Sharad Pawar

Fadnavis must step up, resolve Maratha-OBC quota tensions: Sharad Pawar

Amid the quota tussle in Maharashtra, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis should take the lead in resolving the bitterness among various communities. Speaking to reporters here, Pawar claimed an atmosphere of conflict between Marathas and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) was being deliberately created. On September 2, the state government issued a resolution (GR) on the Hyderabad Gazette, and announced the formation of a committee to facilitate the issuance of Kunbi caste certificates to the Maratha community members who are able to produce documentary evidence recognising them as Kunbis in the past. The government's decision came after Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange staged a hunger strike for five days in Mumbai. There has been growing restlessness among OBCs after the state social justice and special assistance department issued the GR. Asked about the quota issue and the growing rift between Marathas and OBCs in the state, Pawar said

Sharad Pawar backs Rahul Gandhi on 'vote chori' allegations, seeks EC probe

NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday demanded a detailed probe by the Election Commission into allegations of "vote theft" raised by opposition leader Rahul Gandhi to remove doubts about the integrity of the electoral process and the image of the poll watchdog. Pawar also questioned the logic behind the EC asking Gandhi to file an affidavit and provide information under oath. Gandhi on Thursday claimed a "huge criminal fraud" in polls through "collusion" between the BJP and the Election Commission, citing an analysis of voter rolls in a constituency in Karnataka last year. A day after, he alleged that the Election Commission and the BJP colluded to "steal" the Lok Sabha election from the people, and that there was "vote theft" in at least three states. "Rahul Gandhi's presentation on vote theft was well-researched and well-documented. A detailed inquiry is needed into the concerns raised by him to clear doubts (about the integrity of the electoral process) among people. 'Doodh k

Gavaskar, Pawar to be honoured with life-size statues at MCA museum

Legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar and former BCCI President Sharad Pawar will be honoured with life-size statues at the entrance of the new Mumbai Cricket Association's museum, the governing body said on Thursday. The 'MCA Sharad Pawar Cricket Museum' will be inaugurated in the second half of August and located at the Wankhede Stadium, as a tribute to Mumbai's rich cricketing heritage and the legendary figures who have shaped its success. At the museum's entrance, visitors will be welcomed by life-size statues of Shri Sharad Pawar and cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar who remains one of Mumbai's and India's most iconic sporting figures, the MCA said in a release. Gavaskar's statue, in particular, stands as a symbol of excellence and dedication that will inspire aspiring young cricketers for generations to come," it added. Gavaskar said in a statement that he is deeply touched and honoured with the gesture. I am deeply touched and tremendously honoured that my mother Cricket Association

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

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

'Proud of our armed forces': Opposition leaders hail Operation Sindoor

Opposition backs Indian Army's 'Operation Sindoor'; Congress, Owaisi laud strikes on Pakistan terror camps, stress unity, urge tough stance after Pahalgam attack

Sharad Pawar urges PM Modi to install statues of Maratha warriors in Delhi

NCP-SP chief Sharad Pawar has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to permit installing three horse-mounted statues of Peshwa Bajirao I, Mahadji Shinde and Malharrao Holkar at the Talkatora Stadium here. The area around Talkatora Stadium holds immense importance in the military campaigns launched by the Maratha Empire against the Mughals in the 18th century. Pawar said a Pune-based NGO had planned to install busts of Bajirao, Shinde and Holkar at the Talkatora Stadium, but litterateurs and historians have weighed in favour of equestrian statues of the three warriors. "However, many literary figures and well-wishers have voiced the sentiment that full-sized equestrian statues would be a more fitting tribute to their valour and contribution," he said in a letter to Modi. Pawar said as Talkatora Stadium falls under the jurisdiction of the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC), he was seeking the prime minister's intervention in directing the Government of Delhi and NDMC to grant the ..

Maharashtra farmer suicides worrying, govt needs a policy solution: Pawar

NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Saturday expressed concerns about farmer suicides in Marathwada and Vidarbha and said the Centre should come up with a policy to help cultivators. Pawar's statement comes in the backdrop of the data released by the state relief and rehabilitation department that revealed that 2,635 farmers died by suicide in Maharashtra in 2024. "The information which has come from Marathwada and Vidarbha is worrying. We will collect accurate data from different locations. The Centre should prepare a policy to help farmers," he told reporters in Baramati. On speculations about NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil crossing over to the Ajit Pawar-led party faction, the senior politician said Patil had already given his statement to the media. Patil, the state president of NCP (SP), had earlier said nothing about him was certain, sparking the buzz that he could quit the party. On Friday, Patil met the NCP (SP) chief at an event in Baramati and later said he was not upset an

As Modi and Sharad Pawar grow closer, Maharashtra's political cauldron bubbles

Fault lines within MVA deepen as NCP (SP) warms up to BJP-Shinde, and Thackeray charts solo path for ensuing local body polls in the state, explains RADHIKA RAMASESHAN

People gave clear verdict on Sena, NCP with thumping Mahayuti win: Shah

The Mahayuti won 230 of the 288 Maharashtra assembly seats in the polls held in November, while the Sena and NCP factions led by Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar, respectively, fared poorly

Sharad Pawar should not have felicitated Eknath Shinde, says Sanjay Raut

The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Wednesday expressed strong disapproval of its ally and NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar felicitating Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at an event in Delhi. It was Shinde who split the Shiv Sena with the help of Amit Shah, and felicitating him was akin to honouring the BJP leader, said Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sanjay Raut. Shinde was on Tuesday honoured with the Mahadji Shinde Rashtra Gaurav Puraskar at the hands of Pawar and in the presence of Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on the occasion of the 98th Akhil Bhartiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan. Pawar heads the reception committee of the literary meet, scheduled to start next week. Raut said Pawar should not have attended the event, as Shinde toppled the Uddhav Thackeray-led government of the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress in Maharashtra in 2022 by resorting to "betrayal". "Certain things should be avoided in politics. Yesterday, Sharad Pawar did not felicitate Shinde, but he felicitated Amit Shah. Thi

Ego clashes within INDIA bloc led to BJP's Delhi win: NCP MLA Rohit Pawar

The BJP will form its government in Delhi after a gap of more than 26 years as it won 48 of the 70 seats in the assembly polls, the results of which were announced on Saturday

Sharad Pawar says no party issues discussed at meet with nephew Ajit Pawar

Nationalist Congress Party (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Friday sought to downplay his closed-door meeting with estranged nephew and Maharashtra deputy CM Ajit Pawar in Pune, and asserted no issue related to their respective parties was discussed. Speaking to reporters in Kolhapur city, the former Union agriculture minister insisted discussion at the meeting solely centred around a sugar industry project. Asked about the possibility of rival NCP factions, headed by him and Ajit Pawar, coming together and if this issue was touched up in the meeting, the veteran politician asserted no party-related matter was discussed. "In the meeting, Ajit Pawar, myself and people associated with the (sugar industry) project were present," he said. The two politicians were in Pune to attend the annual general body meeting of the Vasantdada Sugar Institute (VSI), which is headed by the senior Pawar. Deputy CM Ajit Pawar is a member of the Pune-based VSI, a prominent research institute of the sugar

Amit Shah bats for science-led co-op farming, takes jibe at Sharad Pawar

Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Friday said agriculture becomes a profitable business when science is part of the cooperative sector. Shah also took a swipe at NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, saying just becoming a leader is not enough and questioned his contribution to the key sector when he was the Agriculture Minister in the Congress-led UPA government (2004-2014). 'You also need to work on the ground," he said while addressing a meeting of the cooperative sector at Malegaon in north Maharashtra's Nashik district. Shah, who also holds the home portfolio, pointed out that to emphasise on the importance of science, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had included 'Jai Vigyan' to former PM Lal Bahadur Shastri's famous slogan of 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan' (hailing soldiers and farmers). Agriculture becomes a profitable business when science is part of the cooperative sector, noted the minister. He said a separate entity, Bharat Cooperative Organics Ltd (officially named National ...

BJP's Maharashtra win ends Sharad Pawar's politics of betrayal: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said veteran politician Sharad Pawar played politics of betrayal and treachery in Maharashtra from 1978, which was ended by BJP's massive victory in the assembly polls with its resolve to establish a stable government. Addressing a state BJP convention in Shirdi, Shah said the people of Maharashtra showed Pawar, who heads NCP (SP), and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray their place by rejecting the politics of dynasty and betrayal in last year's elections. Citing differences between Congress and allies in Delhi, West Bengal, Bihar, and Maharashtra, Shah said the decline of the opposition INDI block has begun. "Sharad Pawar started politics of 'daga-phatka' (betrayal and treachery) in Maharashtra in 1978, which was rejected by people in 2024 (elections). Similarly, the politics of the dynasty and the betrayal of Uddhav Thackeray was also rejected. People showed Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray their place in 2024 polls," Shah said. Noting that

Sharad Pawar discusses Beed, Parbhani situation with CM Devendra Fadnavis

NCP (SP) head Sharad Pawar has said he has spoken to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on efforts to normalise the social tension gripping Beed and Parbhani after the murder of a sarpanch and death of a Dalit youth in judicial custody. United efforts are required to restore normalcy and resolve issues in Beed and Parbhani, Pawar said on Saturday. The brutal murder of Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district, on December 9 has triggered a slugfest between the ruling and opposition parties as one of the persons held in a related extortion case is a close associate of state minister Dhananjay Munde. The incident has led to widespread protests in the state and also given rise to fears of a caste conflict since Deshmukh was a Maratha and some of those held hail from the Vanjari community. Somnath Suryavanshi, who was arrested following violence in Parbhani on December 10 after a replica of the Constitution was vandalised, died on December 15 after h

Sharad Pawar shares stage with Chhagan Bhujbal for Savitribai Phule event

NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar and disgruntled NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal on Friday shared a stage in Pune to mark the birth anniversary of legendary educationist and social reformer Savitribai Phule. Speaking on the occasion, Bhujbal said many were "surprised" at the two sharing a stage but asserted "we will always come together for great personalities like Mahatma Phule, Shahu Maharaj and Babasaheb Ambedkar". The Nationalist Congress Party split in July 2023 after Ajit Pawar, Bhujbal and several others joined the Eknath Shinde government. The NCP name and 'clock' symbol was given to the faction headed by Ajit Pawar, while the one under Sharad Pawar was christened NCP (SP). The two parties have been bitter rivals since. Bhujbal has been upset with his party, headed by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, after he was not included in the Devendra Fadnavis cabinet. In the days following the swearing-in ceremony on December 15, Bhujbal had lashed out at the deputy CM over his ...

Sharad Pawar urges Maharashtra CM to address Beed, Parbhani cases

: NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Sunday had a telephonic conversation with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis about the murder of a sarpanch in Beed and the death of a man following violence in Parbhani. Pawar on Saturday visited the families of Santosh Deshmukh, the slain sarpanch, and Somnath Suryawanshi, who allegedly died in judicial custody after his arrest in connection with the violence in Parbhani. The NCP (SP) chief attended the Bhimthadi Jatra at the College of Agriculture in the city on Sunday. While at the event, he called the chief minister, urging him to take note of the Beed and Parbhani cases. Fadnavis on Friday announced judicial probes into the Parbhani violence and the sarpanch's murder and financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh each to the kin of Deshmukh and Suryawanshi. Talking to reporters here, Pawar said, "I had a word with the chief minister about the places I visited yesterday. I told him that the situation was serious and asked him to take not

Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar may come together in future, says Shiv Sena MLA

It seems that the negotiations are going on and all the leaders may unite, said Shrisat