baramati Lok Sabha seat, pitting her against sister-in-law and Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule from the home turf of Pawars. In her first reaction, Sunetra Pawar said this was a lucky day for her. The announcement of her candidature was made by Maharashtra NCP unit president Sunil Tatkare, hours after the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) declared its first list of five candidates for Lok Sabha elections from Maharashtra. The NCP(SP) retained Supriya Sule from Baramati and fielded Nilesh Lanke, who switched sides from the Ajit Pawar camp, from the Ahmednagar constituency. Tatkare said the battle in Baramati is of ideology and principles, and not a family one. "This is a lucky day for me. I thank Narendra Modiji, Amit Shah, and all leaders of Mahayuti (Shiv Sena, BJP, and NCP) for considering me capable of fighting the election," Sunetra Pawa
The Supreme Court has directed the Election Commission to recognise Sharad Pawar's NCP faction and allowed them to use a new symbol for the upcoming state and general elections
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP president Ajit Pawar on Thursday said that although following a split his party initially used the name and photos of his uncle Sharad Pawar, after the latter's objection, it started using state's first chief minister Yashwantrao Chavan's name and pictures. His made the statement after the Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday sought a response of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Ajit Pawar on a plea filed by the Sharad Pawar faction, alleging misuse of his name and pictures for political gains. The apex court directed the Ajit Pawar-led party to give a categorical and unconditional undertaking that the name, pictures of Sharad Pawar will not be used. Talking to reporters in his hometown Baramati in Pune district, Ajit Pawar said after he aligned with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra, his party started using the name and images of Sharad Pawar. "But after he (Sharad Pawar) objected to the use of his .
The Supreme Court on Thursday sought response of the Nationalist Congress Party faction led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on a plea of the Sharad Pawar group alleging misuse of his name and pictures for political gains. A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and K V Viswanathan asked the Ajit Pawar faction to file its response by Saturday to Sharad Pawar's plea and fixed it for further hearing on March 19. We need a categorical and unconditional undertaking that the name, pictures of Sharad Pawar will not be used, the bench said. Earlier, the top court had directed that the Election Commission's order of February 7 allotting 'Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar' as the party name for the Sharad Pawar faction will continue till further orders. It had also sought response of the Ajit Pawar-led faction on a plea of Sharad Pawar against the February 6 order of the Election Commission recognising the Maharashtra deputy chief minister-led group as the real Nationalist ..
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday inaugurated the first phase of the coastal road between Worli and Marine Drive in south Mumbai and said it is an "engineering marvel". A 10.5-kilometer-long stretch will be opened for traffic in the first phase, an official earlier said, adding that motorists can enter the coastal road from Worli Seaface, Haji Ali interchange and Amarson's interchange points, and exit at Marine Lines. Deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar and other dignitaries were present at the inauguration of the south-bound corridor of the coastal road. After the inauguration, CM Shinde and other dignitaries showed green flags to the electric buses of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) ferrying women and a vintage car rally on the coastal road. The work on the ambitious project started on October 13, 2018 and its projected cost is Rs 12,721 crore. A world-class Central Park spread over several acres will come up along the road, named .
NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule has said if one member of a large family takes a different stand, it does not mean there is a split within the family. She also noted that BJP leaders these days do not talk about alleged corruption of her party. Sule, however, did not name Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who parted ways with his uncle and Sule's father Sharad Pawar last year to join the Shiv Sena-BJP government. "Our family has around 120 to 125 members, including small kids, and in such a big family, if one person puts forth a different opinion, it does not signify a split," Sule told reporters in Pune on Wednesday. "Our family is united and it will remain united forever," the Lok Sabha member from Baramati said. Asked about Union minister Amit Shah's statement that Sharad Pawar wanted to make her chief minister, Sule said she was thankful to Shah for "freeing the NCP of corruption". "Whenever he used to come to Maharashtra, he used to refer to the NCP as 'naturally co
The court will decide whether to accept the report or direct the agency to continue the investigation and file a charge sheet
Maharashtra Finance Minister Ajit Pawar on Tuesday presented a Rs 6,00,522 crore interim budget for 2024-25 with a revenue deficit of Rs 9,734 crore in the state legislative assembly here. The budget proposed no new taxes. A supplementary budget (full budget) will be presented after the Lok Sabha elections, Pawar said. With projected revenue receipts of Rs 4,98,758 crore and revenue expenditure of Rs 5,08,492 crore, there will be a revenue deficit of Rs 9,734 crore, said Pawar, who joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government as deputy chief minister in July 2023. He was finance minister in the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi government too. School Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar read out the budget in the Legislative Council. "The budget focuses on the implementation of welfare schemes for the youth, women, the poor and farmers," Pawar said in the assembly. The government aims to expand the state's economy to USD 1 trillion through sustainable, environment-friendly and inclusive development
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has said being in power is important to expedite the developmental works as an elected representative and he has taken a different political stand without compromising on his ideology. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Pawar, who switched over to the ruling NDA last year, in a letter to his supporters on Monday said his objective was never to betray anyone or hurt anyone's sentiments. He said he found his working style similar to that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, under whose leadership the country is making progress. "I have taken a different political stand without compromising on my ideology. I want to assure that henceforth the NCP under my leadership will work for implementing its development blueprint and not indulge in personal criticism of senior leaders," the deputy CM said without naming NCP founder and his uncle Sharad Pawar. "I have been on the ruling as well as the opposition side a
The Maharashtra government on Monday tabled supplementary demands of Rs 8,609 crore on the first day of the Budget session of the state assembly. State finance minister Ajit Pawar tabled the supplementary demands, which are additional funds sought by the government over the budgetary allocation, in the legislative assembly, followed by the council. "I table the supplementary demands of Rs 8,609.17 crore before the House," Pawar said. As per the supplementary demand note, demands of Rs 2,210 crore were for financial assistance to farmers whose crops were destroyed due to the unseasonal showers, hailstorms and water scarcity. During the winter session in December last year, supplementary demands of Rs 55,520.77 crore were tabled in the state legislature and eventually cleared.
Drawing parallels, the NCP leader said that he identified with the working style of the Prime Minister and the Home Minister
Speaking to reporters ahead of the meeting, Sule said there are serious concerns about drinking water in her constituency, Baramati which she wants to bring to the attention of the government
The Election Commission of India on Thursday allotted "man blowing turha (a traditional trumpet)" as the symbol of the Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar, the outfit's spokesperson Clyde Crasto said. "Our candidates will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls on this symbol," he told PTI. The Sharad Pawar-founded NCP split in July last year after Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs joined the Eknath Shinde government. The ECI later gave the party name and 'clock' symbol to the faction led by Deputy CM Ajit Pawar.
The Bombay High Court on Wednesday issued a notice to Maharashtra assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar and 10 MLAs belonging to Sharad Pawar's NCP faction on petitions challenging the speaker's decision to not disqualify them. Anil Patil, chief whip of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, had filed two petitions challenging the speaker's decision to not disqualify 10 MLAs from the Sharad Pawar camp. A division bench of Justices G S Kulkarni and Firdosh Pooniwalla on Wednesday also issued notice to the Maharashtra legislature secretariat and directed all the respondents to file their affidavits to the petitions. The HC posted the matter for further hearing on March 14. Patil in his petitions requested the high court to quash the speaker's recent order by declaring it bad in law, and also disqualify all the 10 legislators. The petitions challenged the "legality, propriety and correctness" of the order passed by Narwekar dismissing the disqualifica
The Supreme Court on Monday directed that Election Commission's order of February 7 granting name of 'Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar' for the group led by Sharad Pawar will continue till further orders. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and K V Viswanathan sought response of Ajit Pawar-led faction on a plea of Sharad Pawar against the February 7 order of Election Commission recognising the Maharashtra deputy chief minister-led group as the real Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). The bench gave liberty to Sharad Pawar to move the poll panel for allocation of the party symbol and directed the poll panel to allot it in one week of the application. Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Sharad Pawar, said that order passed by the Election Commission on February 7 is an interim arrangement made by the poll panel for Rajya Sabha elections till February 27. The Maharashtra assembly session is scheduled to start from February 26 and our group will be without any name o
Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar reaffirmed Ajit Pawar's faction as the legitimate NCP and dismissed calls for the disqualification of either faction's lawmakers