Ajit Pawar urged Sharad Pawar to step down and give a chance to the new generation stating that even leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) retire at the age of 75
"There is no question of the resignation of CM Eknath Shinde. We have the support of more than 200 MLAs. No leader is unhappy and all have faith in Eknath Shinde's leadership," Sanjay Raut said
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday sought to assuage the concerns of Shiv Sena lawmakers after Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar joined the coalition government and asserted there was nothing to worry, Sena legislators said. Shinde, who presided over a meeting of Shiv Sena MLAs, MLCs and MPs, was kept in the loop about the fast-paced developments in the NCP which culminated in Ajit Pawar taking oath as deputy CM along with eight other ministers on July 2 in a stunning turn of events, they said. A section of Shiv Sena lawmakers had raised certain concerns after the NCP faction led by Ajit Pawar joined the one-year-old Shinde-BJP government. The induction of the rebel NCP group in the cabinet has dented the prospects of ministerial aspirants from the BJP and the Shiv Sena, leaving some of them upset and Shinde is aware of their sentiments Sena MP Gajanan Kirtikar said earlier in the day. Amid the changed politician equation, Shiv Sena MLAs and MPs
EC to decide fate of Ajit faction's MLAs; 32 turn up to support Ajit, Sharad Pawar parades 18
Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar-led NCP has informed the Election Commission that he has been elected national president of the party. A statement issued on Wednesday on behalf of the Ajit Pawar-led faction said the Election Commission has been informed through an affidavit that he was elected NCP chief through a resolution dated June 30, 2023 signed by an "overwhelming majority" of members of NCP, both from the legislative and organisational wing. Praful Patel continues to be NCP working president, the release said. The NCP has also decided to appoint Ajit Pawar as the leader of NCP Legislative Party in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and this decision was also ratified by the resolution passed by an overwhelming majority of NCP MLAs, the statement said. An attempt is being made by certain elements within the NCP to spread a sense of fear and confusion amongst the elected representatives of the NCP and also the party cadre working in different organisational ...
NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday objected to his big photo adorning the stage at a parallel meeting of the party convened by his nephew Ajit Pawar, and said those using his image are aware that they have nothing else. Addressing a meeting at Chavan Centre in south Mumbai, where around a dozen of 53 NCP MLAs were present, 83-year-old Pawar criticised his nephew for going with BJP for power, despite PM Narendra Modi calling NCP a corrupt party. On Ajit Pawar-led faction approaching Election Commission and staking claim to the party symbol, the veteran politician assured his supporters that he won't allow anyone to snatch the party symbol. Just a few days ago, they (Ajit Pawar) derided chief minister Eknath Shinde, saying they haven't seen such a CM in all these years, but today they have joined him, Sharad Pawar said. Recalling his connect with the masses when he set up NCP in 1999, Pawar said, today we may not be in power, but we are in people's hearts.
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
The factional fight of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has reached the doorstep of the Election Commission with the group led by Ajit Pawar filing over 40 affidavits of MLAs and MPs in his support. The Sharad Pawar camp has filed a caveat with the poll authority urging it to hear them first before passing any directive in connection with the factional fight, Election Commission sources said. The Election Commission is likely to process applications in the coming days and ask both the sides to exchange the respective documents submitted before it. The NCP, founded by Sharad Pawar in 1999, witnessed a split on Sunday with Ajit Pawar, claiming support of over 40 MLAs and joining the Shiv Sena-BJP coalition government in Maharashtra. Nine NCP MLAs, including Ajit Pawar, were sworn-in as ministers in the Maharashtra government at a surprise cabinet expansion on Sunday. Ajit Pawar, with senior party leaders Praful Patel, Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse Patil by his side, asserted to b
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, ...
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
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 .
Supporters of NCP chief Sharad Pawar have gathered outside YB Chavan Centre ahead of the meeting called by the party chief
"All NCP workers are with Pawar saheb (Sharad Pawar). That is why workers are angry with what Ajit Pawar did. That is why his poster has been removed from the party office," Jitendra Awhad said
The Ajit Pawar group will also hold a separate meeting in Mumbai on Wednesday
The Nationalist Congress Party's (NCP) Pune city unit on Tuesday passed a resolution announcing their support for party chief Sharad Pawar and affirmed that the party headed by him is the "real" NCP. The resolution was passed in a meeting held here in the presence of the NCP's city unit president Prashant Jagtap, Pune spokesperson Ankush Kakade, Rajya Sabha MP Vandana Chavan, party leader Ravindra Malavadkar, and several party workers were present. The party in the resolution condemned the BJP's "dirty political stand" and stated that the saffron party was aware that without finishing the NCP, it will not be able to achieve its "desired" objective. On Sunday, senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar led a vertical split in the party to become a 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. Apart from Ajit Pawar, eight other NCP MLAs, including Chhagan Bhujbal and Hasan Mushrif
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
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
Nationalist Congress Party leader Praful Patel has claimed 51 out of the 53 party MLAs had told NCP chief Sharad Pawar that a possibility of joining hands with the BJP should be explored after the MVA government in Maharashtra collapsed last year. If the NCP can form government with the Shiv Sena, why not with the BJP, Patel, who has switched over to Ajit Pawar's side, said in an interview to Marathi news channel Zee 24 Taas. 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 Eknath Shinde cabinet. The Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, comprising the Shiv Sena (then undivided), NCP and Congress, collapsed in June last year after a revolt led by
Ajit Pawar has been unanimously elected as the leader of the legislature party. We have informed Maharashtra Assembly Speaker about our decision
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