Page 17 - Ajit Pawar

IAS retire at 60, BJP leaders at 75, you are 83: Ajit Pawar jibes at uncle

Surrounded by party workers, including 32 of NCP's 53 MLAs, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Wednesday reminded his 83-year-old uncle Sharad Pawar that it was time for him to retire. "In BJP, leaders retire at 75, when are you going to stop, Ajit Pawar said, speaking at the meeting convened by him in suburban Bandra as a show of strength. Everybody has his innings. The most productive years are from 25 to 75 years, 63-year-old Ajit Pawar said. He also blamed Sharad Pawar for NCP losing out on the chance to have a chief minister in 2004. We had more MLAs than Congress in 2004, but our senior leader allowed Congress to bag the CM's post, he said. For us, Saheb (Sharad Pawar) is a deity and we have deep respect for him, he said. IAS officers retire at 60. Even in politics, BJP leaders retire at 75. You can see the example of L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, Ajit Pawar said. You are 83, aren't you going to stop? Give us your blessings and we will pray that you live

Decision to join Maha govt taken after consideration: Chhagan Bhujbal

Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal, belonging to the Nationalist Congress Party's Ajit Pawar camp, on Wednesday said they took the decision of joining the Eknath Shinde-BJP government in Maharashtra after "proper consideration". On Sunday, Ajit Pawar led a vertical split in the NCP to become deputy chief minister in the Shiv Sena-BJP government. Eight other NCP MLAs, including Bhujbal, were sworn in as ministers in the Shinde cabinet. Speaking to a news channel, Bhujbal said, We have taken the decision to join the Maharashtra government after proper consideration. If he (NCP chief Sharad Pawar) has a long career of 57-58 years in politics, I have also spent 56 years in the same field." "Our decision did not happen like we woke up one morning and joined the government," he added. Asked about the Sharad Pawar camp filing a "caveat" before the Election Commission of India, requesting it not to take any decision on a plea from Ajit Pawar faction before hearing the former's side, ...

Ajit Pawar vs Sharad Pawar: Separate NCP meeting called to find 'real NCP'

Today's meeting may shed light on which faction has the majority support and determine which is the "real NCP" amid Maharashtra's ongoing political crisis

Ajit Pawar ahead in numbers game; 35 of 53 NCP MLAs attend his meeting

As many as 35 of 53 NCP MLAs were present at the party meeting convened by Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar in Mumbai on Wednesday, party sources said. The number will increase further, the sources said. Five of eight NCP MLCs are also attending the meeting taking place in suburban Bandra, they said. According to former principal secretary of Maharashtra Legislature Anant Kalse, Ajit Pawar camp needs the support of at least 36 MLAs to avoid disqualification. NCP chief Sharad Pawar's supporters thronged his residence in south Mumbai on Wednesday, hours ahead of the show of strength meetings convened by him and Ajit Pawar who parted ways to become the deputy chief minister. The Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar factions of the Nationalist Congress Party are holding their meetings in Yashwantrao Chavan Centre in south Mumbai and in Bhujbal Knowledge City in suburban Bandra, respectively. Outside Silver Oak, the senior Pawar's residence in south Mumbai, a party worker was seen .

TMS Ep469: JioBharat phone, Ajit Pawar's switch, durable stocks, NLMC

Will the Rs 999 JioBharat 4G phone disrupt the market? Has Ajit Pawar's switch dented opposition unity? How will poor sales impact durable stocks? What's National Land Monetisation Corp? Answers here

NCP led by Sharad Pawar issues whip to all MLAs for July 5 meet in Mumbai

The Ajit Pawar group will also hold a separate meeting in Mumbai on Wednesday

Ajit Pawar vs Sharad Pawar: NCP factions fight over control over party

After a series of firings and re-appointments, Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar are preparing to have meetings with respective factions on Wednesday to determine how much support each side has

Ajit Pawar-led group has no right to sack me as Maha NCP president: Patil

Maharashtra NCP president Jayant Patil on Tuesday said the group led by Ajit Pawar has no right to remove him from the post. He also claimed that all MLAs of NCP (total 53) are with the party chief Sharad Pawar. A day earlier, the Ajit Pawar camp appointed Sunil Tatkare as the Maharashtra NCP president in place of Jayant Patil. It also asked the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker to disqualify Jayant Patil and Jitendra Awhad from membership of the House. Hours before Jayant Patil was replaced by the Ajit Pawar camp, NCP chief Sharad Pawar had removed the party's working president Praful Patel and general secretary Tatkare for engaging in "anti-party activities. The action was taken against Patel and Tatkare after they attended the swearing-in ceremony of Ajit Pawar who took oath as deputy chief minister in the Shiv Sena-BJP cabinet on Sunday, while eight NCP MLAs joined as ministers. "The faction led by (Ajit Pawar) is a 'Notionalist' Party. They have no right to remove me from the post

Deputy CM Ajit Pawar to inaugurate new NCP party office in Mumbai

Ajit Pawar has been unanimously elected as the leader of the legislature party. We have informed Maharashtra Assembly Speaker about our decision

Maharashtra shake-up: Sibal accuses BJP of toppling Opposition govts

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Tuesday accused the BJP of toppling Opposition governments in states such as Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra in the last few years, and said it was "over to the Supreme Court" to act on the trend. The remarks by Sibal, a noted advocate, came after NCP leader Ajit Pawar and eight others were inducted into the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government. Ajit Pawar pulled off a stunning revolt in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Sunday, triggering a vertical split, and joined hands with the ruling Shiv Sena-BJP alliance in Maharashtra to become the deputy chief minister. In a tweet, Sibal said, "The BJP: Toppled by inducement of office and otherwise the following elected opposition governments: Uttarakhand (2016); Arunachal Pradesh (2016); Karnataka (2019); Madhya Pradesh (2020); Maharashtra (2022)." "The law now permits it? Over to the Supreme Court!" the independent Rajya Sabha MP said. Sibal on Monday had also taken a swipe at the BJP

Maharashtra Cong convenes meeting, discussion on Oppn leader's post likely

Maharashtra Congress has convened a meeting of its legislators on Tuesday where the issue of staking claim to the post of Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly may come up for discussion, a party leader said. All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary HK Patil will attend the meeting. The post of Leader of Opposition (LoP) fell vacant after Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar resigned on Friday. He joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government on Sunday as deputy chief minister while eight other NCP MLAs took oath as ministers. Notably, the NCP, led by Sharad Pawar, has appointed MLA Jitendra Awhad as the LoP. Sharad Pawar on Monday said the Congress, a constituent of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, was justified in claiming the post of LoP. "The Congress has convened a meeting of its legislators on Tuesday where deliberations are likely to be held on staking claim to the position of Leader of Opposition," Congress Legislature Party leader Balasaheb Thorat said on Monday. Thorat cl

Yet to ascertain whether NCP in govt or Oppn: Maharashtra Assembly Speaker

Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar has said he is yet to ascertain whether the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is a part of the Shiv Sena-BJP government or is still in the Opposition. On Sunday, senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar led a vertical split in the party to become deputy chief minister in the one-year-old Shiv Sena-BJP government, shocking his uncle Sharad Pawar, who founded the outfit 24 years ago after quitting the Congress. Besides Ajit Pawar, eight other NCP MLAs, including Chhagan Bhujbal and Hasan Mushrif, were sworn in as ministers in the Shinde cabinet. Speaking to reporters here on Monday, Narwekar said his office has not yet received any petition mentioning about a split in the party. I am yet to ascertain whether the NCP is a part of the state government or is still in the Opposition bloc. I will go through the details available before me and take a call on it," he said. Ajit Pawar was the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly before he took oath

It's a valid demand if Congress asks LoP position, says Sharad Pawar

'Many from there (Ajit Pawar's side) called me and said most of them are still with the original ideology/policies of the NCP and they will declare their stand at the right time,' Pawar said

NCP disqualifies nine MLAs, Ajit Pawar says Sharad Pawar still party chief

The dramatic turn of events continued further as Sharad Pawar removed party vice president Praful Patel and MP Sunil Tatkare from the party for indulging in anti-party activities

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LIVE updates: Maharashtra government reaches 200 MLAs in 51 years

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Ajit Pawar joined us as he supports development, trusts Modi leadership: CM

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday said NCP leader Ajit Pawar has joined his government to support the state's development and express his faith in the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On Sunday, Ajit Pawar led a vertical split in the NCP to become deputy chief minister in the one-year-old Shiv Sena-BJP government, shocking his uncle Sharad Pawar, who founded the party 24 years ago after quitting the Congress. Besides him, eight other NCP MLAs, including Chhagan Bhujbal and Hasan Mushrif, were sworn in as ministers in the Shinde cabinet. Talking to reporters here, Shinde said his new deputy Ajit Pawar has chosen the path of development and expressed his faith in the leadership of Modi. "We, too, are walking on the same path," said Shinde, who himself spearheaded a rebellion against the leadership of the undivided Shiv Sena last year, leading to the collapse of the three-party Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government headed by Uddhav Thackeray. Addressing a ...

NCP workers visit party office in Mumbai to extend support to Sharad Pawar

A day after NCP stalwart Ajit Pawar joined the Maharashtra government as deputy chief minister with some senior leaders, several workers of the party visited its south Mumbai office and extended their support to patriarch Sharad Pawar. Ajit Pawar, however, has asked his colleagues to refrain from making any public statements. Several NCP leaders and workers from districts and tehsils neighbouring Mumbai rushed to the party office to extend their support to the Pawar senior. Former state home minister Anil Deshmukh and several others have posted their pictures with Sharad Pawar on social media with the tagline: Saheb, always with you. Meanwhile, NCP state unit president Jayant Patil has suspended party general secretary Shivajirao Garje who attended the swearing-in ceremony of Ajit Pawar on Sunday. NCP Lok Sabha member from Shirur, Amol Kolhe, who was present at Raj Bhavan a day earlier, on Monday returned to the Pawar camp. Sometimes the head makes a mistake, but the heart never,

Patel appoints Tatkare as NCP chief, Ajit Pawar as legislature party leader

Soon after being removed as NCP working president, Praful Patel on Monday evening announced the appointment of Lok Sabha MP Sunil Tatkare as the party's state unit chief, replacing Jayant Patil, and Maharashtra deputy CM Ajit Pawar as its legislature wing leader. Earlier, NCP president Sharad Pawar sacked Patel and Tatkare, both MPs who have sided with Ajit Pawar in his rebellion, from the party. The former Union agriculture minister, in a tweet, said, "I, as the National President, of Nationalist Congress Party hereby order the removal of the names of Shri Sunil Tatkare and Shri Praful Patel from the Register of Members of NCP Party for anti-party activities." Patel, a Rajya Sabha MP who was named NCP working president last month, told a press conference here he had informed Patil to hand over the charge to Tatkare. Patel said Ajit Pawar will be the NCP's legislature party leader. "Today (Monday) is Guru Purnima; we all wish that Sharad Pawar continues to bless us," said Patel.

Nationalist Student Congress removes Praful Patel photo frame from office

NSC, the student wing of the Nationalist Congress, removed photos of the MLAs that left the NCP with Ajit Pawar