Ncp

Local body polls: BJP, NCP hold talks over possible alliance in Nashik

Ahead of the local body polls in Maharashtra, former NCP MP Sameer Bhujbal held discussions with Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan in Nashik on Monday. The meeting was seen as part of the ongoing efforts between the ruling BJP and NCP to explore seat-sharing and coordination for the local self-government polls scheduled next month, sources said. The two leaders held detailed discussions on the political situation in Yeola constituency and preparations for the elections to the Yeola Municipal Council, Nandgaon, and Manmad civic bodies. Elections in 246 municipal councils and 42 nagar panchayats in Maharashtra will take place on December 2. Earlier, on Saturday, BJP's Nashik district election in-charge and MLA Dr Rahul Aher met Sameer Bhujbal at the latter's office in Yeola. BJP's district president Yatin Kadam, youth district president Sameer Samdadiya, former Manmad municipal president Ganesh Dhatrak and others were present during the meeting, sources said. Both parties are lik

Caste bias row: NCP's Rohit Pawar seeks removal of Pune college principal

NCP (SP) general secretary Rohit Pawar has demanded that the Maharashtra government remove a Pune college principal from its youth and sports policy committee, following allegations of caste bias by a former Dalit student. The former BBA student alleged caste bias and claimed the Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce had withheld his job verification, a charge denied by the institution which clarified that it had sent the document to his UK-based employer and he had not lost his job. The college has refuted the allegations of caste discrimination, calling them baseless. Pawar has, however, accused the college of showing "Manuvadi" ideology and demanded the removal of its principal Nivedita Ekbote from the state government's core committee to frame policies for youth and sports. "If there are individuals with Manuvadi ideologies as well as those harbouring casteist grudges in the committee that formulates the state's sports and youth policy, then what will be the future of th

GR on Maratha quota is injustice to OBC community, says NCP's Anil Deshmukh

Senior NCP (SP) leader and former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh on Tuesday claimed that the recent GR issued by the state government on reservations to the Marathas is an injustice to the Other Backward Class (OBC) community. Speaking at a press conference, Deshmukh said nobody is against giving reservations to the Marathas, but it should not affect the OBC quota. The OBC community has grown restless after the state social justice and special assistance department issued the GR on implementing the Hyderabad gazette, which will allow eligible members of the Maratha community to apply for Kunbi caste certificates. This will enable them to claim quota under the OBC category after certificates are issued. The GR was issued after the state cabinet sub-committee on Maratha reservation successfully persuaded quota activist Manoj Jarange to withdraw his hunger strike in Mumbai on September 2. "The GR on Maratha reservation is an injustice to the OBC community. Nobody is against .

Four killed in violent clashes at political rally in Bangabandhu's hometown

At least four people were killed in clashes over a rally organised by the National Citizen Party (NCP) on Wednesday in Gopalganj, the hometown of Bangladesh's founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, according to media reports. The hometown of Rahman, also known as Bangabandhu, turned into a virtual battlefield as hundreds of supporters of his daughter and deposed premier Sheikh Hasina clashed with police, ahead of the planned march of student-led NCP, Prothom Alo newspaper reported. Three of the deceased were identified as Dipto Saha (25), Ramazan Kazi (18) and Sohel Molla (41), the paper said. The deceased were brought to Gopalganj General Hospital with gunshot injuries, doctors said, adding that nine more people were being treated at the facility with bullet wounds. Four extra platoons (nearly 200 soldiers) of the paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were rushed to Gopalganj as authorities vowed stern action against those who carried out attacks on the NCP. Chief Adviser Muhammad .

Oppn targets Maha govt over Thane tunnel project, alleges ₹3,000 cr scam

Opposition legislators on Wednesday staged a protest at the Maharashtra legislature complex accusing the BJP-led government of favouring a private firm for a major tunnel project in Thane, and alleged that it involved a Rs 3,000 crore scam. The tender process for the Thane-Borivali twin tunnel project was cancelled by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) in May after the L&T, which had been disqualified, moved the Supreme Court. Standing on the steps of the Vidhan Bhavan complex here, MLAs and MLCs of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) shouted slogans and claimed that the government cancelled the contract only because it feared action by the Supreme Court. The monsoon session of the state assembly and legislative council is underway since Monday. Among those who took part in the protest were Leader of Opposition in the council Ambadas Danve (Shiv Sena UBT), Satej Patil of Congress, and NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil. "Despite serious concerns being raised about ..

Supreme Court to hear Shiv Sena (UBT) plea over party symbol on July 14

The Uddhav Thackeray-led faction on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court for an urgent hearing on its plea over the contentious Shiv Sena symbol in wake of the upcoming local body elections in Maharashtra. The matter was mentioned before a bench of Justices M M Sundresh and K Vinod Chandran which agreed to list it on July 14. The counsel for the Shiv Sena (UBT) informed the bench that local body polls were likely to be notified soon in the state. The counsel appearing for the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction said a similar request was made on May 7 before a bench headed by Justice Surya Kant, also hearing the symbol row matter, and it was rejected. The Shiv Sena (UBT) counsel argued that Justice Kant-led bench had said the matter could be mentioned during the top court's partial court working days. He argued the matter raised the "question of peoples' choice". He said the plea seeks an interim arrangement similar to the one directed by the apex court in the Nationalist Congress P

MVA constituents will deliberate on contesting civic polls together: Pawar

NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Friday said that the constituents of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will deliberate on contesting the upcoming civic elections in Maharashtra together. As the Supreme Court has directed that municipal elections be conducted in the state, the process will begin soon, Pawar told reporters in Baramati. Though we have not yet held discussions with the Congress, our party, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), the Shetkari Kamgar Paksh, and other parties will come together and explore the possibility of contesting the polls together. A final decision will be taken, as we wish to fight the polls together, he said. Asked whether the MVA would jointly contest the civic polls in Mumbai, he said no such discussion has taken place so far. Among us, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) has a strong base in Mumbai, and their opinion will be taken into consideration, he added. The Bal Thackeray-founded undivided Shiv Sena had controlled the cash-rich Brihanmum

Ajit Pawar returns to sugar mill polls after 40 years in 3-way contest

More than four decades after he last contested cooperative sugar mill polls, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar is back in the fray as one of 90 candidates for Malegaon Cooperative Sugar Mill elections in Pune's Baramati. His party functionaries said Pawar had last contested sugar mill polls in 1984, going on to serve on the board of directors of Chhatrapati Cooperative Sugar Mill. Elections to the 21-member board of directors of Malegaon Cooperative Sugar Mill, currently led by the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, will be held on June 22, with results to be announced the following day, they added. Ajit Pawar-led Nilkantheshwar Panel is currently in power at Malegaon Cooperative Sugar Mill. It had defeated Chandrarao Tawre's Sahakar Bachav panel in 2019. Tawre, a known name in the co-operative sector, was once considered close to Sharad Pawar but later parted ways. Besides Nilkantheshwar Panel and Sahakar Bachav panel, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) too has fielded 'Baliraja Sahakar ..

Never expected it when party was founded in 1999: Pawar on NCP split

NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday said they never thought the Nationalist Congress Party, co-founded by him 26 years ago, would suffer a split and appreciated workers of his outfit for taking it ahead despite challenges. Pawar was speaking here at an event marking the 26th foundation day of the NCP, which split in 2023. "...the party faced some challenges, but you, without getting discouraged, continue to take the party ahead. A split took place in the party. We never thought that a split would take place in the party but it happened," he said. "Some people went with other ideologies and this split widened. I do not want to talk about it today. But those who remained loyal to the party, it was because of our party's ideology," Pawar said. A different picture will prevail in the coming elections, he added. The NCP split in July 2023 after Sharad Pawar's nephew Ajit Pawar joined the then Shiv Sena-BJP coalition government. The party name and its clock symbol was given to the A

No merger talks: Anil Deshmukh denies rumours after Sharad-Ajit Pawar meet

Anil Deshmukh's statement comes a day after Sharad Pawar met his estranged nephew Ajit Pawar in Pune

All 7 NCP MLAs in Nagaland join NDPP, giving CM Rio absolute majority

With this merger, the NDPP's tally increased from 25 to 32. NCP emerged as the third-largest party in the 2023 assembly elections, after the NDPP and its ally BJP, which won 12 seats

Unprecedented May rains in three Pune tehsils, says Dy CM Ajit Pawar

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar visited Baramati tehsil in Pune district on Monday to take stock of the rains, which he said were "unprecedented" for May. Heavy rains lashed Baramati, Indapur and Daunda tehsils on Sunday, prompting the National Disaster Response Force to deploy two specialised teams on the urgent request of the district collector. The May rain recorded in the three tehsils are unprecedented in the last 50 years, Pawar said while carrying out an inspection of affected areas with Collector Jitendra Dudi. "The average rainfall of these three tehsils was around 14 inches for the entire monsoon season but yesterday, in Shetfalgadhe in Indapur tehsil, 13 inches rainfall was recorded in a few hours. The havoc was due to such heavy rains and then a breach at Nira canal near Nimtek in Baramati tehsil. The IMD has issued a red alert for this region on May 28," said Pawar. During the inspection, the team is assessing damage to crops and houses, the NCP leader ...

Pawar, Thackeray brands can't be wiped out from Maharashtra politics: Raj

Raj Thackeray has said that efforts to erase Pawar and Thackeray names from Maharashtra politics will fail. He also hinted at unity with Uddhav, stressing Marathi pride over political differences

Chhagan Bhujbal's rise from OBC roots to Maharashtra cabinet again

The veteran NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal's return to power marks a strategic move amid OBC-Maratha tensions, caste census politics, and his own turbulent but enduring career in Maharashtra

CM Fadnavis expands ministry, NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal inducted

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday expanded his five month-old cabinet, with the induction of NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal as a minister. Bhujbal, 77, was sworn in by Maharashtra Governor C P Radhakrishnan at Raj Bhavan. Bhujbal, who has had a distinguished and eventful political career spanning several decades, was not included when Fadnavis first expanded his cabinet in December last year. At the time, his exclusion from the cabinet had drawn public disappointment from the seasoned leader, a prominent OBC face in the state. His inclusion in the cabinet follows the resignation of Dhananjay Munde, a fellow NCP heavyweight who stepped down as the food, civil supplies and consumer protection minister in March after the arrest of his close aide Walmik Karad in sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh murder case.

NCP (SP) leader Patil seeks relief for farmers hit by unseasonal rain

Maharashtra NCP (SP) president Jayant Patil on Saturday expressed concern over farmers facing losses due to unseasonal rains and demanded immediate assistance for those affected. Patil said crops have been damaged due to unseasonal rainfall in several parts of the state, and the weather department has forecast more showers in the coming days. "The state is experiencing heavy unseasonal rainfall, with hailstorms reported in several regions. This has caused significant crop damage, and the meteorological department has predicted more rainfall in the coming days. I urge the government to provide immediate assistance to the affected farmers," he said in a statement. He cited a tragic incident in Manora, Washim district, where a farmer's produce was washed away in the downpour. Patil demanded that the government take swift action to provide relief and support to the affected farmers.

NCP-SCP's Supriya Sule joins all-party mission on India's anti-terror stand

A seven-member all-party delegation will visit key partner nations, including UN Security Council members, this month to highlight Operation Sindoor and India's stance against cross-border terrorism

Imposing Hindi under NEP at cost of Marathi won't be allowed, says Sule

NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule on Saturday said that undermining Marathi in the forceful implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in Maharashtra would not be tolerated. Sule's statement comes amid the opposition's outcry over the Maharashtra government's decision to make Hindi a mandatory third language for students of Classes 1 to 5 in Marathi and English-medium schools across the state, in a departure from the practice of studying two languages. Speaking to reporters in Pune, the Baramati MP said, "I was first to oppose the education minister's statement about making the CBSE board compulsory in Maharashtra. What is the need to replace the existing state board with CBSE? Before discussing the language issue, we must talk about the basic education infrastructure in the state." Citing the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) released by the NGO Pratham Foundation, referred to by the Centre, she stressed the need to evaluate students' performance in mathematics, .

Ladki Bahin scheme to continue, no question of scrapping it: Ajit Pawar

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has said the government's flagship Ladki Bahin scheme to provide financial assistance to women will continue and that there is no question of scrapping it. Under the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, which is believed to have played a key role in the victory of the ruling Mahayuti (comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar's NCP) in the state polls last year, women are provided Rs 1,500 every month. Talking to reporters on Tuesday night, Pawar, who is also the state's finance minister, said, "The budgetary allocation for the implementation of the scheme has been made and there is no question of scrapping it." Earlier, state Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare on Tuesday said no change has been made in the amount of assistance paid under the scheme, but some 7.74 lakh women already getting Rs 1,000 under another scheme are being paid the difference of Rs 500. She was responding to media reports claiming the aid unde

Sule, Rohit Pawar called man held for extortion bid on minister: Fadnavis

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has alleged key leaders of the opposition Nationalist Congress Party (SP) were involved in a "conspiracy" against his cabinet colleague Jaykumar Gore in a case involving a woman. Replying to a motion initiated by the opposition in the state assembly on Tuesday, Fadnavis said there was proof of communication between NCP (SP) leaders Supriya Sule and Rohit Pawar, and one of the accused in the case where three persons, including the woman, have been arrested for trying to extort money from Gore. The CM, who holds the home portfolio, said the entire episode will be probed. BJP MLA Gore, who represents the Man constituency in western Maharashtra's Satara district, is the minister for rural development and panchayati raj. Last week, the BJP minister claimed the woman, who had accused him of harassment, tried to extort money from him to settle the matter. According to police, the woman had demanded Rs 3 crore from Gore to end "everything". "S