In the wake of the Shiv Sena (UBT) announcing 17 candidates for the Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra, Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam on Saturday said his party should not allow itself to be arm-twisted by the Uddhav Thackeray-led outfit for the seats in Mumbai. He claimed that the Sena (UBT) was not in a position to win any seat without Congress' support. Earlier this week, the Sena (UBT) brought out a list of 17 candidates, and said it would contest a total of 22 parliamentary seats in Maharashtra. These seats included four in Mumbai. Nirupam himself is eyeing to contest the Mumbai North-West seat from where he lost in 2019, However, the Thackeray-led party's move triggered unease among the other two Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies - Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) - as the three parties are yet to finalise the seat-sharing deal for the Lok Sabha polls, which will be held in five phases in Maharashtra starting April 19. Talking to PTI, Nirupam said, "Th
Maharashtra Congress leader Naseem Khan on Friday said the unilateral announcement of candidates by the Shiv Sena (UBT) had angered his party workers and the state unit was keen on "friendly fights" in six Lok Sabha constituencies. The Congress, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) comprise the Maha Vikas Aghadi. "We met today and decided to communicate to the central leadership that we will have friendly fights on six seats, namely Sangli, Mumbai South Central, Mumbai North West and some more places. The manner in which Shiv Sena (UBT) announced candidates on seats claimed by Congress has angered our party workers," Khan said. The Shiv Sena (UBT) announced its candidates in Sangli, Mumbai South Central, Mumbai North West, while the NCP(SP) is claiming Bhiwandi.
Lok Sabha elections: Bollywood actor Govinda on Thursday joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, marking his re-entry into politics after a 14 year hiatus. Here is his journey
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday asked the BJP to apologise to former prime minister Manmohan Singh after the CBI filed a closure report in its Air India-Indian Airlines merger case. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a closure report in its probe into the alleged irregularities in the leasing of aircraft by NACIL, a company formed by the merger of Air India and Indian Airlines during the UPA era, as there was no evidence of any wrongdoing, officials said Thursday. NCP leader Praful Patel, who now belongs to the outfit headed by Ajit Pawar, was the Union civil aviation minister in the earlier Congress-led United Progress Alliance (UPA) government when the leasing was done. Talking to reporters, Raut said the BJP had made a hue and cry over alleged corruption in the civil aviation sector during Manmohan Singh's tenure as PM. The BJP must apologise to Dr Singh, he said. The National Aviation Corporation of India Limited (NACIL) was formed after the mer
Govinda had earlier met Krishna Hegde, who is a spokesperson for Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, at his residence
The Maharashtra Congress on Wednesday objected to the Shiv Sena (UBT) announcing its candidates for the Bhiwandi, Mumbai South Central and Sangli Lok Sabha seats, saying MVA partners must stick to "coalition dharma". Congress Legislature Party leader Balasaheb Thorat urged Sena (UBT) to reconsider its decision. However, his party colleague Sanjay Nirupam adopted a more belligerent stand, attacking their leadership for letting the Uddhav Thackeray-led outfit grab most of the seats in Mumbai. Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) constituents Congress, Sena (UBT) and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) have been holding seat-sharing discussions for the 48 constituencies in Maharashtra, where the Lok Sabha polls will be held in five phases starting April 19. Amid the talks, Sena (UBT) earlier in the day released its first list of 17 candidates for the upcoming elections and said it will contest a total of 22 seats in the state. Congress Legislature Party leader Balasaheb Thorat said the announcement was not
Nirpuam who had represented Mumbai North in 2009 in the Lok Sabha said that the decision of the Shiv Sena to field candidates in Mumbai, is meant to side-line the Congress
The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Wednesday released its first list of 16 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, nominating former Union ministers Anant Geete and Arvind Sawant from Raigad and South Mumbai constituencies respectively. The party also fielded Rajan Vichare from Thane, Amol Kirtikar from Mumbai North-West, and Sanjay Patil from Mumbai North-East. The Uddhav Thackeray-led party is a constituent of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in the state. Another MVA constituent, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) is yet to officially declare its candidates in the state for the April-May Lok Sabha polls. On the other hand, the Congress, which is also a part of the state-level grouping of the opposition parties, has declared its candidates on some seats where there is no tussle with its alliance partners. Maharashtra, which has 48 Lok Sabha seats, the second highest after Uttar Pradesh (80), will vote in five phases starting from April 19.
Senior party leaders Anil Desai, Arvind Sawant, and MP Gajanan Kirtikar's son, Amol Kirtikar, are among the prominent names announced
The ED initiated a money laundering case against Bobhate based on the CBI's corruption case, which alleges that Bobhate and his wife amassed disproportionate assets
The Shiv Sena (UBT)'s first list of candidates in Maharashtra for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections will be formally declared on March 26, party leader Sanjay Raut said on Monday. The list of the Uddhav Thackeray-led opposition party, a constituent of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in the state, will contain up to 16 names, he said. "The Shiv Sena (UBT)'s (first) list will be declared tomorrow (March 26). We will declare candidates for 15-16 seats tomorrow," the Rajya Sabha MP told reporters here. So far, Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray has given indications that Amol Kiritkar (Mumbai North-West), Chandrahar Patil (Sangli) and Anant Gete (Raigad) will be party candidates from these three Lok Sabha seats. Another MVA constituent, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) is yet to officially declare its candidates in the state for the April-May Lok Sabha polls. On the other hand, the Congress, which is also a part of the state-level grouping of the opposition parties, has declared its ...
Comparing Kejriwal with the freedom fighters, Raut said that even during the freedom struggle, the leaders who went to jail came out stronger
A day after Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi chief Prakash Ambedkar said the alliance with Shiv Sena (UBT) doesn't exist any longer, Sanjay Raut of the Uddhav Thackeray-led party termed it as a "one-sided" and unfortunate decision. Talking to reporters here on Sunday, Raut said when Uddhav Thackeray and Prakash Ambedkar announced their alliance more than a year back, the upcoming Lok Sabha elections were not on the agenda. It was basically working together for the assembly and local bodies elections, he said. "The alliance was made with good intentions," the Sena (UBT) leader said. "Ambedkar should have discussed with Thackeray before making such an announcement. It is one-sided and unfortunate," Raut said, adding that the VBA chief, grandson of Dr B R Ambedkar, should reconsider his decision. The Maha Vikas Aghadi's (MVA) offer of four seats in Maharashtra to Prakash Ambedkar still remains, Raut said. Elections to the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra will be held in five phases on April
Qwik Supply Chain Private Ltd, a little-known company with a registered address at Navi Mumbai's Dhirubhai Ambani Knowledge City (DAKC) and having links to Reliance Industries, gave Rs 395 crore to the BJP and Rs 25 crore to the Shiv Sena, data uploaded by the Election Commission showed Thursday. Qwik Supply, the third largest donor to political parities using electoral bonds, bought Rs 410 crore bonds between 2021-22 and 2023-24, and gave all but Rs 25 crore to the BJP. The amount of Rs 25 crore was given to the Shiv Sena in 2022. The company, which is described as a manufacturer of warehouses and storage units, gave no money any other political party, the data uploaded by the Election Commission showed. Electoral bond purchases and donated by Qwik Supply were behind Rs 1,368 crore of Future Gaming and Hotel Services -- another little-known lottery company -- and Rs 966 crore of Hyderabad-based Megha Engineering & Infra. Honeywell Properties Private Ltd, another firm with a ...
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday said the INDIA bloc rally at Mumbai's Shivaji Park, a venue from where Balasaheb Thackeray often addressed the country, was a black day for the Shiv Sena. Shivaji Park has traditionally been the venue for rallies and gatherings of the Shiv Sena. Rahul Gandhi is ending his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra with a rally at Shivaji Park and it will be a show of strength for the INDIA bloc, with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and SP chief Akhilesh taking part in it. On his arrival at the venue, Gandhi paid floral tributes to the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and visited the memorial of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackray and paid his respects. The last rally of the Congress at the venue was addressed by Sonia Gandhi in 2003. Speaking to reporters, Shinde said, "It is a black day for the Shiv Sena, as Shivaji Park is the venue from where Balasaheb addressed the country and today you (Udddhav) are sharing the sta
Splits in key political parties Shiv Sena and NCP have made the battle for the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra more interesting, besides the focus on traditional issues like unemployment and farmer suicides. Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra will be held in five phases on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13 and May 20. Counting of votes will be held on June 4. The BJP-Shiv Sena won 41 of the 48 seats in the 2019 polls, but the Sena has split since and a vast majority of the Bal Thackeray-founded party is now allied with the BJP. The Nationalist Congress Party also split as well with Ajit Pawar joining the ruling alliance in the state, led by Eknath Shinde. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP emerged the top party with 23 seats, followed by the undivided Sena with 18. The undivided NCP had emerged victorious on four seats, the Congress one, while the AIMIM and an Independent accounted for the remaining two. A total of 9.2 crore persons, including more than 50,000 centenarians, are ..
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Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has again asked Union minister Nitin Gadkari to leave the BJP if he is being "insulted", saying the opposition in Maharashtra would ensure his victory in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Speaking at a rally at Pusad in eastern Maharashtra's Yavatmal district on Tuesday, Thackeray said people like (former Congress leader) Kripashankar Singh, whom the BJP once targeted (over alleged corruption), figured in the saffron party's first list of candidates along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but Gadkari's name was missing. "I had told Gadkari this two days ago, and I am repeating it again. If you are being insulted, leave the BJP and join the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). We will ensure your victory. We will make you a minister when our government comes to power, and it will be a post with powers," he said. The opposition MVA comprises the Shiv Sena (UBT), Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) and Congress. Last week, responding to Thackeray's offer to Gadkari t
A day after Election Commissioner Arun Goel resigned, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday claimed the Election Commission of India is no longer an autonomous watchdog, but works as an extended branch of the ruling BJP. The opposition NCP faction led by Sharad Pawar said Goel's sudden resignation ahead of the Lok Sabha polls appeared suspicious. Election Commissioner Arun Goel resigned on Saturday, days before the expected announcement of the schedule for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. His tenure was till December 5, 2027, and he would have become Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) after incumbent Rajiv Kumar's retirement in February next year. "Whether the ECI exists or not, it has no meaning especially after how it has given orders under BJP's pressure in the cases of Shiv Sena and NCP splits, completely in violation of the 10th schedule," Raut claimed while talking to reporters. "The ECI is not the autonomous watchdog it used to be in the time of TN Seshan, but works as an ..
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