Page 22 - Ajit Pawar

Friction arose with Prithviraj Chavan as he had no experience: Ajit Pawar

Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar said on Friday that the reason for the discord between him and then Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan was that the latter had no experience of the state's politics. Pawar was deputy chief minister when Chavan headed the Congress-NCP alliance government between 2010 and 2014. Asked about the talk of discord between him and Chavan during an interview at an event organised by the Lokmat media group here, Pawar said Chavan had never worked even as an MLA in the state as he was mostly based in Delhi. "Prithviraj Chavan had never worked as an MLA here. He was not aware of what kind of treatment we had received from people in the power....He had no experience of the state cabinet," the NCP leader said. "He had been working in the PMO and there is a difference between the state politics and politics in Delhi," Pawar added. Chavan, who was a minister in the Manmohan Singh government, became chief minister after Ashok Chavan resigned .

Never insulted any national icon, says Ajit Pawar on Sambhaji controversy

Senior Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar on Wednesday asserted that he has never insulted any national icon, and accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders of doing so and not apologising for it. Pawar said he supports the use of the epithet "Swarajya-rakshak" (protector of Swarajya -- the independent Maratha state) for Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, the son of the founder of the Maratha empire Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, as it does justice to his accomplishments. Pawar, the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, said he holds Chhatrapati Sambhaji in high regard. "I have never spoken against any national icon....The BJP has been orchestrating protests against me," he alleged. "The Maharashtra governor (Bhagat Singh Koshyari) has made remarks against national icons, so have many BJP MLAs and leaders. They have not even apologised for their remarks," he said. Pawar said he had used the term "Swarajya-rakshak" even while presenting the state budget as Finance

CM avoided replying to main issues raised during winter session: Ajit Pawar

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde did not even touch upon the important issues raised in the legislature, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Ajit Pawar said on Friday on the last day of the winter session here. The session of the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council, which had started on December 19, came to an end on Friday. Pawar said at a press conference that opposition had demanded the resignation of four 'tainted' ministers. The government shielded ministers Abdul Sattar and Sanjay Rathod who have faced strictures from the High Court in separate cases, he said. "The government did not take action or provide satisfactory reply on the issue," the Nationalist Congress Party leader said. "Similarly, we had demanded the removal of Maharashtra Governor (Bhagat Singh Koshyari) over his comments insulting the icons of Maharashtra," he said, claiming that the government did not give a proper reply. Chief minister Shinde's reply on the 'last week's resolution' on ...

NCP's Ajit Pawar accuses govt of fiscal indiscipline, targets Fadnavis

Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Ajit Pawar on Tuesday accused the state government of financial indiscipline after it tabled a more than Rs 52,000 crore supplementary demand last week. He also pointed out that the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party government does not have a single woman minister. You have breached fiscal discipline, Pawar said, noting that when he was finance minister in the previous Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP and Congress government, he had presented a budget of Rs 5,60,000 crore in March 2022. The Eknath Shinde government came to power in June. Devendra Fadnavis, his successor in the finance ministry, presented his first supplementary demand of Rs 25,000 crore in an earlier session and the second demand of record Rs 52,000 crore last week, Pawar pointed out. If a third demand is tabled, the total could go up to Rs 1 lakh crore or around 20 per cent of the original budget tabled in March, he said. You (Fadnavis) keep ...

Uddhav Thackeray to attend Maharashtra winter session, says Ajit Pawar

Former Maharashtra chief minister and MLC Uddhav Thackeray will attend the winter session of the state legislature beginning here on Monday, opposition leader Ajit Pawar said. Thackeray, who heads the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) faction, had not attended the monsoon session of the state legislature held in Mumbai. Uddhav Thackeray will be present for the winter session (of the Maharashtra legislature), Pawar said while responding to a query from reporters. Interestingly, after announcing his decision to quit as the chief minister in June this year, Thackeray said he would also resign as a member of the Upper House of the state legislature. The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by Thackeray collapsed following a rebellion led by Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde and several MLAs against the party leadership. Subsequently, Shinde took oath as the chief minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Devendra Fadnavis as his deputy.

Oppn to target Maha govt over investment loss in winter session: Ajit Pawar

The Opposition will corner the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government over agrarian distress and the state losing investment projects in the winter session of the legislature beginning here on Monday, opposition leader Ajit Pawar said on Sunday. Pawar also said the Opposition has unanimously decided to boycott the customary tea party to be hosted by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde later in the day. Other issues like remarks by state Governor B S Koshyari on Shivaji Maharaj and the simmering border row with Karnataka are also likely to dominate the winter session. "The Opposition will target the government over big-ticket investment projects preferring other states over Maharashtra and the agrarian distress," Pawar, the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, told a press conference here. Pawar's counterpart in the Legislative Council, Ambadas Danve (Shiv Sena UBT), senior leaders of the Nationalist Congress Party and state Congress president Nana Patole were also present. Pawar said

Talks with Amit Shah on border dispute should be made public: Ajit Pawar

Maharashtra Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar on Saturday said that Karnataka and Maharashtra CMs' talks with Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the border issue should be made public

Maharashtra Oppn to stage protest on Dec 17 regarding border row and more

He said that all like-minded parties have agreed upon the agenda of the protest rally and would like to request people to join us in large numbers

Governor Koshyari wants to leave Maha amid Shivaji remark row: Ajit Pawar

Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari had told him that he wanted to be relieved of his post, Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar claimed on Wednesday. While expressing disapproval about Koshyari's recent remarks about Shivaji Maharaj, he also wondered if Koshyari was making such controversial statements only to force the Union government to shift him out of Maharashtra. Pawar was replying to a reporter's question about Koshyari's recent 'controversial' remark where he called Shivaji Maharaj an "icon of olden times". Many times when I visited governor Koshyari at Raj Bhavan, he told me in as many words that he wanted to leave the state, Pawar said. I even asked him to convey this to his seniors so that they consider his wish, said the Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly. "He should not have said such things," Pawar said, referring to the remark about Shivaji Maharaj. When a government official is posted in some position against his or her wishes, they

Ajit Pawar flays Maharashtra government for losing major projects

Maharashtra's former Deputy Chief Minister and currently the leader of opposition Ajit Pawar criticised the Shinde-Fadnavis government after the state lost the Tata Airbus project to Gujarat

Farmers facing crisis due to 'wet drought' in Maharashtra: Ajit Pawar

Senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar on Wednesday said farmers in Maharashtra were facing a crisis after suffering crop losses due to the "wet drought" caused by heavy rains in parts of the state. Pawar also said he met Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis before Diwali and told them that the "situation has gone out of hand". The former deputy CM was speaking on the occasion of the Pawar family's Diwali celebration at their residence 'Govindbaug' in Baramati town of Pune district. A number of people and party workers came there to greet NCP chief Sharad Pawar, his daughter and Lok Sabha member from Baramati Supriya Sule and other family members on Diwali. Asked about 'wet drought', Ajit Pawar said, "Everything is messed up due to the wet drought. Before Diwali, I met the chief minister and deputy chief minister and informed them that the situation has gone out of hand and the farmers are in trouble." The kharif and rabi crops were damaged and farmers w

Wanted home ministry, but NCP 'seniors' said no: Ajit Pawar says in 'jest'

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar on Friday in a lighter vein said twice he became deputy chief minister of Maharashtra and on both occasions, wanted the home portfolio, but "seniors" in his party thought if he gets the key ministry, he would not listen to them. The Leader of Opposition in the Assembly made the comments during a meeting of the NCP's Pune unit where a functionary remarked that when the party becomes part of a government in the future, he (Pawar) should become home minister. "Last time, when I was made deputy chief minister, that time 'I told that make me home minister'. But seniors thought if the home minister's position was given to me, I would not listen to them," he said jokingly. Pawar said after Anil Deshmukh resigned as home minister in April last year, he once again asked the party to give him the home ministry, but he did not get the portfolio. Speaking to reporters later, the senior NCP leader clarified he had made the remarks about eyeing

What an uncle can teach his nephew

There is much to be said about Sharad Pawar's ability to be comfortable in his own skin and there are lessons in it for his nephew Ajit Pawar

Terror threat received by Mumbai cops should be taken seriously: Ajit Pawar

Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar on Saturday said the messages received by the Mumbai police threatening a "26/11-like attack" should be taken seriously, and added that central agencies need to look into the matter. Speaking to reporters at the airport here, the Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly said in the state police department is a very able force in such situations. The Mumbai police's traffic wing received several text messages on its helpline number, which threatened that a "26/11-like" attack will be carried out in the city by six persons and "preparations are on to blow up" the metropolis. "The state government should take this threat seriously and our police are very able in such situations. But central agencies should also look into the matter," Pawar said. Whenever such threats are received by any state, the central and all other agencies should look into them, he said. Meanwhile, criticising Chief Minister Eknath Sh

Ajit Pawar slams Shinde-led Maha govt on farmer suicides, flood situation

Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly Ajit Pawar claimed that as many as 137 farmers have died by suicide in the state since the Eknath Shinde-led government came to power

Maharashtra: Ajit Pawar slams induction of tainted ministers in Shinde govt

Several tainted ministers were inducted in the state govt. Many have not liked this decision. Even some persons in the Shinde-Fadnavis govt have not liked the decision to induct these persons, he said

Why does ED want to investigate Sena's Sanjay Raut repeatedly: Ajit Pawar

Congress spokesman Sachin Sawant said ED conducting a search at Raut's residence in Mumbai depicts a "sorry picture" of democracy and alleged that the BJP wants to "silence" all the Opposition parties

Declare 'wet drought' in flood affected regions of Maharashtra: Ajit Pawar

The leader of opposition in Maharashtra Assembly, Ajit Pawar, on Thursday demanded that a "wet drought" be declared in the rain-affected districts of the state

Maharashtra: Reduction in VAT on petrol 'meagre', says Ajit Pawar

Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly Ajit Pawar on Thursday poohpoohed the reduction in Value Added Tax (VAT) on petrol and diesel in the state, saying it was too small.

NCP's Ajit Pawar to be Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly

NCP leader Ajit Pawar was on Monday named the leader of opposition in Maharashtra Assembly. He succeeds BJP's Devendra Fadnavis, who was sworn in as Deputy CM on June 30. Speaker Rahul Narvekar announced that Pawar will take over as Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, adding NCP has emerged as the single largest opposition party in the 288-member House. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde described Ajit Pawar as a mature politicians and administrator.