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Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Chhagan Bhujbal on Monday expressed his disappointment at not being included in the new Mahayuti government and said he would decide his future course after talking to people from his constituency. Thirty-nine legislators from Mahayuti allies, the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP, were sworn in on Sunday in the first cabinet expansion of the Devendra Fadnavis-led government. Ten former ministers were dropped from the cabinet, and 16 new faces have been introduced. Former ministers Bhujbal and Dilip Walse Patil of NCP and Mungantiwar and Vijaykumar Gavit of BJP were some of the prominent leaders excluded from the new cabinet. Talking to reporters, Bhujbal said he was upset at not being included in the new cabinet. Asked about his future course, the legislator from the Yeola constituency in Nashik district said, "Let me see. Let me think it over. I will talk to my constituency and discuss with the Samata Parishad.' After the cabinet expansion on
NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday said the people of Maharashtra want a change and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will work towards giving them that alternative after the upcoming state assembly polls. Pawar also backed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's demand for a caste census in the country. The former Union minister was speaking to reporters at the Nagpur airport ahead of his public meetings here in connection with the November 20 state assembly polls. The MVA comprises the NCP (SP), Congress and Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT). Talking about his campaigning, Pawar said, "We feel that the people of Maharashtra want a change and we need to work towards giving them confidence. And working towards that, me and all my associates are reaching out to the people across Maharashtra from today." Rahul Gandhi, during his visit to Nagpur on Wednesday, said a caste-based census will happen and that his party will also "break the wall of 50 per cent" reservation limit. Asked
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
Police have launched a probe into the killing of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique from different angles, including a possible contract killing, business rivalry or threat over a slum rehabilitation project, officials said on Sunday. The body of NCP leader Siddique (66), who was shot dead by three assailants in Mumbai on Saturday night, was shifted from Lilavati Hospital to Cooper Hospital around 6 am on Sunday for postmortem, an official said. The shocking incident has prompted the opposition to question the law and order situation in the state where the assembly elections are expected to be held next month. Baba Siddique was waylaid by three men at Kher Nagar in Mumbai's Bandra area just outside his MLA son Zeeshan Siddique's office and shot at. He was shifted to the Lilavati Hospital's emergency medical services at 9.30 pm in an unresponsive condition with no pulse, no cardiac activity, no blood pressure, and with a history of gunshot wounds on the chest, officials from
NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) MP Supriya Sule on Monday said she was not surprised that the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) did not get a berth in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's new cabinet. Speaking to reporters here on the 25th foundation day of the NCP, founded by her father, the Baramati MP said as the NDA holds its first cabinet meeting, it should grant full loan waiver for farmers.. "During the UPA regime, the NCP worked as an ally in the Manmohan Singh government. Manmohan ji showed trust and love towards Pawar saheb, and he got two and a half cabinet berths although the party had only eight or nine MPs at the time," she said. The Congress did not think about numbers and respected the party as its ally, she said. "In the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government also, everyone treated each other with respect. We did not stick to any formula. Our relationship was based on mutual respect and merit," Sule said. The MP said she was not surprised that the NCP did not get a