Page 5 - Sharad Pawar

Pawar slams PM's 'one nation, one election' pitch during I-Day speech

Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Monday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day address in which the latter pitched for 'one nation, one election'. Addressing the nation on the 78th Independence Day, PM Modi had said frequent elections were creating hurdles in the progress of the nation and asserted "the country has to come forward for one nation, one election". Speaking to reporters in Pune, Pawar said, "PM Modi was insisting on holding all elections simultaneously but the very next day, there is announcement of three different poll dates for three different states. The PM talks about one thing while the system takes another decision." The Election Commission last week announced the poll schedule for Haryana and Jammu-Kashmir. Asked if Maharashtra polls may be held in December due to the state government's Ladki Bahin Yojana and if there was chance of President's Rule in the state, Pawar said it was a question that must be directed ...

MVA meet: Thackeray bats for announcing CM face first; Pawar, Cong silent

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday insisted that MVA decide its chief ministerial face first rather than going by the logic of which party wins most seats, asserting he would back any candidate announced by the Congress and NCP (SP). His Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) ally Sharad Pawar, who heads NCP(SP), did not touch upon the contentious issue but stressed the need for a single-point agenda to change the government in Maharashtra if the situation has to improve in the state. Pawar told the MVA cadres the three partners will take along the Left outfits, Peasants and Workers Party of India (PWP) and Samajwadi Party by giving them due respect, and present a united face before the people of the state. The Congress too pitched for focussing on unseating the BJP-led Mahayuti coalition, with the party's state unit chief Nana Patole saying the leaders of INDIA bloc will decide on who will be the chief minister. Addressing party workers of the opposition bloc MVA here, Thackeray .

Govt did not honour LoP's post during Independence Day event: Sharad Pawar

Nationalist Congress Party (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Friday hit out at the Centre over Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi not being allotted a front-row seat at the Independence Day event, accusing it of not honouring the post of LoP. Addressing party workers of the opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi, Pawar said the threat to the Constitution is still not over even if the BJP did not get majority in the Lok Sabha polls. The Centre did not honour the post of Leader of Opposition, Pawar said. The Leader of Opposition was made to sit in the back row, said the NCP (SP) chief. The Congress on Thursday said making Gandhi sit in the fifth row at the Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort showed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pettiness and lack of respect for democratic traditions. Pawar said that when he was the leader of the opposition during Atal Bihari Vajpayee's tenure, his seating arrangement at the I-Day event was alongside the cabinet ministers. He recalled that when ...

Leading NCP huge responsibility, seat-sharing talks moving positively: Ajit

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who heads the Nationalist Congress Party, has said that helming the NCP away from the shadows of his uncle and founder Sharad Pawar after the split is a huge responsibility. In an interview with PTI during his Jan Sanman Yatra, Pawar said on Thursday that the seat-sharing talks among the ruling Mahayuti partners NCP, Shiv Sena and BJP for the assembly polls are proceeding positively. Ajit Pawar and his loyalist MLAs broke away from NCP in July last year to align with the ruling alliance. He later got the party name and its clock symbol. Party founder Sharad Pawar, who now heads NCP (SP), is a part of the opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), also comprising Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress. This is the biggest responsibility that I have ever received. Till now, (Sharad) Pawar saheb was our leader and our chief. When I joined politics in 1991, there was no NCP by then. When I was in Congress, there were several leaders. Therefore, there

Pawar vs Pawar: SC seeks Ajit Pawar's response in NCP faction dispute

Sharad Pawar's NCP faction was granted provisional use of the party name and clock symbol following Ajit Pawar's split from the party ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections

Nehru had vision; his leadership was necessary for nation's progress: Pawar

NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Saturday said Jawaharlal Nehru had a vision for modern India and his leadership was required to keep the country united post-partition. Speaking at a book release function here, Pawar said country's first home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was an able administrator and worked for farmers and the working class. Patel's contribution to uniting the country post-independence was immense as he played a key role in persuading princely states to integrate into the Union of India. "Mahatma Gandhi knew the potential of both the leaders (Nehru and Patel) and their leadership qualities. Nehru's vision of modern India was necessary for the country's progress and development. He had the vision to take the country on the world's centre stage. His leadership was required to keep the country united post-partition," the veteran leader said. Pawar noted the contribution of Dr B R Ambedkar in drafting the Constitution of India and his work in the field of ...

People taught lesson to those who wanted to change Constitution: Pawar

NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Friday said the country taught a lesson to those who were talking about changing the Constitution. He was speaking at the unveiling of the Urdu translation of English book "Padmavibhushan Sharad Pawar - The great Enigma" by Sheshrao Chavan here. The political situation in the country should change, Pawar said, adding, "We should think where we are heading. We have to see that the country does not fall in the wrong hands." Four months ago (during the Lok Sabha election campaign), Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party colleagues made statements that were not in national interest, the NCP (SP) chief said, referring to BJP leader Ananthkumar Hegde's controversial remark that they needed 400-plus seats to amend the Constitution. "It is a good thing that the people taught a lesson to those who talked about changing the Constitution," Pawar said. He also hit back at Union minister Amit Shah who recently called him "ringleader of corrupt people". "A w

Ajit Pawar announces to go solo in upcoming Maharashtra local body polls

Pawar said that despite having contested Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha together as Mahayuti, every party will contest local body election as per their strengths

'Ajit Pawar's NCP behind BJP's poor show': RSS magazine on Maha LS polls

The magazine said that the BJP's decades-old partnership with the Shiv Sena and its latest faction was 'Hindutva based' and thus 'natural' but that was not the case with the NCP

Ajit Pawar's NCP faces setback as top leaders resign to join Sharad Pawar

NCP Pimpri-Chinchwad Unit Chief Ajit Gavahane and three others from the unit have quit Ajit Pawar's NCP faction to join Sharad Pawar

Highlights of the day: My aim is to make Mumbai a global fintech capital, says PM Modi

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After Uddhav, West Bengal CM Mamata meets Sharad Pawar during Mumbai visit

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday met Nationalist Congress Party (SP) president Sharad Pawar during her first visit to Mumbai after the declaration of Lok Sabha poll results more than a month ago. Banerjee, who heads the Trinamool Congress, met Pawar at his residence 'Silver Oak' in south Mumbai. The Trinamool Congress leader, who is on a day-long visit to Mumbai, earlier met Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray at his residence "Matoshree" in Bandra. The Trinamool Congress, the NCP (SP) and the Shiv Sena (UBT) are constituents of the opposition INDIA bloc. This was Banerjee's first visit to Mumbai after the June 4 Lok Sabha results which saw the INDIA bloc putting up better-than-expected performance. In Maharashtra, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) bagged 30 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats, stunning the ruling Mahayuti, which comprises the BJP, the Shiv Sena and the NCP. Constituents of the MVA, including the Congress, are members of the INDIA alliance at ..

Three Maha Congress MLAs skip key party meeting ahead of council polls

Amid talks of cross-voting, three of the 37 Congress MLAs in Maharashtra skipped a meeting called by the party ahead of the legislative council polls on Friday. Zeeshan Siddique, Jitesh Antapurkar and Sanjay Jagtap were absent in the meeting held here on Thursday night. Antapurkar is close to former chief minister Ashok Chavan, who switched to BJP a few months ago, while Zeeshan's father Baba Siddique joined the Ajit Pawar-led NCP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Sanjay Jagtap skipped the meeting as he was in wari' (annual pilgrimage procession) and on his to the temple town of Pandharpur. The party said Jagtap had informed the leadership about his absence. However, Sulabha Khodke, whose husband is a close aide of Ajit Pawar, and Hiraman Khoskar, said to be in touch with the NCP, attended the meeting. Senior Congress leader Nitin Raut told PTI that his party is in a comfortable position. It is the ruling alliance which is scared which is why they have held their MLAs hostage, ...

Cong, Sena (UBT) and, NCP (SP) to jointly contest Maha polls: Sharad Pawar

NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday said his party, Congress, and the Shiv Sena (UBT) led by Uddhav Thackeray will jointly contest the Maharashtra assembly polls, due in October this year. Addressing a news conference here, Pawar also said it is the moral responsibility of the major opposition parties in Maharashtra to protect in the state assembly polls the interests of smaller allies, which were part of the coalition in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The NCP (SP), Congress and the Shiv Sena (UBT) are constituents of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which was in power in the state from November 2019 till June 2022 before the collapse of the Thackeray-led government. Pawar said the opposition will keep a collective face before the people of Maharashtra. There is need for a change in the state and it is the moral responsibility of the opposition coalition to discharge it, Pawar said. "As Arjuna's target (in the epic Mahabharata) was an eye (of a fish), our eyes are all set

Birla's comments on Emergency not apt, not suitable for LS Speaker: Pawar

NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Saturday said the reference to Emergency made by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in his speech was not apt and did not suit the stature of his post. Addressing reporters here, Pawar also said the sops announced in the budget presented by his estranged nephew and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday, was just an effort ahead of the state assembly polls to project that they are doing something massive. Soon after his election as Lok Sabha Speaker, Om Birla on Wednesday set off a firestorm by reading out a resolution condemning the imposition of Emergency as an attack on the Constitution by the then prime minister Indira Gandhi. Referring to it, Pawar said, "The speaker's reference to the Emergency in his address did not suit the stature of the post. It has been 50 years since the Emergency, Indira Gandhi is no longer alive. So why is the speaker bringing up this issue now?" "Is it the role of the speaker to make a political statement? .

AI use in farming to be presented in Parliamentary session: Sharad Pawar

The topic of using Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology in farming will be raised in the upcoming session of Parliament, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar said on Saturday. Addressing the media alongside his brother Prataprao Pawar and Lok Sabha member Supriya Sule, the veteran politician highlighted the potential of AI technology in revolutionising agricultural practices. He claimed the AI method (in farming) has been introduced in Baramati- the Lok Sabha constituency represented by his daughter Supriya Sule -for the first time in the country. The former Union agriculture minister also said sugarcane production can be increased at low cost through AI technology. "We will raise questions about farmers and farming in the upcoming session of Parliament. Even the topic of the use of AI in farming will be brought up," Pawar said. He said AI can be instrumental in planning water and rainwater management. "AI is a topic of global discussion, and its application in agriculture can be vast.

NCP (SP) won't settle for less in assembly seat-sharing: Sharad Pawar

The NCP (SP) agreed to contest fewer seats than its Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies during the Lok Sabha elections but the situation would be different in the assembly polls, a party leader has quoted its supremo Sharad Pawar as saying. Pawar held two meetings here on Friday, one with the party's functionaries from Pune city and district, and another with its MLAs and newly-elected MPs. City NCP (SP) chief Prashant Jagtap, who attended the first meeting, said Pawar told the gathering that the party contested fewer seats in the Lok Sabha polls just to ensure that the alliance with the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress remained intact. "He indicated that the picture in the assembly polls will be different," said Jagtap. The NCP (SP) chief also reviewed the situation in assembly segments within the Pune, Baramati, Maval and Shirur Lok Sabha constituencies, he said. A party leader who attended the second meeting said Pawar exhorted the MPs and MLAs to be prepared for the assembly ...

Centre can't be spectator, must lead to resolve quota issue, says Pawar

NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday said the Centre cannot be a mere spectator and it should take lead to resolve matters pertaining to the quota demand by the Maratha community and Other Backward Classes (OBCs). Asked about the increasing Maratha-OBC conflict over the reservation issue in Maharashtra, Pawar said there is only one solution that the Centre should take the lead to resolve it and there is a need for amendments in law and the state and Centre's policies. The former Union minister was speaking to reporters at Baramati in Maharashtra's Pune district. In February this year, the Maharashtra legislature unanimously passed a bill granting a separate 10 per cent reservation in education and jobs to the Maratha community under a separate category. However, the community has been demanding quota under the OBC grouping. Activist Manoj Jarange has been demanding implementation of the draft notification that recognises Kunbis as sage soyare (blood relatives) of Maratha commun

Swati Maliwal writes to INDIA bloc, seeks time to discuss assault case

Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal on Tuesday sought time from INDIA bloc leaders to discuss the alleged assault against her by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's aid Bibhav Kumar. In a letter to INDIA bloc leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Sharad Pawar, the Aam Aadmi Party member complained she was subjected to "victim shaming and character assassination" for speaking up against the abuse. "Instead of finding support, I was confronted with incessant attacks on my character and victim shaming orchestrated by the leaders and volunteers of my own party," she wrote. "Over the past one month, I have encountered first-hand pain and isolation a survivor faces when she fights for justice. . . I would like to seek your time to discuss this pertinent issue," she added. Maliwal posted the letters addressed to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and national president Sharad Pawar on X. "I have worked on the ground for the last 18 years and have heard 1.7 lakh cases in the Women's Commission in 9 years. Withou

Sharad Pawar seeks to meet CM to discuss drought-like situation in Pune

Nationalist Congress Party (SP) head Sharad Pawar has written to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde seeking a meeting to address the drought-like situation in Purandar, Baramati, Indapur and Daund tehsils of Pune district. In the letter dated June 16, which he posted on a micro-blogging site on Monday, Pawar said the state government had undertaken irrigation schemes in the region to mitigate the drought-like situation but problems were found in their implementation when he visited some of these areas recently. During discussions with the public in these visits, villagers also suggested some measures along with demands to solve the problem of agriculture and drinking water, the former Union minister said in the letter. "There is a need to take permanent measures to overcome the traditional drought situation in the above mentioned talukas of Pune district. For this, we request you to organise a meeting in Mumbai under your leadership and in the presence of the two deputy chief