Page 12 - Ncp

Supriya Sule welcomes Ladki Bahin scheme, calls it 'election jumla'

The Maharashtra government's Ladki Bahin' scheme for women is good but its announcement and implementation just months ahead of the assembly elections is nothing but a jumla (gimmick), said NCP (SP) Lok Sabha member Supriya Sule on Thursday. Under the state government's Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana' announced last week in the budget, eligible women will be given Rs 1,500 per month. As the Maharashtra elections are hardly 2 to 3 months away, a shower of jumlas' was expected from the state government, the Baramati MP told reporters here. Maharashtra assembly polls are due in October. The scheme is good in the wake of growing unemployment and inflation. The state government tried to give support to women but the scheme has many conditions and riders, said Sule when asked about the scheme's implementation. She said though she welcomes the programme, its introduction before the state polls is nothing but an election jumla'. The senior NCP (SP) leader said elections are being

Maha council polls: 12 candidates in fray after nomination of 2 rejected

The nomination papers of two independent candidates for the July 12 biennial elections to the Maharashtra legislative council were rejected on Wednesday during the scrutiny, which left 12 candidates in the fray for the 11 seats of the Upper House of the state legislature. The two independent candidates whose nomination papers were rejected are Ajaysinh Motisinh Sengar and Arun Rohidas Jagtap. With this, there are now 12 candidates in the fray. If one of them does not withdraw nomination by July 5, the last date for doing so, elections to the legislative council from the MLA quota will take place on July 12. All candidates - nine of the ruling alliance Mahayuti and three of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) - filed their nomination papers on Tuesday. The Shiv Sena (UBT) has fielded Milind Narvekar, a close aide of party chief Uddhav Thackeray. The Congress has renominated sitting legislator Pradyna Satav, while the NCP (SP) is supporting sitting MLC and Peasants and Workers' .

Cong, Sena (UBT) and, NCP (SP) to jointly contest Maha polls: Sharad Pawar

NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday said his party, Congress, and the Shiv Sena (UBT) led by Uddhav Thackeray will jointly contest the Maharashtra assembly polls, due in October this year. Addressing a news conference here, Pawar also said it is the moral responsibility of the major opposition parties in Maharashtra to protect in the state assembly polls the interests of smaller allies, which were part of the coalition in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The NCP (SP), Congress and the Shiv Sena (UBT) are constituents of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which was in power in the state from November 2019 till June 2022 before the collapse of the Thackeray-led government. Pawar said the opposition will keep a collective face before the people of Maharashtra. There is need for a change in the state and it is the moral responsibility of the opposition coalition to discharge it, Pawar said. "As Arjuna's target (in the epic Mahabharata) was an eye (of a fish), our eyes are all set

NCP (SP) targets BJP, says many 'Emergency situations' in India at present

The Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) on Tuesday claimed there are many "Emergency situations" in the country at present and the BJP needs to answer them before dwelling into the past. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the Congress on the 49th anniversary of the Emergency. The saffron party has announced a nationwide programme on the 1975 Emergency to "expose" the Congress' "authoritarianism" and its disregard for the Constitution. In a post on X, NCP (SP) spokesperson Clyde Crasto targeted the BJP over the Manipur violence and the alleged NEET paper leak. "When will the #BJP talk about the Emergency situation in #Manipur where the people are suffering for more than a year. When will the BJP talk about the Emergency situation in our #Education system and their failure in controlling the #NEET paper leaks," he said. "When will BJP talk about the Emergency situation on the #Agricultural front in India," Crasto added. He claimed the basic demands of far

Postponement of NEET-PG entrance exam 'failure' of Centre: NCP (SP)

The Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) has claimed that postponement of the NEET-PG entrance exam is a "failure" of the Centre and accused the government of playing with the lives of aspirants. The opposition party also demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the "mess and malpractices" in the examination process. "Due to the inability to do their job, the government is playing with the lives and future of children," NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) national spokesperson Clyde Crasto claimed in a statement on Saturday. The Union Health Ministry on Saturday said it has decided to postpone the NEET-PG entrance examination, scheduled for Sunday, as a "precautionary measure" in the wake of recent allegations on the integrity of certain competitive exams. It is the fourth entrance exam to be impacted in recent days. Reacting to the shunting out of National Testing Agency (NTA) Director General Subodh Singh amid a controversy over alleged irregularities in competiti

NCP (SP) won't settle for less in assembly seat-sharing: Sharad Pawar

The NCP (SP) agreed to contest fewer seats than its Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies during the Lok Sabha elections but the situation would be different in the assembly polls, a party leader has quoted its supremo Sharad Pawar as saying. Pawar held two meetings here on Friday, one with the party's functionaries from Pune city and district, and another with its MLAs and newly-elected MPs. City NCP (SP) chief Prashant Jagtap, who attended the first meeting, said Pawar told the gathering that the party contested fewer seats in the Lok Sabha polls just to ensure that the alliance with the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress remained intact. "He indicated that the picture in the assembly polls will be different," said Jagtap. The NCP (SP) chief also reviewed the situation in assembly segments within the Pune, Baramati, Maval and Shirur Lok Sabha constituencies, he said. A party leader who attended the second meeting said Pawar exhorted the MPs and MLAs to be prepared for the assembly ...

Centre can't be spectator, must lead to resolve quota issue, says Pawar

NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday said the Centre cannot be a mere spectator and it should take lead to resolve matters pertaining to the quota demand by the Maratha community and Other Backward Classes (OBCs). Asked about the increasing Maratha-OBC conflict over the reservation issue in Maharashtra, Pawar said there is only one solution that the Centre should take the lead to resolve it and there is a need for amendments in law and the state and Centre's policies. The former Union minister was speaking to reporters at Baramati in Maharashtra's Pune district. In February this year, the Maharashtra legislature unanimously passed a bill granting a separate 10 per cent reservation in education and jobs to the Maratha community under a separate category. However, the community has been demanding quota under the OBC grouping. Activist Manoj Jarange has been demanding implementation of the draft notification that recognises Kunbis as sage soyare (blood relatives) of Maratha commun

TMC-led Oppn MPs group seeks probe on result-day crash, meet Sebi officials

After the meeting, Banerjee said that though they did not get any assurance from Sebi, the officials said that they will look into the matter

Sharad Pawar seeks to meet CM to discuss drought-like situation in Pune

Nationalist Congress Party (SP) head Sharad Pawar has written to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde seeking a meeting to address the drought-like situation in Purandar, Baramati, Indapur and Daund tehsils of Pune district. In the letter dated June 16, which he posted on a micro-blogging site on Monday, Pawar said the state government had undertaken irrigation schemes in the region to mitigate the drought-like situation but problems were found in their implementation when he visited some of these areas recently. During discussions with the public in these visits, villagers also suggested some measures along with demands to solve the problem of agriculture and drinking water, the former Union minister said in the letter. "There is a need to take permanent measures to overcome the traditional drought situation in the above mentioned talukas of Pune district. For this, we request you to organise a meeting in Mumbai under your leadership and in the presence of the two deputy chief

Nod to prosecute Arundhati under UAPA misuse of power, says Sharad Pawar

NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday described as misuse of power the Delhi Lieutenant Governor's sanction to prosecute author Arundhati Roy under the stringent UAPA for an alleged provocative speech in 2010. He was speaking to reporters during a joint press conference with Maha Vikas Aghadi allies Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan. Asked about Delhi L-G VK Saxena's sanction to prosecute Roy under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, or UAPA, for an address at an event 14 years ago, the former Union minister said, This is nothing but misuse of power. Besides Roy, Saxena on Friday also gave the green signal for action under UAPA against former Central University of Kashmir professor Sheikh Showkat Hussain. Roy, a Booker Prize-winning author, and Hussain had been named in an FIR registered on October 28, 2010. The two had allegedly made provocative speeches at a conference organised under the banner of Azadi - The Only Way' o

Elected MLAs take oath in Arunachal, Speaker to be elected on June 15

Newly elected MLAs of Arunachal Pradesh took oath on Friday. Pro-tem Speaker Ninong Ering administered the oath to the newly elected members during the inaugural day of the two-day special session summoned by Governor Lt Gen (Retd.) K T Parnaik. Eleven of the newly elected MLAs took oath in Hindi. Fifty-nine of the 60 MLAs took oath during the day, while Ering was administered the oath by the governor on the previous day. As many as 35 members of the outgoing assembly were re-elected while five former members also got elected this time. There are 20 fresh faces in the current assembly. A total of four woman candidates were also elected to the assembly in the April 19 polls. Ering, while congratulating the elected members, advised them to perform their duties diligently to keep the tradition of the House and the aspirations of the people alive. "Participate in healthy deliberation and debates to uphold the dignity of the temple of democracy," Ering said. The House also observed

Ajit Pawar-led NCP, BJP engage in verbal war over Organiser's article

The BJP and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP on Thursday indulged in a verbal duel over an article in Organiser, a weekly known to be close to the RSS. The article had criticised the BJP for forming an alliance with the NCP. Speaking to reporters, NCP leader and state minister Chhagan Bhujbal said, "To some extent, it (article) may be true. Some have also criticised the BJP for including leaders from the Congress, such as former chief minister Ashok Chavan. Even former Congress leader Milind Deora was inducted by CM Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena and made an RS member." "But who will talk about the result in Uttar Pradesh, where the BJP's seats decreased? What about other states where they lost some seats?" he asked. Later, NCP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Praful Patel said, "An article in a weekly does not reflect the BJP's stance. It should not be interpreted in that manner." However, NCP youth wing leader Sooraj Chavan lashed out saying the when the BJP performs well, credit is given to the hard

After losing LS elections, Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra enters RS poll fray

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra on Thursday filed nomination papers as the NCP candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections, days after she lost the Lok Sabha polls from Baramati. Incidentally, barring leaders from the NCP, no politician from the Ajit Pawar-led party's allies in the ruling Mahayuti -- the BJP and the Shiv Sena -- was present when Sunetra Pawar filed her nomination at the Vidhan Bhavan in south Mumbai. Senior NCP leaders like Rajya Sabha member Praful Patel, Maharashtra cabinet minister Chhagan Bhujbal, party's state unit president and Lok Sabha MP-elect Sunil Tatkare and legislative assembly deputy speaker Narhari Zirwal were present at the filing of the nomination. Bhujbal said though he was keen on contesting the Rajya Sabha polls, he was not upset with Sunetra Pawar's nomination, which he described as a "collective decision" of the party. In the just-concluded Lok Sabha elections, Sunetra Pawar lost from the Baramati constituency

Taking control of Maha my endeavour; NCP (SP) must win state polls: Pawar

NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday said it would be his endeavour to take control of Maharashtra, for which his party must win the state assembly polls scheduled later this year. The Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) helmed by him put up an impressive show by winning eight out of ten Lok Sabha seats it contested in Maharashtra in the recently-concluded general elections. Pawar's daughter and NCP (SP) candidate Supriya Sule won the high-stake family battle for the Baramati seat for the fourth straight term, defeating her cousin Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra Pawar. Following the Lok Sabha poll results, Pawar has been meeting people in Baramati and making preparations for the state assembly polls. Addressing people from Shirsuphal village in Baramati, the former Union minister said the people of Baramati constituency remained silent during the election period. "Our party functionaries used to tell me that people are silent and they are not speaking openly. I asked ...

Oppn takes potshots at Eknath Shinde, Ajit Pawar over ministerial berths

Leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi opposition alliance on Monday took potshots at CM Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar over their share in the new Union ministry led by PM Narendra Modi. At the swearing in ceremony on Sunday, Prataprao Jadhav of the Shinde-led Shiv Sena was sworn in as MoS with independent charge, while the Ajit Pawar-led NCP declined a minister of state berth, insisting on a cabinet post. Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sanjay Raut on Monday said the minuscule representation to the two parties in the Modi cabinet has proved that the BJP has shown them their place. This is what you get when you decide to be someone's slaves, Raut told reporters. Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar said if the Ajit Pawar-led NCP doesn't accept the MoS post, they should forget any cabinet berth in future. Ajit Pawar must have realised albeit late that the BJP has a use and throw policy for its allies, said Wadettiwar, the Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly. Baramati Lok

Uddhav worked hard in elections but Congress, NCP (SP) benefitted more: BJP

BJP leader Chandrakant Patil on Tuesday said though Uddhav Thackeray took a great deal of efforts during the Lok Sabha elections campaign, the allies Congress and NCP (SP) seem to have benefitted more than his own party. Thackeray was not keeping well but he still campaigned hard, said Patil, a senior Maharashtra minister, at an event here. "Uddhav Thackeray's health was not in good condition, still he took a lot of efforts. I was worried about his health. However, the outcome indicates that NCP (SP) and Congress benefitted more from his efforts than his own party. "When Thackeray was with BJP, his party had won 18 Lok Sabha seats. With Congress and NCP (SP), he ended up winning nine seats. He needs to introspect," Patil further said. Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT) contested 21 out of 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state, but won only nine. Congress, on the other hand, contested 17 and won 13. Congress leader and rebel candidate in Sangli Lok Sabha constituency also won and later extended

Sule inspects Pune's rain-hit areas, slams govt over infrastructure neglect

NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) MP Supriya Sule on Tuesday visited areas of the city that had faced waterlogging and other rain-related problems last week, and claimed that the government was not responsive enough. The Baramati MP visited Model Colony, Sinhgad Road, Wadgaon and Katraj localities. The city was lashed by torrential rains on Saturday evening with Shivajinagar area receiving more than 100 mm of rain between 5.30 pm to 8.30 pm. Speaking to reporters, Sule said the city was facing multiple crises including rising crime, but the administration's response was inadequate. "On the one hand, crime is increasing, drug-related crimes are taking place, and on the other hand there is a complete collapse of administration and infrastructure," she claimed. Pune was part of the Union government's Smart City project but rainwater was entering people's houses due to encroachments, Sule said, demanding action against encroachments on water bodies. "Pune residents pay their taxes and now th

'Will haunt him forever': Sharad Pawar's dig at Modi's 'bhatakti atma' jibe

"By Modi's own words, 'atma' endures forever. So, this 'atma' will keep haunting him," Pawar remarked at a rally on Monday, celebrating the NCP's 25th Foundation Day in Ahmednagar

NCP missed out for insisting on cabinet berth instead of MoS: Fadnavis

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party wanted a cabinet berth in the Narendra Modi government and declined an offer from the BJP of minister of state (MoS) with independent charge. "We had offered one berth of minister with independent charge to the NCP but it was insistent that (Rajya Sabha MP) Praful Patel's name be finalised. Due to his (Patel's) experience, the NCP believed he could not be made MoS with independent charge," he said. "In a coalition government, a formula has to be drawn, which cannot be broken for one party. I can confidently say whenever cabinet expansion takes place, the (Union) government will consider the NCP. We did try to include NCP right now, but they insisted on cabinet portfolio," the senior BJP leader asserted. The Ajit Pawar-led NCP, part of the ruling alliance in Maharashtra along with the BJP and the Shiv Sena, performed poorly in the Lok Sabha polls, managing to win just one

Ajit Pawar's NCP faction excluded from Cabinet in Modi government 3.0

Ajit Pawar's NCP was offered one MoS Independent Charge post by the BJP government, which party leader Praful Patel called a 'demotion'