Turmeric Board Boon to the Quality Produce, Remunerative Price
Nizamabad: The National Turmeric Board (NTB) will change the fate of farmers across the country, especially in Telangana state. From cultivation to exports, the board will play key role. The farmers are eagerly waiting for the initiative of the board for improvement of crop and its benefits. On war footing basis, the officials began arrangements for the setting up of the board in Nizamabad. Maharashtra is top producer of turmeric, but the central government set up the National Turmeric Board in Nizamabad by giving importance to the Telangana state. However, the quality of turmeric cultivated in north Telangana districts is superior. Usually, farmers bring wet turmeric for sale in the Nizamabad agriculture market yard for early disposal of the produce. Only dried turmeric, either finger variety or bulb variety will get remunerative price. In view of this, the Spices Board India created awareness among the farmers over dried turmeric for the last few years. Exclusive Turmeric Board will create awareness over cultivation and marketing strategies to the farmers. For better price, Telangana farmers sent the turmeric to Sangli market in Maharashtra. Speaking to Deccan Chronicle , Spices Board India Nizamabad deputy director Sundareshan said that they are waiting for the norms from the central government over Turmeric Board function. Both Spices Board India office and Turmeric Board will work in Nizamabad, he said. Spices Board dealt with 52 spices barring the turmeric soon, he said. We are trying to cooperate with the farmers to cultivate quality turmeric and get remunerative prices, he explained. Meanwhile, 30 varieties of turmeric crops are being cultivated in around 20 states across the country. Of the world's need for turmeric, India will cater 62 percent of the global market. As for food, cosmetic and medicinal needs, turmeric is being used in various countries. For the last five years, the model price of turmeric stands between Rs 6,350 to Rs 15,000 per quintal in Nizamabad agriculture market yard.
Maha minister Nitesh Rane ignites political storm with EVM remark
Maharashtras newly elected minister and BJP leader Nitesh Rane has once again sparked a wave of controversy with his anti-Muslim inflammatory rhetoric. This time he provocatively reinterpreted the acronym EVM (Electronic Voting Machine). Speaking at a Hindu Garjana Sabha in Sangli, Rane declared that EVM means Every Vote Against Mullah, escalating his pattern of making Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
Maharashtra accident: 19 students injured after truck hits bus in Sangli
The incident happened in the morning when a multi-axle truck hit the bus near the Miraj-Tanang intersection Tanang, the police officials said
A Bengaluru CEO and five family members died after a container truck crashed onto their SUV. The accident occurred on NH48 near Nelamangala while they were traveling to Sangli. The truck driver lost control while avoiding another car, hitting a milk truck before crushing the SUV. The truck driver and milk truck driver survived with injuries.
Six killed in Nelamangala Highway crash, including tech CEO, family
A devastating accident on the National Highway in Nelamangala, Bengaluru, claimed the lives of six individuals, leaving behind a scene of horror. The victims, including Chandram Yegapagol, a 46-year-old tech CEO, and five of his family members, died instantly in the collision. Yegapagol, who resided in Bengalurus HSR Layout, was the CEO and managing director of IAST Software Solutions, a company he founded in 2018. Originally from Morbagi village in Maharashtras Sangli district, he had an impressive academic background, holding a diploma in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from GPT Gulbarga and a Bachelor of Engineering from the renowned National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK) Surathkal. Yegapagols career was marked by significant leadership roles at prestigious companies such as Robert Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions, KPIT Technologies, and Great Wall Motor in China. His wealth of experience helped him establish IAST Software Solutions, which grew to employ over 100 skilled engineers and had a global reach, with a wholly owned subsidiary in Shanghai and partnerships with companies in France and Japan. The company also expanded its operations to Pune. In the tragic accident, Yegapagol was accompanied by his wife Gurabai, his sister-in-law Vijayalaxmi, his two children, and a niece, all of whom perished at the scene. According to preliminary police investigations, the accident occurred when an Eicher truck, transporting heavy aluminum pillars, lost control. The driver, reportedly trying to avoid another vehicle, veered off the road and crossed the median. The truck then crashed into a Volvo car traveling toward Tumakuru, resulting in a catastrophic impact that severely damaged the vehicle. Before coming to a stop, the truck also collided with a tempo, though the damage to the tempo was minimal. Nearby CCTV footage captured the horrifying moment of the collision. Police are currently examining the footage as part of their ongoing investigation.
Cyclone Fengal: Maharashtra's Mango, Cashew Farmers Worried As IMD Predicts Rain, Dip In Mercury
Heavy rain is likely in Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri, Satara, and Kolhapur on Wednesday. In addition, districts like Pune, Solapur, Sangli, and parts of Marathwada, including Dharashiv, Latur, and Nanded, may experience rainfall during this period
Three of family dead as car plunges into Krishna River near Maharashtra's Sangli district
SANGLI: Three members of a family were killed after their car plunged into the Krishna river in western Maharashtra's Sangli district in the early hours of Thursday, police said. The accident took place on the Ankali bridge around 12:30 am when two families, the Khedekars and Narvekars, residents of Sangli, were returning after attending a wedding in Kolhapur. There are two bridges on the Krishna river at the spot, an old one and a new one, adjacent to each other. The driver lost control of the car while it was passing through the old bridge and it fell between the two bridges, said a police official. It landed on a dry patch near a bridge pillar, he added. Six severely injured persons were taken to hospital. While Prasad Bhalchandra Khedekar (35), his wife Prerana (36) and Vaishnavi Santosh Narvekar (21) died, Samarjeet Prasad Khedekar (7), Varad Santosh Narvekar (19) and Sakshi Santosh Narvekar (42) were undergoing treatment, the official said.
Three of Family Die as Car Plunges Into Krishna River
Sangli: Three members of a family were killed after their car plunged into the Krishna river in western Maharashtra's Sangli district in the early hours of Thursday, police said.The accident took place on the Ankali bridge around 12.30 am when two families, the Khedekars and Narvekars, residents of Sangli, were returning after attending a wedding in Kolhapur. There are two bridges on the Krishna river at the spot, an old one and a new one, adjacent to each other. The driver lost control of the car while it was passing through the old bridge and it fell between the two bridges, said a police official. It landed on a dry patch near a bridge pillar, he added. Six severely injured persons were taken to hospital. While Prasad Bhalchandra Khedekar (35), his wife Prerana (36) and Vaishnavi Santosh Narvekar (21) died, Samarjeet Prasad Khedekar (7), Varad Santosh Narvekar (19) and Sakshi Santosh Narvekar (42) were undergoing treatment, the official said.
Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay | Will Sena, NCP rivals unite? Uddhav & Pawar still in play
Understandably, most analysts, including this writer, scrutinise the electoral performance of winner(s), seats won, vote share -- also in comparison with losers, factors that led to victory, the reasons for the inversion of the verdict (if so), and how the campaign was conducted. In most elections, especially with a multilateral polity which gets converted into a bipolar contest because of alliances, it is rare to come across a clearly defined contest between mutual adversaries. However, Maharashtra has, since 2023, after the vertical split in the NCP, been a political theatre with two, if not three, paired antagonists, neatly divided between the two adversarial alliances, Mahayuti and Maha Vikas Aghhadi (MVA). It doesnt need much effort to list three pairs, officially named by the Election Commission as Shiv Sena-Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP-NCP (Sharad Pawar), with the last one obviously being the BJP and the Congress. Before Shiv Sena and NCP splits in 2022 and 2023 respectively, both parties were part of the MVA. But prior to 2019, the Shiv Sena was the BJPs alliance partner for almost 35 years from 1984 onwards. Even before the BJP emerged as a party of significance in the late 1980s (except of course in the 1970s when its earlier Jan Sangh avatar was an important player in the anti-Congress space), the BJP and the Sena jointly took up the Hindu right-wing space. Bal Thackeray increasingly took up this space as the son of the soil was not echoing like earlier, by coming out more openly in support of the Ram Mandir agitation and the post-liberalisation celebration of Valentines Day, than the muted backing from the BJP prior to Lal Krishna Advanis 1991 Rath Yatra. The Sena, under Bal Thackeray or Uddhav Thackeray later, did not deviate from its pro-Hindutva stance. Given this, Uddhav Thackerays 2019 decision to part ways with the BJP was not taken on an ideological basis, it was just a shift made for pursuit of the CMs chair. The split in 2022 was also triggered by power-hungry Eknath Shinde, who found a keen partner in the BJP as its leadership wanted to get even with Uddhav Thackeray and seize power. The Congress, especially its national leadership, displayed discomfort over teaming up with the Shiv Sena, even after its split, but being in government remained the motivator. When the NCP split last year, Ajit Pawar had no ideological qualms in walking over from an anti-Hindutva alliance to the BJP-led coalition so long as he secured the deputy chief ministers position and a few important ministries. It is also worth recollecting during the campaign period, Ajit Pawar as well as Sharad Pawar, had stated that in 2019, they had meetings to discuss possibilities of forming a government in partnership with the BJP. We must remember that back then, the former even crossed over to the BJP side and taken the oath as deputy CM for a few days before quitting and returning to the party led by his uncle. Governance in Maharashtra was, and has been, secured without ideological reasons, even though the primary position of the BJP remains pro-Hindutva and that of its paired antagonist, the Congress, is essentially anti-Hindutva. According to the numerical hierarchy in the two alliances in terms of seats won, in the Mahayuti the sequence (or hierarchy) is: BJP (132), SHS (57) and NCP (41). According to vote-share, the sequence remains the same: BJP (26.77%), SHS (12.38%), and NCP (9.01). In the MVA, the largest to smallest party listing has got altered: SHSUBT (20), Congress (16), and NCP (10); on basis of vote-share: Congress (12.42%), NCPSP (11.28%) and SHSUBT (9.96%). The variance in numerical hierarchy within the MVA is different between the two parameters of listing and is a vagary of the first-past-the-post system. Our electoral system at times becomes more unfair in multi-polar contests -- even when it is bipolar in terms of alliances. For instance, in the Lok Sabha polls, the total vote-share of the MVA was 44.9% (including votes polled by victorious rebel candidate from Sangli who rejoined Congress), while that of the Mahayuti was 42.73, a difference of 2.17%. The total seats differed more widely: MVA (31) and Mahayuti (17). But in the Assembly elections, the three Mahayuti parties bagged 230 parties and polled 48.16% votes while the MVA parties got 46 seats and 33.66%. Another instance of peculiarity is the vote-share in this Assembly election of the Ajit Pawar NCP faction (9.01%) while that of his uncles faction is more (11.28%), even though the nephews party won four times more seats. Likewise, Eknath Shindes faction may have bagged almost three times the seats, but Uddhav Thackerays partys votes are just 2.42% lower. The oddity of the electoral system is that the BJP, with 26.77% votes, won almost 46% of the seats. The stark disproportion between vote-share or actual electoral support and seat tally makes a strong case to deliberate if India should seriously debate shifting to a proportionate system of voting or not. But this matter can be taken up separately and instead we can examine various possibilities for the two factions each in the Shiv Sena and the NCP: will leaders of the four parties reunite with the other faction, or continue as separate parties or gradually head towards extinction. Whenever the question of the political demise of any leader or party is raised, I get reminded of Narendra Modis words while he was a party functionary in New Delhi in late 1990s. While working on a profile of one of his colleagues who was passing through a turbulent period, I asked if this leaders career was over. He said that there was never a full stop in life till it was divinely fated. Despite the bitterness with which the four parties parted ways with their colleagues, there is a far greater chance for the Pawars to come together once again, because despite winning fewer seats, Sharad Pawars political base appears bigger, the fewer seats are because of factors linked to which seats the two contested and their performance in them, even the ones lost. In contrast, Uddhav Thackeray will face a greater challenge, especially if Eknath Shinde remains CM and is in a position to hand out power and resources to party leaders. Much would also depend on the BJP, particularly if it acts like a domineering party on the basis of its higher tally, as both Mr Shinde and Ajit Pawar will examine their options, although not immediately. This means that for the moment, the vanquished will fall back, but as it is colloquially said in a different context, party abhi baaki hai .
3 Dead, 9 Injured After Gas Leak At Fertiliser Plant In Maharashtra
Police said a reactor at the fertiliser plant in Maharashtra's Sangli district exploded releasing chemical fumes.
3 dead, eight injured after gas leak at pharmaceutical company in Maharashtra
A gas leak at a pharmaceutical company in Sangli, Maharashtra, resulted in the deaths of three individuals and injuries to eight others on Thursday night. The incident is suspected to have been caused by a reactor explosion. In a separate incident, a major fire broke out at a factory near Tarapur MIDC in Palghar district on Thursday morning.
Maharashtra: 3 killed, 9 hospitalised after gas leak at fertiliser plant in Sangli
Sangli Superintendent of Police Sandip Ghuge said the gas is suspected to be ammonia. Seven of the injured persons have been admitted to Sahyadri Hospital in Karad and five of them are in the ICU, said another official.
Three killed, nine hospitalised following gas leak at fertiliser plant in Maharashtra
A reactor explosion at a Maharashtra fertiliser plant released toxic fumes, suspected to be ammonia, tragically killing three people and hospitalising nine others. The incident occurred at the Myanmar Chemical Company in Sangli district, claiming the lives of two female workers and a security guard.
Kharge likens BJP and RSS to poison; says 'poisonous snake should be killed'
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, during a rally in Sangli, criticized the BJP and RSS, comparing them to poison. He also condemned UP CM Yogi Adityanath for continuing his campaign despite a hospital fire tragedy. Kharge questioned PM Modi's absence during the Manipur crisis and his focus on foreign visits over domestic issues.
Everyone in Maharashtra wants Mahayuti govt, victorious Fadnavis: Amit Shah
SANGLI (Maha), Nov 8 : Senior BJP leader Amit Shah on Friday said people across Maharashtra wanted the Mahayuti government to retain power after the assembly elections, and to ensure victory of deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Speaking at a campaign rally at Shirala in Sangli district, Shah said the Narendra Modi-led BJP government is in power at the Centre, and the government of the BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP alliance was needed to be formed in the state after the elections. On [] The post Everyone in Maharashtra wants Mahayuti govt, victorious Fadnavis: Amit Shah appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
Rahul, descendants wont be able to restore 370: Shah
SANGLI, Nov 8: Neither Congress leader Rahul Gandhi nor his fourth generation will be be able to bring back Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, Union Minister Amit Shah said on Friday in a stinging attack on the opposition at a poll rally in Maharashtras Sangli. Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp Addressing a rally in Sangli for Mahayuti (ruling alliance) candidates Sudhir Gadgil and Sanjay Kaka Patil, the Union Minister said the Congress was [] The post Rahul, descendants wont be able to restore 370: Shah appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
Neither Rahul Gandhi nor his descendants will be able to restore Art 370: Shah
Sangli, Nov 8: Neither Congress leader Rahul Gandhi nor his fourth generation will be be able to bring back Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, Union minister Amit Shah said on Friday in a stinging attack on the opposition at a poll rally in Maharashtras Sangli. The J-K assembly on Wednesday [] The post Neither Rahul Gandhi nor his descendants will be able to restore Art 370: Shah appeared first on Northlines .
Amit Shahs comments stir controversy, debate in Maharashtra
Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shahs recent rally in Shirala, Sangli district, Maharashtra, has sparked a political and academic debate following his remarks linking the revered saint Ramdas to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Shah stated, This (Maharashtra) is the land where the feet of Samarth Ramdas Maharaj touched, and asserted that Ramdas united the youth in support of Shivaji Maharaj during colonial rule. Shahs portrayal has faced strong criticism from several political leaders, especially within the Maratha community. Shambhajiraje Chhatrapati, a prominent member of the Maratha royal family and former Rajya Sabha MP, voiced his disagreement, asserting that Shivaji Maharajs only true guru was his mother, Jijau Maasaheb. He emphasised her profound influence on Shivajis life, underscoring that this should be recognised in any historical context. While he acknowledged that both Shivaji Maharaj and Sant Ramdas hold significant places in Indian history, Chhatrapati argued that it was inappropriate to imply a direct connection between the two as Shah suggested. Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole also criticised Shah, asserting that BJP-RSS is attempting to distort history by linking Shivaji Maharaj to Ramdas. Shivaji Maharaj was a great leader, and no one can match him; therefore, BJP should stop comparing him to anyone. BJP should not insult our icons, Patole said. Kharge slams Fadnavis, says people of Maharashtra will give a befitting reply to BJP Historian Indrajeet Sawant supported this criticism, stating that historical records lack any reference to Shivaji Maharaj meeting or receiving assistance from Ramdas. BJP-RSS is portraying distorted history because that suits them, but it is not linked to reality, Sawant commented. Shah, however, shifted his focus to the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections, asserting that the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance would face defeat, similar to Congresss loss in Haryana. He alleged that Uddhav Thackeray, leader of Shiv Sena (UBT), is aiming to make his son Aaditya Thackeray the chief minister, while Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar wants the same role for his daughter, Supriya Sule. If MVA comes to power in Maharashtra by mistake, Uddhav Thackeray wants to make his son the chief minister, (Sharad) Pawar Saheb wants the post for his daughter, and there are a dozen leaders in Congress who have already stitched clothes to become the CM, said Shah. Claiming that the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance would emerge victorious, Shah added, These MVA people had purchased crackers worth crores of rupees, thinking they would win Haryana, but in most places, they gave their crackers to BJP workers. In Haryana, Congress was wiped out. Similarly, the Aghadi will be wiped out in Maharashtra, and BJP will form a government. Shah urged voters to place their trust in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for Maharashtras progress. This government, under the leadership of Narendra Modi and Devendra Fadnavis, will be built on the trust that the people of Maharashtra have placed in them, and the NDA will come to power here, he stated.
Neither Rahul Gandhi nor his descendants will be able to restore Article 370: Amit Shah
Sangli: Neither Congress leader Rahul Gandhi nor his fourth generation will be be able to bring back Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, Union minister Amit Shah said on Friday in a stinging attack on the opposition at a poll rally in Maharashtra's Sangli. The J-K assembly on Wednesday passed a resolution seeking a dialogue between the Central government and elected representatives for restoration of Article 370 granting special status to the erstwhile state. The move was hailed by the valley-based political parties while it prompted protests by the main opposition BJP which demanded its rollback. The provision was scrapped on August 5, 2019. Addressing a rally in Sangli for Mahayuti (ruling alliance) candidates Sudhir Gadgil and Sanjay Kaka Patil, the Union Minister said the Congress was supporting the National Conference, the ruling party in J-K, in this endeavour. From the land of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, I am telling you Rahul baba that neither you nor you fourth generation will be able to restore Article 370. Every child of the country is ready to fight for Kashmir, the senior BJP leader asserted. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the decision to abrogate Article 370, I brought the bill (in Parliament) but Rahul Gandhi, Sharad Pawar, Mamta Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav and Stalin opposed the move. They said do not remove Article 370 as it would lead to bloodshed in the Valley. Forget rivers of blood, nobody dared to throw a stone, Shah said. During the UPA government of Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh, terrorist attacks were frequent, but after Modi became PM, the incidents at Uri and Pulwama led to surgical strikes that wiped out terrorists in Pakistan, Shah told the gathering. Modi's efforts led to the construction of a grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya, which was being stalled by the Congress for the past 70 years, he said. After Modi came to power, in five years, the court's judgement was delivered, the temple's foundation stone was laid, it was constructed and the consecration ceremony took place, he said. Attacking Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for showing a copy of the Constitution at his rallies to attack the BJP, Shah said the Constitution is not an election agenda. The Constitution is about trust but these people (Congress) are seeking votes in the name of the Constitution and bluffing. Today, in one of the poll rallies, copies of the Constitution were distributed. The front cover was okay but the inside pages were blank. Not a single word was printed on them. Gandhi has insulted the Constitution, insulted Babasaheb Ambedkar and people of India, Shah said. Gandhi should tell the people whether the copy of the Constitution that he held while taking oath as MP in Parliament was real or fake, Shah said. Gandhi recently said the country does not need reservations. But as long as the Modi government is in power, no one has the guts to touch the Constitution. Reservations for SCs, STs and OBCs will remain the way it always was, Shah asserted. Maharashtra assembly polls will be held on November 20, while results will be declared on November 23.
MVA will lose in Maharashtra like Congress lost Haryana: Amit Shah in Sangli
MVA will be wiped out in Maharashtra the way Cong was defeated in Haryana: Amit Shah
Sangli: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will be wiped out in Maharashtra in the assembly elections the same way the Congress faced a defeat in Haryana. He also said that while Uddhav Thackeray wants his son (Aaditya Thackeray) to become the chief minister of Maharashtra and Sharad Pawar wishes the same for his daughter (Supriya Sule), there are a number of leaders in the Congress who are vying for the post. Shah was addressing an election rally at Shirala in Sangli district to garner support for BJP candidates from Shirala and Islampur constituencies ahead of the November 20 assembly polls. If MVA comes to power in Maharashtra by mistake, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray wants to make his son the chief minister, (Sharad) Pawar saheb wants the post for his daughter and there are a dozen leaders in the Congress who have already stitched clothes to become the CM, Shah said. The former BJP president said those who wish to make their sons the chief minister should work for the welfare of people of Shirala. The development of this region can only happen by Devendra Fadnavis, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar's Mahayuti under the leadership of Modiji. We want to tell you that whatever promises Modi ji makes, they are fulfilled, he said. But whatever promises that are made by Congress leaders, are never fulfilled, he alleged. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge himself says that whatever promises his party makes are imaginary, Shah claimed. Expressing confidence that Mahayuti will win the state elections, Shah said, These MVA people had purchased crackers worth crores of rupees thinking that they will win Haryana, but in most of the places, they gave their crackers to the BJP workers. In Haryana, the Congress was wiped out. Similarly, the Aghadi will be wiped out in Maharashtra as BJP will form a government, he said.
MVA will be wiped out in Maharashtra: Amit Shah
Sangli: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will be wiped out in Maharashtra in the assembly elections the same way the Congress faced a defeat in Haryana. He also said that while Uddhav Thackeray wants his son (Aaditya Thackeray) to become the chief minister of Maharashtra and Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
Congress calls for probe into Ajit Pawar move into NDA fold
New Delhi: The Congress on Saturday called for a probe into alleged blackmail and coercion tactics used to bring NCP leader Ajit Pawar into the NDA fold. Taking a swipe at the BJP, the Congress also said the saffron partys washing machine was nowhere more powerful than in Maharashtra. Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh cited Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawars recent remarks to claim that the issue involved not just the use of coercion and blackmail but also breach of the oath of confidentiality and the Official Secrets Act. The BJPs washing machine is an all-India phenomenon but perhaps nowhere was it more powerful than in Maharashtra, he said. The use of the term washing machine by the Opposition in political parlance refers to the pattern of allegedly sullied leaders being inducted into the BJP and portrayed as clean. When in Opposition before 2014, the BJP raised allegations about massive corruption by Ajit Pawar, then the states irrigation and water resources minister and the allegations claimed corruption to the tune of `70,000 crore, Ramesh pointed out. The Congress leader claimed that Ajit Pawar has now confirmed that blackmail and coercion surrounding these charges were used by the BJP to bring him over to the National Democratic Alliance. The non-biological Prime Minister himself led the charge, famously labelling the NCP now his much beloved ally at the state and Centre as a Naturally Corrupt Party, he said. Ajit Pawar has now revealed that after becoming Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis showed him a file recommending an open inquiry against Ajit Pawar in the alleged irrigation scam. One can only imagine the threat that was implicit in this move: submit to us, or face action, Mr Ramesh said. Ajit Pawar and several other MLAs broke away from the Nationalist Congress Party led by his uncle Sharad Pawar and joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government in the state last year. The Congress leader asserted that this was a serious matter since it involved not just the use of coercion and blackmail but also breach of the oath of confidentiality and the Official Secrets Act. An investigation should be conducted into this matter, he said. His remarks came days after Pawar alleged he was backstabbed by close colleague and then home minister R.R. Patil, who ordered an open inquiry against him in the alleged multi-crore irrigation scam. Pawar claimed a file mentioning Patils remarks ordering an inquiry was shown to him by Fadnavis after he became chief minister in 2014. Mr Pawar made these claims while addressing a rally for NCP candidate Sanjay Kaka Patil, who is in the fray against the late Patils son Rohit from Tasgaon in Sangli district.
Maharashtra polls: Candidates sweat over Independents with identical names
In the upcoming November 20 assembly elections, candidates in various constituencies face challenges from Independent candidates with identical names, posing potential voter confusion. Notably, Rohit Raosaheb Patil contests against similar-named Independents in Sangli, while similar cases arise in Pune with Bapusaheb Tukaram Pathare and Ashwini Nitin Kadam.
MVA Kicks Off First Joint Rally for Maharashtra Polls Today
Mumbai : The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will hold its first joint rally on Thursday for the Maharashtra Assembly election in Mumbai. At the rally, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge will announce the Congresss guarantees in the presence of Shiv Sena(UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and NCP(SP) chief Sharad Pawar. Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole said the event will be held at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in the evening. Mr Gandhi will be on a one-day visit to Maharashtra. He will first participate in the Sanvidhan Bachao meeting in Nagpur in the morning. After that, he will attend the MVAs joint rally at the BKC, he said. In the past, the Congress released its guarantee cards, containing poll promises for the 2024 general election and several recent state Assembly elections. Among the MVA allies, the Congress is contesting the highest number of seats (103) in Maharashtra, followed by the Shiv Sena(UBT) 89 and the NCP(SP) 87 seats. Six seats have been given to other MVA allies, while there is no clarity on three Assembly segments. According to reports, the MVA allies have also fielded candidates against each other in at least six seats. Congresss Maharashtra in-charge Ramesh Chennithala acknowledged misunderstanding, but insisted there are no rifts between the MVA allies. He claimed that the Mahayuti alliance led by the BJP is having a major internal fight. There are no issues among us. We are ready to fight the Assembly election even today. We have given equal treatment to all alliance partners, Mr Chennithala said. Taking a dig at the Mahayuti, the Congress leader said that it was the BJP fighting all seats in Maharashtra. He pointed out that several BJP leaders, including ministers and lawmakers, have joined either the Shiv Sena or the NCP and they have been declared the official candidates of the two parties. Former BJP MP from Sangli, Sanjaykaka Patil and the partys Sangli district president Nishikant Bhosale Patil will be contesting the Assembly election as NCP candidates from the Tasgaon and Islampur seats, respectively. The Ajit Pawar-led party has also fielded former BJP MP Pratap Patil-Chikhalikar, who lost the 2024 election from the Nanded Lok Sabha seat, from the Loha Assembly seat. Former BJP minister Rajkumar Badole is the NCP candidate from the Arjuni-Morgaon seat. Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has fielded former BJP spokesperson N.C. Shaina from the Mumbadevi seat and former BJP MP Rajendra Gavit from the Palghar Assembly constituency. Mahayuti members are fighting amongst themselves. They are fighting from each other's quotas. The BJP leaders are fighting under the Shiv Sena and the NCP symbols. Actually, it is the BJP that is fighting alone. Mr Shinde and Mr Pawar are finished, Mr Chennithala said.
Rahul Gandhi to declare Congress guarantees for Maharashtra poll
Mumbai : Maha Vikas Aghadi will hold its first joint rally on Thursday for the Maharashtra Assembly election in Mumbai. In the rally, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge will announce Congresss guarantees in the presence of Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar. Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole said the event will be held at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in the evening. Rahul Gandhi will be on a one-day visit to Maharashtra. He will first participate in the Sanvidhan Bachao meeting in Nagpur in the morning. After that he attend the MVAs joint rally at the BKC, he said. In the past, Congress released its Guarantee Cards containing poll promises for the 2024 General election and various recent state assembly elections. In the MVA, the Congress is contesting the highest number of seats (103) followed by the Shiv Sena (UBT) 89 and NCP (SP) 87 seats. Six seats have been given to other MVA allies, while there was no clarity on three assembly segments. According to reports, the MVA allies have also fielded candidates against each other from at least six seats. Congresss Maharashtra in-charge Ramesh Chennithala acknowledged misunderstanding, but insisted there were no rifts between the MVA allies. He claimed that the Mahayuti alliance led by the BJP is having a major internal fight. There are no issues among us. We are ready to fight the Assembly election even today. We have given equal treatment to all alliance partners, Mr. Chennithala said. Taking a dig at the Mahayuti, the Congress leader said that it was the BJP fighting all seats in Maharashtra. He pointed out that several BJP leaders, including ministers and lawmakers, have joined either the Shiv Sena or NCP and they have been declared the official candidates of the two parties. Former BJP MP from Sangli, Sanjaykaka Patil and partys Sangli district president Nishikant Bhosale Patil will be contesting the Assembly election as NCP candidates from the Tasgaon and Islampur seats respectively. The Ajit Pawar-led party has also fielded former BJP MP Pratap Patil-Chikhalikar, who lost the 2024 election from the Nanded Lok Sabha seat, from the Loha Assembly seat. Former BJP minister Rajkumar Badole is the NCP candidate from the Arjuni-Morgaon seat. Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has fielded former BJP spokesperson NC Shaina from the Mumbadevi seat and former BJP MP Rajendra Gavit from the Palghar Assembly constituency. Mahayuti members are fighting amongst themselves. They are fighting from each other's quotas. BJP leaders are fighting under Shiv Sena and NCP symbols. Actually, it is the BJP that is fighting alone. Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar are finished,Mr. Chennithala said.
Ajit blames RR Patil over Rs 70K cr irrigation scam
MUMBAI: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Tuesday opened the decade-old irrigation scam projected at Rs 70,000 crore and claimed that his colleague and former home minister late RR Patil was responsible for initiating an open inquiry involving him. Ajit said he was surprised when he learnt that his cabinet colleague and friend Patil signed on the file initiating the inquiry. The deputy CM was campaigning for his party candidate Sanjaya Kaka Patil, who is contesting against late RR Patils son Rohit Patil in Tasgaon-Kavathe Mahankal in Sangli district. This happened when the Congress-NCP government in 2014 was on its last legs. Then, we withdrew support to the Congress CM Prithviraj Chavan-led government and later Presidents rule was imposed. The file then went to the governor who refused to sign it, saying the next elected government will take a decision. When the BJP government came to power, then CM Fadnavis called me at his residence and showed me the file that was signed by Patil, which I think Patil did purely to defame me, Ajit said. Fadnavis told me that your party leader RR Patil signed the file to carry out an investigation against you. He said he had to sign it as the CM, Ajit said. The entire budget of the irrigation department is Rs 42,000 crore. How come can it be Rs 70,000 cr scam? The issue forced me to quit, Ajit said. Meanwhile, as the Assembly poll temperature shot up in the state, NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar sought to remind his nephew Ajit of his six-month-old speech during the Lok Sabha polls a few months ago. In an aside, He told his nephew not to shed tears over political differences in the family. Sharad was referring to Ajits speech a couple of days ago. Sharad was in Baramati to campaign for his grand-nephew Yugnedra Pawar who is contesting against his deputy CM uncle Ajit Pawar in Baramati. Citing Ajit, Pawar said: Sharad will come to Baramati and try to make you emotional; he will bring tears to your eyes and urge you to cast your vote for Supriya Sule, but do not get emotional.
Congress announces third list of 39 candidates, gains two more in its share of 85 seats in MVA
NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: Congress on Saturday released a list of 39 candidates for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections. The party has announced 87 candidates so far. Though the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) comprising the Congress, NCP (Sharad Pawar), and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray) announced that they would contest 85 seats each, the Congress has got two more seats to contest. The third list, released late Saturday evening, has 16 candidates, while the second list had 23 candidates in the afternoon. The party has fielded Sachin Sawant from Andheri West and Mohanrao Marotrao Ambade from Nanded South. In Kolhapur North, Rajesh Bharat Latkar has been fielded while Prithviraj Gulabrao Patil will contest from Sangli. In the ST reserved seat Gadchiroli, the party has fielded Manohar Tulshiram Poreti and Manikrao Thakare contest from Digras. While Rana Dalipkumar Sanada will contest from Khamgaon, Dr Hemant Nanda Chimote will be in ST seat Melghat. In Nagpur South a disputed seat between the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT), the party has fielded Girish Pandav from that seat. While Kalu Badheliya has been fielded from Kandivali East, Yashwant Singh will contest from Charkop against BJPs Yogesh Sagar. The party has fielded Ganesh Yadav from Sion Koliwada. The party has fielded Suresh Bhoyar against BJP state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule from Kamthi. Shekhar Shende will contest from Wardha. The party released the first list of 48 candidates on Thursday. The names of candidates were finalised at a meeting of the Central Election Committee (CEC) chaired by party chief Malllikarjun Kharge on Friday evening. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, K C Venugopal, and state leaders attended the meeting. AICC in-charge Maharashtra, Ramesh Chennithala, said all constituents will be given representation as part of the MVA alliance. Samajwadi Party, CPM, CPI and AAP are part of MVA. We are giving representation to all the parties, but seats are limited, he said. In its first list, the party retained several sitting MLAs and fielded senior leaders including Nana Patole and former CM Prithviraj Chavan. The party also fielded former ministers Nitin Raut and Balasaheb Thorat from Nagpur North and Sangamner.
Ajit Pawars Candidates Have BJPs Stamp of Approval
Mumbai: It appears that apart from selecting its own candidates, the BJP is also providing candidates to its alliance partner NCP for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly election. Ajit Pawars party on Friday inducted five leaders and gave them Assembly tickets. The new entrants included two former BJP MPs and a district president. The other two were Congress MLA Zeeshan Siddique and former minister Nawab Maliks daughter Sana Malik. Former BJP MP from Sangli, Sanjaykaka Patil and partys Sangli district president Nishikant Bhosale Patil joined the NCP in the presence of NCP national president Ajit Pawar and state president Sunil Tatkare in Mumbai. As soon as they joined the party, NCP announced their candidature. Nishikant Patil will contest against NCP (SP)s heavyweight Jayant Patil from Islampur and Sanjaykaka Patil will contest from Tasgaon assembly constituency, where he will be up against late R.R. Patils 25-year-old son Rohit Patil. The NCP also gave tickets to former BJP MP Pratap Patil-Chikhalikar who lost the 2024 election from the Nanded Lok Sabha seat. Now he will contest the Assembly election from the Loha seat as NCP candidate. Zeeshan Siddiqui, son of former state minister and NCP leader Baba Siddique, also joined the NCP. He will be the NCP candidate from Vandre East against Uddhav Thackerays relative Varun Sardesai. Zeshan had won the seat in 2019 as the Congress candidate. However, the Congress recently expelled him for the alleged anti-party activities. After joining the NCP, Zeeshan Siddiqui said, This is an emotional day for me and my family. NCP has expressed trust in me and I thank them for it. I will always be with the one who supported me in these difficult times. Sana Malik, the daughter of former minister Nawab Malik, will contest from her fathers constituency Anushaktinagar. This decision was also taken under the BJPs pressure. The saffron party had strongly objected to Nawab Maliks candidature as he is facing a case related to his alleged links with the Dawood Ibrahim gang. Malik is expected to contest the Assembly election as an independent from the Muslim-dominated Mankhurd-Shivajinagar seat, where he will challenge Samajwadi Partys state chief Abu Azmi. Former BJP minister Rajkumar Badole joined the Ajit Pawar-led party earlier this week and is contesting the Assembly election as the NCP candidate from the Arjuni-Morgaon seat. On Thursday, a crucial meeting was held in Delhi between Union home minister Amit Shah and leaders of the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance to discuss the strategy for the Assembly elections. Speaking about the meeting with Shah, Ajit Pawar said, Our discussion is still. We are moving in a phased manner. Till we say something dont get to the conclusion that someone has been given a ticket and another one is ignored. Yesterday our whole day was spent in Delhi for the discussion. Out of 288 seats, only 11 seats are remaining for us to decide. We are trying to take the best decision for the alliance. The Assembly elections in Maharashtra will be held on November 20 and results will be declared on November 23.
Maharashtra polls: Baba Siddique's son Zeeshan, two former BJP MPs on Ajit-led NCP's second list
MUMBAI: The Ajit Pawar-led NCP on Friday released its second list, comprising seven candidates, including MLA Zeeshan Siddique and two former BJP MPs, for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections. Zeeshan Siddique, whose father and NCP leader Baba Siddique was shot dead earlier this month, will contest from Bandra East, which he had won in 2019 on a Congress ticket. He also joined the NCP. The legislator on Thursday criticised the decision of the Shiv Sena (UBT), a partner of Congress in the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), to field Varun Sardesai in his constituency for the November 20 polls, saying staying together was never in their nature. Zeeshan had been suspended from Congress for cross-voting in the recent legislative council elections. His father and Congress veteran Baba Siddique had crossed over to the NCP, a constituent of the ruling Mahayuti coalition, earlier this year. Former BJP MP Pratap Chikhalikar, who lost the Lok Sabha polls from Nanded, has been nominated from Loha. BJP ex-MP Sanjay Kaka Patil, who unsuccessfully contested from Sangli in the general elections, has been given an NCP ticket. He also joined the party on Friday. Sanjay Kaka Patil will face off with NCP (SP) candidate Rohit Patil, son of late NCP leader R R Patil, in Tasgaon-Kavathe Mahankal constituency in Sangli district. Nishikant Patil will take on NCP (SP) state president Jayant Patil in Islampur, while Sana Malik, daughter of former minister Nawab Malik, has been nominated from Anushakti Nagar in Mumbai. NCP has given the ticket to Sunil Tingre from Wadgaon Sheri in Pune. It has picked Dnyaneshwar Katke from Shrirur. Until recently, Katke was the Pune district chief of the Uddhav Thackeray-led NCP (SP). Earlier, NCP had released its first list featuring 38 candidates. NCP, BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena are the constituents of the ruling Mahayuti coalition in Maharashtra. Elections to the 288-member Maharashtra assembly will be held on November 20 and votes will be counted on November 23.
The Shiv Sena has released the first list of 45 candidates which saw the party renominating almost all MLAs who backed Chief Minister Eknath Shinde against Uddhav Thackeray when the Shiv Sena split. This is also the first Assembly election to be contested under Shinde's leadership. Shiv Sena has given tickets to 45 candidates in the first list, which includes over half a dozen Cabinet members. Most of them have been retained in their respective seats. Many see this as a reward for their loyalty when they sided with Shinde while breaking away from Uddhav Thackeray during the June 2022 revolt. No sitting MLA has been dropped, except those who became MPs. Family members of deceased MLAs have been given tickets. The party has fielded ministers Gulabrao Patil, Deepak Kesarkar, Abdul Sattar and Shamburaj Desai from Jalgaon Rural, Sawantwadi, Sillod and Patan, respectively. Dada Bhuse, will contest from the Malegaon Outer assembly constituency in Nashik district. Ministers Uday Samant and Tanaji Sawant have been fielded from Ratnagiri and Paranda, respectively. Interestingly, the kin of many ministers, including Uday Samant's brother, have been given tickets. Kiran Samant will contest from Rajapur whilelate MLA Anil Babar's son Suhas Babar will contest from Khanapur in Sangli. Manisha Waikar, wife of Shiv Sena Lok Sabha MP from Mumbai North-West Ravindra Waikar, has been fielded from Jogeshwari (East), while Abhijit Adsul, son of Sena leader and former Union minister Anand Adsul, will contest from Daryapur in Amravati district. Vilas Bhumre, son of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) Lok Sabha MP Sandipan Bhumre, will contest from Paithan.
Maharashtra polls: Shiv Sena releases first list of 45 candidates
Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on late Tuesday night released its first list of 45 candidates for the November 20 Maharashtra assembly polls, nominating Chief Minister Eknath Shinde from Kopri -Panchpakhadi in Thane city and over half a dozen Cabinet members from their respective seats.The ruling party has re-nominated almost all the MLAs who backed Shinde when he led a revolt against the then-Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in June 2022. Shinde will seek re-election from Kopri -Panchpakhadi in adjoining Thane city. The party has fielded ministers Gulabrao Patil, Deepak Kesarkar, Abdul Sattar and Shamburaj Desai from Jalgaon Rural, Sawantwadi, Sillod and Patan, respectively. Another cabinet member, Dada Bhuse, will contest from the Malegaon Outer assembly constituency in Nashik district. Ministers Uday Samant and Tanaji Sawant have been fielded from Ratnagiri and Paranda, respectively. Another prominent leader Sada Sarvankar will fight the polls from Mahim in Mumbai. The party has also fielded kin of several MLAs. From Rajapur, it has given ticket to Kiran Samant, brother of minister Uday Samant. Suhas Babar, son of the late legislator Anil Babar, will contest from Khanapur in Sangli district. Manisha Waikar, wife of Shiv Sena Lok Sabha MP from Mumbai North-West Ravindra Waikar, has been fielded from Jogeshwari (East), while Abhijit Adsul, son of Sena leader and former Union minister Anand Adsul, will contest from Daryapur in Amravati district. Vilas Bhumre, son of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) Lok Sabha MP Sandipan Bhumre, will contest from Paithan. With this, the Shiv Sena has become the second major political party to release its list of candidates. Its ally BJP had released a list of 99 candidates on Sunday last. The ruling Mahayuti, which consists of the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP, is yet to announce its seat-sharing deal for polls to the 288-member assembly.
Maharashtra assembly polls: Shiv Sena releases first list of 45 candidates
MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena on late Tuesday night released its first list of 45 candidates for the November 20 Maharashtra assembly polls, nominating Chief Minister Eknath Shinde from Kopri -Panchpakhadi in Thane city and over half a dozen Cabinet members from their respective seats. The ruling party has re-nominated almost all the MLAs who backed Shinde when he led a revolt against the then-Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in June 2022. Shinde will seek re-election from Kopri-Panchpakhadi in adjoining Thane city. The party has fielded ministers Gulabrao Patil, Deepak Kesarkar, Abdul Sattar and Shamburaj Desai from Jalgaon Rural, Sawantwadi, Sillod and Patan, respectively. Another cabinet member, Dada Bhuse, will contest from the Malegaon Outer assembly constituency in Nashik district. Ministers Uday Samant and Tanaji Sawant have been fielded from Ratnagiri and Paranda, respectively. Another prominent leader Sada Sarvankar will fight the polls from Mahim in Mumbai. The party has also fielded kin of several MLAs. From Rajapur, it has given ticket to Kiran Samant, brother of minister Uday Samant. Suhas Babar, son of the late legislator Anil Babar, will contest from Khanapur in Sangli district. Manisha Waikar, wife of Shiv Sena Lok Sabha MP from Mumbai North-West Ravindra Waikar, has been fielded from Jogeshwari (East), while Abhijit Adsul, son of Sena leader and former Union minister Anand Adsul, will contest from Daryapur in Amravati district. Vilas Bhumre, son of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) Lok Sabha MP Sandipan Bhumre, will contest from Paithan. With this, the Shiv Sena has become the second major political party to release its list of candidates. Its ally BJP had released a list of 99 candidates on Sunday last. The ruling Mahayuti, which consists of the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP, is yet to announce its seat-sharing deal for polls to the 288-member assembly.
Raut Slams Selection of NCP MLC, Claims He Opposed Vande Mataram Song
Mumbai: Senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has targeted the BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis over the swearing in of Ajit Pawar-led NCP leader Idris Naikwadi as the member of Vidhan Parishad (Legislative Council) from Governors quota in Maharashtra. The one who has opposed Vande Mataram has been nominated by the ruling Mahayuti alliance, said Raut. Naikwadi is a minority face of the NCP from western Maharashtra and also a former mayor of Sangli, Miraj and Kupwad City Municipal Corporation. Slamming the decision to nominate Naikwadi as a MLC, Raut said, What is Naikwadis history? He had opposed Vande Mataram in Sangli Municipal Corporation. You appoint a person who opposes Vande Mataram as an MLC from the governors quota! It was the same Indris Nayakwadi who attacked the office of a Hindutva organization. The Mahayuti government has made a person MLC who opposed Vande Mataram. Where is Devendra Fadnavis who speaks the language of Hindutva? They are all hypocrites. We want to inform Maharashtra that they have no right to blow the trumpet of Hindutva and patriotism, said Raut. According to political observers, NCP chief Ajit Pawar has been trying to maintain his image as a secular leader and has disapproved of the aggressive tone of some BJP leaders against Muslims. He has asserted that his party is secular and follows the ideology of social reformers Dr B R Ambedkar, Mahatma Jyotirao Phule and Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj. Ahead of the Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha polls, the ruling Mahayuti on Monday nominated seven members for the MLC posts. The state cabinet cleared seven out of 12 names and received approval from Governor C P Radhakrishnan. Of the seven new members of the legislative council who took oath on Tuesday, the BJP has nominated three, while the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's NCP have two members each. The newly sworn in MLCs are BJPs Chitra Wagh, Vikrant Patil and spiritual leader of Banjara community Dharmaguru Babusingh Maharaj Rathod, NCP leaders Pankaj Bhujbal and Idris Naikwadi and Shiv Senas Manisha Kayande and Hemant Patil.
VBA fields 10 Muslims for Maha polls in second list of candidates
Mumbai: The Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) has named 10 Muslim candidates to contest the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections in different parts of the state, including some who quit the Congress and joined the party. The nominees: Ayaz Gulzar Molvi (Kalyan West in Thane), Mohammed Jaweed Ishaq (Aurangabad Central in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar), Alauddin Hyatchand Kazi (Sangli), Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
Maharashtra's Sangli, Satara to get better connectivity as work on NH 160 begins: Nitin Gadkari
Sangli and Satara will see better infrastructure with the development of National Highway 160. The road will connect Baramati, Phaltan, Vita, Tasgaon, and Sangli, enhancing the transport of agricultural goods. The project will also boost tourism to religious sites like Shirdi and Shani Shingnapur, and create employment opportunities in the region.
Remove 50 per cent cap on reservation: Sharad Pawar to Centre
SANGLI: NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar urged the BJP-led Centre on Friday to bring a constitutional amendment to increase reservation in education and government jobs beyond the existing cap of 50 per cent. Speaking to reporters here, Pawar said that while granting reservation to Marathas, who have been agitating for quota, care should be taken to ensure that such limits meant for other communities are not disturbed. Currently, the cap on reservation is 50 per cent. But if Tamil Nadu can have 78 per cent (quota for various communities), why can't Maharashtra have 75 per cent reservation,he asked. The Centre should take the lead and bring a constitutional amendment to raise the quota cap. We will support the amendment,he said. Pawar said the seat-sharing talks among the leaders of the opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will continue next week. I would only advise the leaders to conclude the talks as early as possible so that we can go to the people, who are looking for a change,he said. MVA partners NCP (SP), Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress fought the recent Lok Sabha polls as one unit and performed impressively, winning 30 of the 48 seats in the state. The Maharashtra assembly polls are due in November. MVA seat-sharing talks to wrap up in 10 days; we must form govt at any cost: Sharad Pawar Pawar said people are positive towards bringing a change in the government and the MVA should respect their sentiments. The NCP (SP) chief also welcomed the decision to accord the 'classical language'tag to Marathi and congratulated the central government for it. However, Pawar said the Maharashtra government must be concerned about the dwindling number of students opting to learn Marathi and the closure of Marathi language schools in the state. Discussions on these aspects are needed and a way to resolve the issue needs to be found,he said. He also alleged that while the state government has been showering populist schemes, it was diverting funds meant for other programmes. The arrears of government aid to the Sangli cancer hospital is over Rs 4 crore. Across the state, the arrears of aid to cancer hospitals are Rs 700 crore. I was told that since funds needed to be diverted to the populist schemes, the administration was helpless. If this is the situation in the medical field, what can be said about other areas. There are many government-aided hospitals that are not just dedicated to cancer,Pawar said. He said there is anger in the state over incidents like the Badlapur case, wherein a contractual sweeper, who later died in an alleged shootout with police, allegedly sexually assaulted two kindergarten girls on their school premises. People feel that though financial aid is given to women, their safety and security are being ignored, he said. Asked about Union minister Nitin Gadkari's comment that the 'Ladki Bahin' scheme to provide financial assistance to women could affect the timely payment of subsidies in other sectors, Pawar said even Prime Minister Narendra Modi had termed such schemes 'revdi culture' which need to stop. Gadkari has a constructive and non-political approach to development, he said, adding that roads have improved during the tenure of the BJP leader, who is also the Union minister of road transport and highways. To a question about Gadkari's claim that he had been offered the PM's chair by the opposition multiple times, Pawar said, We did not make any such offer. If we don't have the required number of MPs, how can we make such an offer.. Asked about the 'secrets'behind his energy, Pawar, who will turn 84 in December, said it increases with his age. About Modi's likely visits to Maharashtra ahead of assembly polls, he said the PM addressed 18 rallies before the Lok Sabha elections and lost in 14 constituencies. For assembly elections too, he should address many rallies,he equipped.
