Page 8 - Sharad Pawar

Ajit Pawar holds meeting to assess NCP's performance in Lok Sabha polls

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday met senior leaders of his Nationalist Congress Party to take stock of the Lok Sabha election results and the party's performance. The meeting took place at his official residence Deogiri in south Mumbai. Pawar's NCP contested four Lok Sabha seats in the state and bagged only one - Raigad. Apart from NCP president Ajit Pawar, party working president Praful Patel, senior leaders and ministers in the state government - Hasan Mushrif, Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse Patil and Dhananjay Munde were among those who attended the meeting. Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra Pawar lost to NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule, the daughter of Sharad Pawar, in the Baramati Lok Sabha seat by more than 1.5 lakh votes. In July last year, Ajit Pawar joined the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena in the state along with some other MLAs, leading to a split in the NCP founded by his uncle Sharad Pawar.

Pawar vs Pawar: Ajit makes inroads in Arunachal, Sharad wins Maharashtra

Lok Sabha election 2024: General Election result shows Sharad Pawar's national influence despite Election Commission officially recognising Ajit Pawar's faction

No discussion within INDIA bloc so far on reaching out to TDP, JDU: Pawar

NCP(SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday said there has been no discussion within the INDIA bloc yet on reaching out to the TDP or JD(U) to shore up the numbers of the alliance for government formation. His remarks came ahead of the meeting of INDIA bloc leaders at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's residence this evening to deliberate on the Lok Sabha poll results and whether to bring on board the Janata Dal (United) (JD-U) and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) to cobble up a government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is poised to form the government for a third consecutive term with the BJP-led NDA getting a majority in the Lok Sabha, notwithstanding crushing losses in three Hindi heartland states after a bitterly fought election that was projected as a referendum on his popularity. While speaking on the Lok Sabha poll outcome, the 83-year-old Pawar told reporters here that besides the resentment against the functioning of the Modi government, the voters were also unhappy about handling

Will the INDIA bloc form the new govt? Here's what Sharad Pawar says

2024 Lok Sabha election results 2024: As per the latest data from the Election Commission, BJP is leading on 244 out of 543 seats

LS polls: Modi's stand can increase communal disharmony, says Sharad Pawar

NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday claimed that the stand taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in recent days can increase communal disharmony in the country instead of bringing communities closer. Pawar was speaking at a rally for his party's candidate Bhaskar Bhagare in Dindori (ST) Lok Sabha constituency of Maharashtra where the BJP has fielded sitting MP and union minister of state for health Bharti Pawar. "Narendra Modi is the first prime minister of the country who has taken positions that would increase the communal disharmony between various religions and castes. I heard his speech today in Nashik, and it was as per my expectations. He should have taken positions that will bring the communities and religious groups closer," Pawar said. Modi had claimed at a rally in the same constituency earlier in the day that Congress, during its rule at the Centre, had planned to allocate 15 per cent of budget to Muslims. Pawar also referred to water scarcity in the region. "Nash

Join Ajit, Shinde instead of dying with Cong: PM Modi tells Pawar, Uddhav

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the "duplicate NCP and Shiv Sena" have made up their minds to merge with the Congress after the June 4 Lok Sabha election results, but should instead join Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde. A big leader here who is active for 40-50 years is worried after polling in Baramati (Lok Sabha seat). He says that after June 4, smaller parties, in order to survive, will merge with the Congress, Modi said, without naming Sharad Pawar. This means the nakli NCP and nakli Shiv Sena have made up their minds to merge with the Congress, Modi said, addressing an election rally in Nandurbar district of north Maharashtra. But instead of dying by merging with the Congress, come to Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde,' Modi said. In the next couple of years, several regional parties will associate more closely with the Congress. Or they may look at the option of merging with the Congress if they believe that is the best for their party, Sharad Pawar had told The Indian ..

Ajit Pawar disapproves of Patil's 'defeat Sharad Pawar in Baramati' remarks

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday disapproved of his cabinet colleague Chandrakant Patil's remarks that he and workers of his party BJP wanted to defeat NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar in Baramati, saying he should not have spoken those words. Ajit Pawar criticised Patil, a senior BJP leader, for his remarks two days after polling in the Baramati Lok Sabha seat in Pune district concluded. Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra contested from Baramati against sitting MP Supriya Sule, the daughter of Sharad Pawar. In March, Patil had said that he and his party workers wanted to defeat Sharad Pawar in Baramati, the home turf of the Pawar family. Patil, while speaking to reporters in Baramati, had accused the senior Pawar of "taking away" the Shiv Sena despite the people of the state giving a clear mandate in favour of the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance by electing 161 MLAs in the 2019 polls. "I and my party workers want defeat of Sharad Pawar (in Baramati) and that is enough (for ..

Didn't get opportunity as I am not Sharad Pawar's son, says Ajit Pawar

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday said just because he is not the son of NCP (SP) head Sharad Pawar, he did not get political opportunity. NCP leader Ajit Pawar said after the age of 80, one should give opportunity to new people. On his uncle Sharad Pawar's statement that discussions had been held with the BJP but the decision to go with it was not made, Ajit Pawar said he is at least admitting that discussions were held and added he was witness to the talks. In July last year, Ajit Pawar and eight other Nationalist Congress Party MLAs joined the Eknath Shinde-BJP government in Maharashtra, leading to a split in the NCP founded by Sharad Pawar (83). Addressing a rally at Shirur in Pune district, Ajit Pawar said, "I am also above 60. Do we have a chance or not? Are we behaving wrongly? That is why we get emotional. Pawar saheb is also our 'daivat' (like a God) and there is no doubt about it, but every person has his time. After crossing 80, new people should b

Supriya vs Sunetra: Baramati first electoral battle for Pawar clan rivals

Baramati in Maharashtra's Pune district is one of the most keenly watched seats in the state in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls as it is for the first time that two members of the influential Pawar family are contesting against each other. Sharad Pawar's daughter and sitting MP Supriya Sule and nephew Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra Pawar have been pitted against each other by the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) from the constituency that goes to polls on May 7. This is also the first major electoral battle between the factions after the party split in July last year. In February, the Election Commission (EC) recognised the Ajit Pawar-led faction of the NCP as the official party and granted it the party's "clock" symbol while allotting "Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar" as the party name for the group led by Sharad Pawar. With the constituency gearing up for polling in the third round of the seven-phase general elections, campaigning by the candidates has .

Modi's speeches not based on facts, reality: Sharad Pawar as he slams PM

Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying his speeches were not based on facts and reality. Talking to reporters here, Pawar also alleged that PM Modi doesn't talk about the basic issues that people face and diverts their attention. "I have never seen a prime minister earlier whose speeches were not based on facts and reality. He is satisfied with targeting me and Uddhav Thackeray," Pawar said. Wondering why Maharashtra was voting in five phases in the current Lok Sabha elections, he said, "It is because Modi can campaign here as much as possible...Those in power are worried." He alleged that PM Modi's frequent remark that if voted to power, the INDIA bloc would bring reservation based on religion, was an attempt to create social tension. "We have never said this. This is Modi's creation," Pawar said. Modi has also been speaking about redistribution of wealth and inheritance tax, which does not

PM Modi targets NCP leader Sharad Pawar on his work as agriculture minister

A day after terming Sharad Pawar as a wandering soul, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday continued his attack on the NCP leader, saying he did not do much for farmer while being the Union agriculture minister. When a big Maharashtra leader was Union agriculture minister, farmers used to make rounds of sugarcane commission for their arrears, Modi said at a rally in Malshiras of Solapur district in Maharashtra. There is a bhatakti atma' (wandering soul) in Maharashtra. If it does not manage success it spoils others' good work. Maharashtra has been a victim of it, Modi had said at a rally on Monday, hitting out at Sharad Pawar without taking his name. This game was started by the same leader 45 years ago. It was just for his own ambition that Maharashtra has always been an unstable state. As a result, several chief ministers could not complete their full term, Modi had said. At the Malshiras rally Tuesday, Modi asked voters not to waste their vote by giving it to Congress and ...

LS polls 2024: Battle lines drawn between ex-allies Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP

The Osmanabad Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra will witness a contest between former allies Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). The Sena (UBT) has fielded sitting MP Omprakash Rajenimbalkar against Archana Patil, who is making her poll debut with the NCP. Home to the famous Tulja Bhavani temple that attracts lakhs of devotees from all over the state, Osmanabad -- now called Dharashiv -- is the seventh-largest city in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra. Although the state government has rechristened the district as Dharashiv, in the records of the Election Commission, the Lok Sabha constituency is still known by its old name of Osmanabad. The constituency comprising Osmanabad, Tuljapur, Omerga, Lohara, Kalamb, Bhoom, Paranda and Washi assembly seats will go to polls on May 7 in the third phase of the general elections. Former minister Rajenimbalkar won the 2019 Lok Sabha polls with a significant vote margin by defeating Ranajagjitsinha Patil, who contes

LS polls: No violation of MCC in Ajit Pawar's funds for votes' remarks

The returning officer of Baramati Lok Sabha constituency has filed a report stating that there was no prima facie evidence of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar violating the Model Code of Conduct through his funds for votes remarks. The Sharad Pawar-led NCP(SP) had filed a complaint against Ajit Pawar with the Election Commission of India alleging the violation of the Model Code of Conduct and the Representation of the People Act. At a poll rally at Indapur in Baramati constituency, Ajit Pawar recently said, ...As far as funds are concerned, we will cooperate to give you as much as you want, but at the same time, the EVM button needs to be pressed in abundance. If the EVM button is pressed in abundance, I will also feel good allocating funds, or else, I will have to restrict myself, Pawar holds the finance portfolio in the state. The remarks had drawn criticism from the opposition, with NCP (SP) moving EC seeking action against Ajit Pawar, who heads the Nationalist Congr

Lok Sabha elections: NCP (SP) unveils manifesto; backs caste census

The Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) on Thursday unveiled its manifesto, favouring caste census and promising a separate commission for farmers' welfare, right to apprenticeship, 50 per cent reservation for women in jobs. The Sharad Pawar-led party said it supports full statehood for Jammu and Kashmir and rejects the idea of 'one nation, one election'. As per the manifesto, titled "Shapatnama", the NCP (SP) will review and propose changes to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), National Register for Citizens (NRC), Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and other laws "conflicting" with the constitutional principles. It also mentioned that the party advocates empowering state and local governments, reviewing power distribution and enforcing constitutional amendments. "We will demand a constitutional amendment to raise the 50 per cent cap on reservations. We will ban contract labour in government sectors and legally protect the contract workers' benefits," ...

LS polls 2024: MVA to win over 50% seats in Maharashtra, says Pawar

Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday said the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra will win more than 50 per cent of the Lok Sabha seats in the state. There are 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra. As per the seat-sharing agreement among the three MVA parties, the Shiv Sena (UBT) is contesting 21 seats, Congress 17 and NCP (SP) 10. These three parties are fighting the national elections as part of the opposition INDIA bloc. Talking to reporters here, Pawar said there could be disagreements among the INDIA bloc partners over certain seats, but attention should not be paid to it. The broader understanding among the opposition parties is to win the polls to provide a stable government, he said. He termed as wrong the BJP's 'Abki baar, 400 paar' slogan of winning 400-plus seats in the Lok Sabha polls. The opposition won six seats in Maharashtra in the 2019 parliamentary polls - four by the undivided NCP and one each by the Congress and the All ...

Ram temple issue now over, nobody discussing it any more: Sharad Pawar

NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar said nobody was discussing the issue of Ram temple in Ayodhya any more, suggesting that the ruling BJP may not get any political benefit from it in the current Lok Sabha elections. He made the statement while speaking to a few reporters at Purandar in Pune district on Thursday. When asked about whether the Ram temple would play any crucial role in the ongoing elections, he said, "The issue of the Ram temple in Ayodhya is now over, and no one is discussing it any more." "During a meeting, some women pointed out and complained that although the idol of Lord Ram has been installed, goddess Sita's idol is not there," the former Union minister said. However, Pawar's remarks drew criticism from the BJP, with the party's state unit president Chandrashekhar Bawankule saying that the former chief minister should have gathered information about the Ram temple in Ayodhya before commenting. "Lord Ram is there in his child form, but Pawar saheb is just interested in

Modi destroying democracy, no difference between him and Putin: Pawar

Nationalist Congress Party (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar on Sunday said there was no difference between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin while accusing the former of slowly destroying democracy in the country. Pawar was speaking to reporters at Akluj in Solapur district, where he visited the residence of former deputy chief minister Vijaysinh Mohite Patil to discuss candidates for Madha and Solapur Lok Sabha seats. "Modi doesn't wish for anyone from the Opposition to get elected. Such a stance by the prime minister shows that there is no difference between him and Russia's Vladimir Putin, he said. The arrest of a serving chief minister (Arvind Kejriwal) when the model code of conduct is in place shows that Modi is slowly destroying parliamentary democracy and the country is heading towards autocracy, Pawar said. In a democracy, like a ruling party, the opposition side is equally important, he said. When asked about the BJP's manifesto for the Lok Sabha

MVA seat-sharing: Uddhav's Sena gets 21 seats, Congress 17 and NCP 10

Shiv Sena Uddhav (UBT) faction will be contesting polls on 21 seats, the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party will contest elections on 10 seats while Congress will fight the polls on 17 seats

Sharad Pawar reminds PM of 'holding finger' comment, says he has changed

NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Monday recalled a 2016 statement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi about having come into politics holding the former's finger and expressed surprise over the PM taking a "different stand" now. Speaking at a gathering in Baramati Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra's Pune district ahead of the parliamentary polls, Pawar also took a dig at PM Modi for "personal attacks" and for taking action against those who have different ideologies. "When I was Union agriculture minister, I helped Gujarat tremendously when Modi was the state's CM. I didn't see which party he belonged to. I saw that farmers in his state needed to be made happy and so I helped him," he said. "One day he told me he wants to come to Baramati. In his speech then he said: Pawar saheb had held my finger and taught me to do whatever (developmental) work I have done so far. But today he is taking a different view," the NCP (SP) chief said. If someone makes personal criticism or takes a .

Follow our orders on party name, symbols: SC to Ajit Pawar, Sharad Pawar

The Supreme Court on Thursday asked both Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar factions of the Nationalist Congress Party to abide by its directions on use of symbols, party names and disclaimers in publicity material for the assembly and general elections. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and KV Viswanathan, while disposing of the applications filed by both sides on non-compliance of its March 19 order, said it is high time that leaders of both factions should be somewhere else and not courts. It directed the Sharad Pawar faction to sensitise party workers on using the name 'Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar' and symbol 'man blowing turha' (a traditional trumpet also known as tutari) in poll campaigns. It further directed that the faction led by the veteran leader to ask their party workers, leaders, office bearers and lawmakers not to use the clock' symbol in poll advertisements, which has been allotted to the Ajit Pawar led bloc of the NCP. Similarly, it asked the Ajit Pawar ..