Page 13 - Ajit Pawar

Will raise Muslim quota issue with CM Shinde and Fadnavis: Ajit Pawar

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Monday said he had held a meeting with the state minorities department minister and officials and would raise the Muslim quota issue with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to find a road ahead. Speaking to reporters in Pune, the NCP leader said he recently held a meeting with state minorities minister Abdul Sattar, officials from the concerned departments, and representatives of some organisations on the issues concerning the Muslim community. "Topics related to Maulana Azad Mandal, Wakf Board properties, and other issues were discussed at the meeting," he said. Pawar recalled that Muslims were granted the quota in education and government jobs (when the UPA government was in power). "The (high) court accepted the reservation (for Muslims) in education, but the quota in jobs was rejected. The Right To Education (RTE) Act was brought by the government for equal education later," he said. Pawar said he told the meeting that it was the opini

Will accept final decision of EC on NCP name and symbol: Ajit Pawar

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Monday said he would accept the "final" decision of the Election Commission of India regarding the NCP's name and poll symbol, in view of the claims submitted by the factions led by him and Sharad Pawar. He was speaking to reporters in Pune on the sidelines of his visit to various pandals of Lord Ganesh. Ajit Pawar had led eight MLAs to join the Shiv Sena-BJP government in Maharashtra in July. He had claimed the support of a majority of MLAs of NCP, founded by his uncle Sharad Pawar, and staked claim to the party name and symbol in the ECI. The Sharad Pawar faction had challenged the Ajit Pawar faction's move in the poll body and the decision is pending. Asked about the Sharad Pawar faction taking action against MLAs who are joining his group, Ajit Pawar said they can exercise their rights. "However, it is the Elections Commission (EC) which makes a final decision. Both sides have gone to the ECI and everyone will put forth their sta

NCP MLC Eknath Khadse claims he declined offer to join Ajit Pawar's faction

Nationalist Congress Party MLC Eknath Khadse has claimed that he was contacted by a loyalist of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar asking him to join his faction but he declined the offer. I had received a call from NCP MLC Amol Mitkari on behalf of Ajit Pawar asking me to side with his faction. I told him flatly that I was loyal to Sharad Pawar. I will not leave him, Khadse told reporters. Khadse, a former minister, had left the Bharatiya Janata Party on a sour note ending the nearly 40-year-old association in 2020. After joining NCP, he was elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Council. Commenting over the issue, Khadse's political rival from Jalgaon district and senior BJP leader Girish Mahajan said, I came to know that Khadse was trying to join the Ajit Pawar side but my advice to him is not to leave Sharad Pawar. He should stick with the senior Pawar. Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government in July this year, triggering a turf war between

NCP split: Ajit faction submits disqualification plea against Sharad's MLAs

The Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party has submitted a petition to Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar seeking disqualification of 10 MLAs affiliated to party founder Sharad Pawar. The petition was filed on Thursday by Anil Bhaidas Patil, who is the chief whip of the Ajit Pawar faction. The 10 MLAs named in the petition are Jayant Patil, Jitendra Awhad, Rajesh Tope, Rohit Pawar, Anil Deshmukh, Prajakt Tanpure, Balasaheb Patil, Sunil Bhusara, Sandeep Kshirsagar and Suman Patil, said Anil Bhaidas Patil. Incidentally, the Sharad Pawar faction has already filed disqualification petition against 40 MLAs who allied with Ajit Pawar. The NCP has 53 MLAs in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly, with legislators like Nawab Malik and Suman Patil maintaining a neutral stance. On July 2, the NCP suffered a split after Ajit Pawar and eight MLAs, including Chhagan Bhujbal, Hasan Mushrif and Dilip Walse Patil, joined the Eknath Shinde government. Ajit Pawar was sworn in

Leaders from both NCP factions say there is no split or dispute in party

Senior leaders from both Sharad Pawar- and Ajit Pawar-led factions of the Nationalist Congress Party have said that there was no split in the party. The Election Commission has called the rival factions of the NCP for a personal hearing on October 6 following a petition filed by the Ajit group claiming that he has been elected as the party's national president. It is unfair on the part of the Election Commission of India to treat our case as a dispute within a political party when we have consistently maintained that there is no split, said Jayant Patil, the Maharashtra unit chief of the Sharad Pawar-led NCP, on Tuesday. Sharad Pawar in his letter to the ECI stressed the fact that he never faced any opposition within the party. There is no dispute. There has been no opposition to my (Sharad Pawar's) policies from the party on any public platform, Patil told reporters. Pawar also sought time from the ECI to explain his side because there was no dispute but there has been some exchan

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All-party meeting in Mumbai on Monday to discuss Maratha quota: Ajit Pawar

An all-party meeting has been convened in Mumbai on Monday to discuss the Maratha quota issue, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said. Addressing a rally in Kolhapur city, nearly 380 km from Mumbai, on Sunday he said several people from the Maratha community were rich but many were poor and needed help. "While giving the reservation to the Maratha community, it must be ensured that Other Backward Classes are not affected. Only discussions and meetings will solve this issue," Ajit Pawar added. An all-party meeting is called in Mumbai on Monday to discuss the quota issue, he said. Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange has been on hunger strike for the last 13 days demanding Kunbi status, which effectively means OBC quota, for all Marathas. The rounds of talks between the state government and Jarange have remained inconclusive so far.

'EC to give stamp of approval to Ajit Pawar faction joining Maha govt'

NCP MP Sunil Tatkare, a loyalist of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, on Tuesday claimed the Election Commission of India (ECI) will give its "stamp of approval" to the decision of their faction to join the Maharashtra government. Our decision to join the state government will be favourably stamped by the ECI. This decision was taken by several top leaders of the Nationalist Congress Party. We have communicated our decision to the ECI as well as to the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Tatkare told reporters. He was responding to a query about the poll body's probable response on different stands taken by NCP founder Sharad Pawar and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar. Queried on the possibility of the Union government officially replacing the word India from the country's name with Bharat, Tatkare said, Since childhood, we have been giving slogans like 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'. It will be good to take an amicable stand over this issue. The opposition parties are unnecessarily creating an issue out of it. A

'INDIA vs NDA' as both alliances hold parallel meetings on Sep 1 in Mumbai

At the same time the NDA alliance in Maharashtra with new partner the Ajit Pawar led NCP faction is also scheduled to meet on the same date in Mumbai

Nobody permanent friend or foe in politics: Ajit Pawar at Beed rally

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar on Sunday said nobody is a permanent friend or foe in politics. Addressing a rally in Beed, nearly 390 km from Mumbai, Ajit Pawar said he was hopeful Prime Minister Narendra Modi's charisma will benefit Maharashtra which follows secular thoughts. Notably, Ajit Pawar's uncle and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar had addressed a rally in Beed ten days ago. "Nobody is permanent friend or foe in politics. This is politics," Ajit Pawar said as he thanked local leaders of Shiv Sena and BJP for welcoming him and other ministers of NCP. He said PM Modi's charisma is seen all over the country and hoped Maharashtra which follows secular thoughts will benefit from this charisma. It is our expectation that PM Modi's charisma would benefit Maharashtra and hence we all decided to join the (BJP-Shiv Sena) government for the benefit of the state. There is no self-interest behind our decision to join the government. Ther

Ajit holds show of strength in Sharad Pawar's bastion after split in NCP

Ajit Pawar holds show of strength in Sharad Pawar's bastion of Baramati after split in NCP

NCP questions Smriti Irani's silence over Muzaffarnagar school incident

The Sharad Pawar-led faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Saturday questioned Union minister Smriti Irani's "silence" over the incident in which a teacher in Uttar Pradesh allegedly asked her students to slap a boy from a minority community. Irani heads the Women and Child Development Ministry. The party also demanded a severe punishment against the teacher to ensure that such crimes against children do not take place again. The video shows the teacher of a private school in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar asking Class 2 students to slap their classmate from a minority community. She is also heard passing objectionable remarks against the community. The incident has triggered a nationwide outrage. "Treating a child like this is a crime that must be punished severely. This act by the teacher will scar that child's life and corrupt the minds of the kids who were forced to hit," NCP national spokesperson Clyde Crasto said in a statement. Calling the incident incident as .

Media misrepresented me, Ajit Pawar is not our leader: Sharad Pawar

"This is your (media's) fault. That was said by Supriya and it also appeared in newspapers. Given the kind of stand he has taken, he is not our leader," Pawar said

Sharad Pawar denies split, says Ajit Pawar continues to be leader of NCP

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Friday asserted that there was no split in the party and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar continues to be its leader. He also said that some leaders have left the NCP by taking a "different political stand", but it cannot be termed as a split. Pawar was talking to reporters at his hometown Baramati in Pune district, a day after his daughter and party's working president Supriya Sule said Ajit Pawar is a senior leader and MLA of the party. "Now, he (Ajit Pawar) has taken a stand that is against the party, and we have given a complaint to the assembly speaker and are awaiting his response," NCP's Baramati MP Sule told reporters on Thursday. When asked about Sule's statement that there is no split in NCP and Ajit Pawar was a leader of the party, Pawar senior said, "Yes, there is no question about it." "How can anybody say that there is a split in NCP? There's no question that Ajit Pawar is our party leader," he ...

Sharad Pawar won't make 'mistake' of joining hands with BJP: Sanjay Raut

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday claimed Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar will not make the "mistake" of joining hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party, like his nephew Ajit Pawar. NCP leader Ajit Pawar joined the Eknath Shinde-BJP government in Maharashtra last month as the deputy chief minister. Eight other NCP MLAs also took oath as cabinet ministers along with him. Sharad Pawar's party is a constituent of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi in the state along with the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress. "Ajit Pawar can truly be a big leader if he forms his own political party and contests elections. Ajit Pawar's politics will collapse like a sand castle if he does the same with help of the BJP, like Eknath Shinde did. In politics, towers matter and not sand castles," Raut wrote in his weekly column Rokhthok in the Sena (UBT) mouthpiece 'Saamana'. Ajit Pawar grew politically because of his uncle and is now working to finish off his (uncle's) political career

LoP claims reshuffle in Maharashtra govt, main seat will change; BJP denies

Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra assembly Vijay Wadettiwar on Saturday claimed there will be major changes in the state government, including the main seat, in the coming weeks. BJP state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule, however, differed. He asserted Eknath Shinde will continue to be the chief minister till the assembly elections in Maharashtra next year. The BJP, Shinde-led Shiv Sena and an NCP faction under Ajit Pawar are the ruling partners in the Maharashtra government. Ajit Pawar broke away from the Sharad Pawar-founded NCP and joined the government last month. Speaking to reporters here, Wadettiwar said Maharashtra will witness major changes in the state government in a few weeks. There will be a change in the main seat. I'm not saying that there will be a change of government, but the main seat will change in September, said the senior Congress leader. After joining hands with the ruling dispensation last month, Ajit Pawar became the second deputy CM, while 8 of his

Sharad Pawar not joining NDA, says NCP's Jitendra Awhad amid speculations

Amid media reports of Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar offered Sharad Pawar a berth in Union Cabinet

'Secret meetings' between Pawars a matter of concern: Maharashtra Congress

Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole has said they not approve of meetings taking place "secretly" between NCP chief Sharad Pawar and state Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and that it is a matter of concern for his party. Sharad Pawar is part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance of Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and NCP, while his nephew Ajit Pawar split the NCP last month to join the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena-BJP government. Asked by reporters on Tuesday about Pawar senior meeting his nephew in Pune on Saturday, Patole said, It is a matter of concern for us and we do not approve of the meetings taking place between the Pawars secretly." "However, this matter will be discussed by the top Congress leaders. The (opposition) INDIA alliance will also discuss it, so it would not be appropriate for me to discuss it further, he said. Patole said the Congress has decided to join hands with everyone who is willing to oppose the BJP. "There is no grain of truth in the speculation tha

'Secret meetings' between Pawars is matter of concern: Maharashtra Congress

Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole on Tuesday said it was a matter of concern for his party that NCP chief Sharad Pawar and state deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar were meeting secretly. Sharad Pawar is part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance of Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and NCP, while his nephew Ajit Pawar split the Nationalist Congress Party last month to join the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena-BJP government. Asked by reporters about Pawar senior meeting Ajit in Pune on Saturday, Patole said, It is a matter of concern for us and we do not approve of the meetings taking place between the Pawars secretly. However, this matter will be discussed by the top leaders of the Congress. The INDIA alliance will also discuss it, so it would not be appropriate for me to discuss it further. The Congress has decided to join hands with everyone who is willing to oppose the BJP. There is no grain of truth in the speculation that Congress is thinking of contesting Lok Sabha elections without .

Maha: No need to read too much into meeting with Sharad Pawar, says Ajit

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Tuesday said nothing much happened during his meeting with his uncle and NCP chief Sharad Pawar in Pune last week. Speaking to reporters in Kolhapur, he said there was no need to think too much about the meeting. "Pawar Saheb (Sharad Pawar) has already clarified. The media is giving different kinds of publicity to a meeting that took place between family members, leading to confusion. There is no reason to think that anything unusual transpired at the meeting," he said. On Saturday, political circles were abuzz after a "secret" meeting took place between Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar at a businessman's residence in Pune. Senior Nationalist Congress Party leader Jayant Patil was also present. Asked about him leaving the premises 'hiding' in a car, Ajit Pawar said he was not there in the car. "I did not leave surreptitiously. I am someone who roams around openly. There was no reason for me to hide....I was not there in that car," he ..