Page 9 - Sharad Pawar

People's mood has changed, it is now against PM Modi, says Sharad Pawar

NCP leader Sharad Pawar on Tuesday said the mood of the people has changed and it is now against PM Narendra Modi. Addressing a press conference in Nagpur, Pawar also said there was "no thinking yet" on who would be the INDIA bloc's prime ministerial face. I can see clearly that the mood of people has changed. It is now against PM Modi, Pawar said. In the present regime, institutions are being attacked, he added. Asked how the INDIA bloc seat sharing for the Lok Sabha elections will look like finally, Pawar said, I am not an astrologer. On the Supreme Court granting bail to AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh in a money laundering case related to the Delhi excise policy, Pawar said, This is a good thing. Injustice was done to him. Now the real picture will come out, he added. We Maha Vikas Aghadi want him, Pawar said, replying to a query on Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi fielding candidates in some seats. Asked if the NCP split will affect his group's ...

Pawar vs Pawar: NCP fields Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra against Supriya Sule

The Nationalist Congress Party on Saturday declared the candidature of Sunetra Pawar, wife of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, from Baramati Lok Sabha seat, pitting her against sister-in-law and Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule from the home turf of Pawars. In her first reaction, Sunetra Pawar said this was a lucky day for her. The announcement of her candidature was made by Maharashtra NCP unit president Sunil Tatkare, hours after the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) declared its first list of five candidates for Lok Sabha elections from Maharashtra. The NCP(SP) retained Supriya Sule from Baramati and fielded Nilesh Lanke, who switched sides from the Ajit Pawar camp, from the Ahmednagar constituency. Tatkare said the battle in Baramati is of ideology and principles, and not a family one. "This is a lucky day for me. I thank Narendra Modiji, Amit Shah, and all leaders of Mahayuti (Shiv Sena, BJP, and NCP) for considering me capable of fighting the election," Sunetra Pawa

LS polls: NCP (SP) declares five candidates, retains Sule in Baramati

The NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) on Saturday declared its first list five candidates for Lok Sabha elections from Maharashtra, retaining Supriya Sule from Baramati, and fielding Nilesh Lanke, who switched sides from the Ajit Pawar camp, in Ahmednagar constituency. "Supriya Sule and Amol Kolhe have been retained from Baramati and Shirur constituencies, respectively," said state unit NCP (SP) chief Jayant Patil while declaring the list. Bhaskar Bhagre has been nominated from Dindori seat in Nashik district and former Congress MLA Amar Kale from Wardha. Bhagre will square off against Union minister and sitting BJP MP Bharati Pawar in Dindori (ST) seat. Lanke, the sitting MLA from Parner, will face off against BJP MP Sujay Vikhe Patil from the Ahmednagar constituency. NCP (SP), part of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), also comprising Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress, will contest 10 seats in Maharashtra, which sends 48 members to Lok Sabha.

LS elections: Amid MVA seat-sharing talks, Sharad Pawar meets Uddhav

With consensus eluding Maha Vikas Aghadi on an agreeable seat-sharing formula for Lok Sabha polls, NCP (SP) leader Sharad Pawar on Monday met Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray at his residence in suburban Mumbai. Pawar was accompanied by Jayant Patil, who heads the Maharashtra unit of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar). Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut was also present at the meeting held at Matoshree, the private residence of Thackeray. Notably, the deadline for filing nominations for the five seats going to polls in the first phase on April 19 is just two days away. The talks assume significance as MVA is yet to declare a seat-sharing formula and candidates for the first phase, apparently due to overlapping claims on certain seats. One of the MVA members, Congress, has so far declared 12 candidates for Maharashtra, which sends 48 members to Lok Sabha, in seats where there is no tussle with its alliance partners, whereas Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) are yet t

Bawankule accuses Sharad Pawar of spreading rumours, calls it unfortunate

Bharatiya Janata Party's Maharashtra chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Sunday said it was unfortunate that senior leaders like Sharad Pawar were part of the group spreading rumours that the BJP intended to change the Constitution. The country's Constitution is very strong and no one can change it, the BJP leader said, adding that people should not fall prey to the "false narratives" of leaders, including NCP (SP) head Pawar. In a social media post, Bawankule said, "Rumours are being spread about BJP's intentions to change the Constitution because of the various guarantees offered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is unfortunate to see senior leaders like Sharad Pawar joining the herd." "No one can change the Constitution of the country. It is very strong. Sharad Pawar would definitely know the number of times the Congress party amended the Constitution," he said. Contrary to such record, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government always respected and honoured the Constitutio

BJP will pay the price for misuse of power: Pawar on Kejriwal's arrest

Sharad Pawar, who heads the Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar, on Friday condemned the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate, saying the BJP will have to pay the price for the misuse of power. Speaking to reporters at Baramati in Maharashtra's Pune district, Pawar said he is confident people will show their collective power in the elections the way they had demonstrated during Emergency. Referring to Kejriwal's arrest, Pawar (83) said federal agencies are being misused to suppress the voice of the Opposition. The ED on Thursday arrested Kejriwal, who is also the national convener of the Aam Aadmi Party, in an excise policy-linked money laundering case, triggering criticism from opposition INDIA bloc leaders. Congress' bank accounts have been frozen. As the accounts are frozen, their financial management for an election campaign has been hit. It shows that there is an attempt to stop the grand old party from using its resources fo

NCP vs NCP: SC allows Ajit Pawar faction provisional use of 'clock' symbol

The Supreme Court has directed the Election Commission to recognise Sharad Pawar's NCP faction and allowed them to use a new symbol for the upcoming state and general elections

Since Sharad Pawar's objection, we use Yashwantrao Chavan's name: Ajit

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP president Ajit Pawar on Thursday said that although following a split his party initially used the name and photos of his uncle Sharad Pawar, after the latter's objection, it started using state's first chief minister Yashwantrao Chavan's name and pictures. His made the statement after the Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday sought a response of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Ajit Pawar on a plea filed by the Sharad Pawar faction, alleging misuse of his name and pictures for political gains. The apex court directed the Ajit Pawar-led party to give a categorical and unconditional undertaking that the name, pictures of Sharad Pawar will not be used. Talking to reporters in his hometown Baramati in Pune district, Ajit Pawar said after he aligned with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra, his party started using the name and images of Sharad Pawar. "But after he (Sharad Pawar) objected to the use of his .

SC seeks Ajit Pawar faction's response on Sharad Pawar group's plea

The Supreme Court on Thursday sought response of the Nationalist Congress Party faction led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on a plea of the Sharad Pawar group alleging misuse of his name and pictures for political gains. A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and K V Viswanathan asked the Ajit Pawar faction to file its response by Saturday to Sharad Pawar's plea and fixed it for further hearing on March 19. We need a categorical and unconditional undertaking that the name, pictures of Sharad Pawar will not be used, the bench said. Earlier, the top court had directed that the Election Commission's order of February 7 allotting 'Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar' as the party name for the Sharad Pawar faction will continue till further orders. It had also sought response of the Ajit Pawar-led faction on a plea of Sharad Pawar against the February 6 order of the Election Commission recognising the Maharashtra deputy chief minister-led group as the real Nationalist ..

BJP will have to pay heavy price in LS polls for inflation: Sharad Pawar

The BJP-led government at the Centre will have to pay a heavy price in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections as a result of rising prices of daily use items, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) president Sharad Pawar said on Wednesday. Talking to reporters in Nashik, Pawar also said the government's decisions related to onion export, its "arbitrary policies" on ethanol and sugar industry have created disappointment among the farming community, which will reflect in the upcoming general elections. "The rising prices of various daily use items, arbitrary policies related to onion, ethanol and sugar industry have upset the farming community in the state. The Union government will have to pay a heavy price for it in the upcoming parliamentary elections," he said. The former Union agriculture minister was referring to the Centre's ban on onion export as well as ban on the use of sugarcane juice for making ethanol. On the seat-sharing formula of the three Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA)

CAA ahead of LS polls means attack on parliamentary democracy: Sharad Pawar

Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) president Sharad Pawar on Monday condemned the Centre's decision to notify the rules for the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), saying the move just ahead of the Lok Sabha polls amounts to an attack on parliamentary democracy. The Centre announced the implementation of the CAA 2019, a move that comes four years after the contentious law was passed by Parliament and paves the way for citizenship to undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. With this, the government will now start granting Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from the three countries. Talking to reporters here, Pawar hit out at the Centre over the CAA notification which comes just ahead of the announcement of the schedule for Lok Sabha polls, likely to be held in April-May. "Such a decision days ahead of the announcement of the Lok Sabha polls by the Election Commission of India (ECI) is an attack on parliamentary ...

BJP govt 'misusing' ED to create fear among Oppn leaders: Sharad Pawar

NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Monday alleged the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government was misusing agencies like the Enforcement Directorate to create fear among opposition leaders and called the ED "supporting party" of the BJP. Speaking to reporters in Pune, Pawar cited figures of the ED's actions between 2005 and 2023, claiming it registered 5,806 cases and only 25 of them have been disposed of. "The disposal rate is 0.42 per cent and the conviction rate is just 0.40 per cent. The ED's budget has gone up from Rs 300 crore in 2022 to Rs 404 crore," the former Union minister further claimed. "Between 2005 and 2023, two governments were in power, including the UPA of which we were also a part. During the UPA regime, the ED investigated 26 leaders, of whom five were from the Congress and three from the BJP. It shows that during the UPA regime ED's action was not politically motivated, but after 2014, not a single BJP leader has been questioned," Pawar said. These figures raise a .

NCP(SP) chief Pawar declares Supriya Sule as party candidate from Baramati

Sharad Pawar, who heads the NCP (SP), on Saturday declared MP Supriya Sule as their candidate from Maharashtra's Baramati Lok Sabha seat, amid speculation that Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra Pawar could be fielded from there. The octogenarian leader made the announcement during a rally organised by the opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi in Bhor tehsil of Pune district. Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut of Shiv Sena (UBT), an MVA constituent, was also present at the event. The Election Commission will announce the Lok Sabha poll schedule on March 14 or March 15, said Sharad Pawar. The EC has allotted man blowing turha (a traditional trumpet) symbol to his outfit. The elections will decide the future of our country. Nobody was so anxious about the future of the country so far, but now a change is needed. Today, PM Modi is not paying any attention towards farmer suicides. Instead, he is focussing all his attention only on Gujarat, he said. The NCP founder also accused the

Being in power important to get development works done, says Dy CM Pawar

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has said being in power is important to expedite the developmental works as an elected representative and he has taken a different political stand without compromising on his ideology. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Pawar, who switched over to the ruling NDA last year, in a letter to his supporters on Monday said his objective was never to betray anyone or hurt anyone's sentiments. He said he found his working style similar to that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, under whose leadership the country is making progress. "I have taken a different political stand without compromising on my ideology. I want to assure that henceforth the NCP under my leadership will work for implementing its development blueprint and not indulge in personal criticism of senior leaders," the deputy CM said without naming NCP founder and his uncle Sharad Pawar. "I have been on the ruling as well as the opposition side a

Bharat Ratna to Swaminathan to hide anti-farmer stance?: Sharad Pawar group

The Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar has claimed the Narendra Modi government bestowed the Bharat Ratna on eminent agricultural scientist late Dr MS Swaminathan to divert attention from its anti-farmer stance. One of the main demands of the farm outfits protesting currently is the implementation of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) mechanism based on the formula of Swaminathan but the Centre was unwilling to implement it, NCP's Sharad Pawar faction national spokesperson Clyde Crasto said on Sunday. "It is more than two weeks since the current farmers' protest started. The farmers have been stopped by the government from entering Delhi and placing their demands. They protested in 2020-21 too and after many lives were lost, the government took back the three farm laws as demanded by the farmers," Crasto said in a statement. The Union government's move to give Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian award, to Swaminathan was to divert the attention from its anti-farmer

Modi's guarantee was never fulfilled, claims NCP supremo Sharad Pawar

NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday said the 'guarantee' or promises given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the people of the country was never fulfilled. He was speaking at the first gathering of the workers of the opposition's INDIA bloc in the city, a program which was also attended by Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sachin Ahir. "Today's gathering is historic. A change will be seen in Maharashtra and the country (in the coming elections). The prime minister is trying to take the country on a different path. The rulers of the country are not working for the betterment of the people. Farmers are in deep trouble," Pawar said. Farmers have been protesting against the Union government for more than a year but it is not paying attention to them, he claimed. "Where is Modi's guarantee today? PM Modi gave multiple assurances but they were never fulfilled," Pawar said. "PM Modi said in Bhopal that the NCP is a corrupt party. I challenge this ...

Sharad Pawar faction of NCP gets 'man blowing turha' as party symbol

The Election Commission of India on Thursday allotted "man blowing turha (a traditional trumpet)" as the symbol of the Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar, the outfit's spokesperson Clyde Crasto said. "Our candidates will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls on this symbol," he told PTI. The Sharad Pawar-founded NCP split in July last year after Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs joined the Eknath Shinde government. The ECI later gave the party name and 'clock' symbol to the faction led by Deputy CM Ajit Pawar.

Rahul, Pawar discuss seat-sharing formula in Maharashtra for LS polls

Earlier, Congress's Maharashtra in-charge Ramesh Chennithala had said seat-sharing talks between the constituents of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) were in the last stage

Despite PM's 'guarantees', farmers are committing suicide: Sharad Pawar

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) founder Sharad Pawar on Wednesday said on one hand Prime Minister Narendra Modi is giving various "guarantees" to farmers, but on the other cultivators are committing suicide due to growing debt. Addressing NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) workers at a conclave at Manchar in Ambegaon tehsil, the home turf of Maharashtra Cabinet minister Dilip Walse Patil in Pune district, the former Union agriculture minister painted a grim picture of the farm sector. "Today, farmers are facing hardships in the country. He toils hard but despite that he does not get remunerative price for his products. If input cost is high and output is low, then it leads to farmers getting debt-ridden and due to this situation, farmers take extreme steps. Such a scenario is currently prevalent in the country," said the veteran politician. Newspapers and television channels are full of advertisements where the PM is seen offering various "guarantees" to farmers such as good price and ...

Ashok Chavan's exit from Cong prompted by Adarsh scam: Sharad Pawar

Former Union minister Sharad Pawar on Wednesday claimed the mention of Adarsh housing scam in a white paper tabled in Parliament was kind of a "threat", prompting Ashok Chavan's exit from the Congress. Chavan, who joined the BJP last week, has denied such claims. He is an accused in the Adarsh housing society scam wherein a 31-storey posh building in south Mumbai was constructed allegedly on land owned by the Defence Ministry without getting the requisite permissions and clearances. The scandal led to Chavan's resignation as the Maharashtra's chief minister in 2010. Asked about Chavan's exit from the Congress, Pawar told reporters in Kolhapur that though the development was surprising for everyone, he was not surprised personally. "The reason is that the BJP had tabled a white paper on their last 10 years of performance and their opinions about the opposition. In that white paper, there was a mention of the Adarsh society and Ashok Chavan. After that mention, we assumed that it co