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In big statement, Pawar says he will ensure MVA contests assembly and Lok Sabha polls together

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NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Monday said the people in Maharashtra are looking for a change and he will ensure that constituents of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) contest the upcoming Assembly and Lok Sabha elections together.

Pawar was speaking to reporters after the newly-elected Congress MLA from Kasba Peth Assembly constituency in Pune city, Ravindra Dhangekar, visited the NCP chief at his residence here.


Dhangekar elected by common people of Kasba: Pawar

He said Dhangekar was elected by common people in the bypoll in Kasba Peth, a BJP bastion, as he has been working for them for the last several years.

Queried whether a formula of contesting elections jointly will be repeated by MVA in the upcoming civic elections, Pawar said his colleagues in NCP are looking into this aspect.

“However, my efforts will be to ensure that the constituents of MVA remain together, take joint decisions, and face the state Assembly and Lok Sabha elections together,” he said.

People in Maharashtra looking for change: NCP chief

The former Union minister also said the people in Maharashtra are looking for a change.

“I am roaming in the state and the people are telling me that they want a change. They want us (the Opposition) to come together. These are people’s sentiments,” he said.

The MVA, formed after the 2019 Maharashtra assembly elections when Uddhav Thackeray fell out with old ally BJP, comprises the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), NCP, and Congress.

In the Kasba Peth byelection, results for which were declared on March 2, Congress-MVA candidate Ravindra Dhangekar trounced BJP’s Hemant Rasne by more than 10,800 votes.

Pawar said initially the victory in Kasba Peth looked distant given BJP MP Girish Bapat’s hold on the constituency.

“Bapat’s speciality is he had strong relations within the party cadres and also enjoys cordial relations with non-BJP groups. So we assessed that Kasba Peth would be difficult for us as Bapat’s concentration in the constituency was good. But in the end, we realized that there were murmurs about whether his suggestions were considered while deciding on the BJP candidate,” he said.

He credited the victory to the work done by Dhangekar and the hard work of MVA constituents.

Traditional BJP voter didn’t like money being distributed: Pawar

Queried about the BJP allegedly trying to bring a Hindutva element in the last phase of the election, Pawar said he had heard that people spoke highly about Uddhav Thackeray who headed the erstwhile MVA government.

Speaking on the allegations that money was distributed by the BJP ahead of the polling, the NCP chief said that he was shown some pictures of bundles of notes but he didn’t go deep into the matter.

“These pictures were shown to me by people who are not in politics. They told me that they have been voting for a particular ideology but said that when they saw the distribution of money, they decided to go away from these people. The traditional voter didn’t like it and it was revealed in the election that people didn’t accept these things,” Pawar said.

The BJP had denied allegations of any links to the purported distribution of money to voters.

Pawar speaks on burning issue of onion prices

Speaking on the crash in onion prices and complaints by farmers about procurement from NAFED, the former Union agriculture minister said some cultivators from Nashik informed him that the purchase of onions is not happening properly.

“Prices of onions have decreased but no care is being taken to handle them. The state and the Centre governments had not taken any decisions. Farmers say that whatever decisions that have been taken by the government are not appropriate,” he added

Maharashtra

Special NIA Court Allows Activist Gautam Navlakha To Visit Ailing Sister

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The special NIA court on Thursday permitted activist Gautam Navlakha, an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, to travel to Delhi for two months to be with his ailing elder sister.

Navlakha had approached the court for modification of the bail order granted last year, which restricted his movement to city limits.

The prosecution opposed the plea, apprehending that he may influence witnesses or skip the trial.

The court ruled out these possibilities and allowed the plea but with several conditions. Navlakha has been asked to furnish details of his mobile phone number on which video call facility is available, furnish his travel details, and deposit his passport in the court before leaving the city.

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Maharashtra

Party Rebels Contesting Against MVA Candidates To Face Six-Year Suspension: Congress Leader Ramesh Chennithala

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Party Rebels Contesting Against MVA Candidates To Face Six-Year Suspension: Congress Leader Ramesh Chennithala

Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala on Thursday said all the party rebels contesting against the official candidates of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) have been suspended for six years.

In a press conference, Chennithala stated that district units have been directed to compile a list of rebels still in the race for the November 20 Maharashtra assembly polls and issue notices to them.

“There will be no friendly contests. All rebels running against the MVA’s official candidates have been suspended,” said Chennithala, the All India Congress Committee in-charge of Maharashtra.

In some constituencies, despite official candidates from both Mahayuti and MVA, candidates from allied parties have been fielded. In other areas, friendly contests are happening. Several leaders have filed nomination papers after rebelling.

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Maharashtra

Maharashtra Elections 2024: Devendra Fadnavis Refers To Sharad Pawar As ‘Owner Of Fake Narrative Factory’; Slams Opposition Over Claims About Industries Leaving State

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Maharashtra Elections 2024: Devendra Fadnavis Refers To Sharad Pawar As 'Owner Of Fake Narrative Factory'; Slams Opposition Over Claims About Industries Leaving State

Mumbai: In a scathing attack on Sharad Pawar, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis referred to the NCP leader as the “owner of a fake narrative factory” during an election rally in Pimpri-Chinchwad. Fadnavis accused Pawar and opposition leaders of spreading false information about industries leaving Maharashtra for Gujarat, attempting to tarnish the state’s image. He made it clear that Maharashtra remains the top choice for investment, with 52% of the country’s foreign investment flowing into the state.

Addressing a rally in support of Mahayuti candidate Shankar Jagtap, Fadnavis emphasized that Maharashtra is strong industrially and that the information being spread by the opposition is misleading. He stated, “Our government has made Maharashtra an ideal destination for investment.” According to Fadnavis, reports suggesting a shift in the state’s industrial landscape were false and intended solely to mislead the public.

Fadnavis Targets Supriya Sule

Fadnavis also targeted NCP MP Supriya Sule, calling her the “manager of the fake narrative factory.” He accused Sule of spreading incorrect information about IT companies leaving Hinjewadi, a major IT hub in Pune. Fadnavis stressed that both Maharashtra’s industrial and IT sectors are strong, and any challenges faced were the result of the difficulties encountered during the tenure of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government. He labeled Sule’s statements as incorrect and harmful to the state’s progress.

Fadnavis also responded to criticism of Uddhav Thackeray’s “Ladki Behin Yojana” . He said that Thackeray’s approach, focused on opposition for the sake of it, was disconnected from the needs of ordinary people. Fadnavis clarified that the scheme would provide financial aid and educational opportunities to thousands of girls across Maharashtra.

Concluding his speech, Fadnavis reassured the audience about job creation under the BJP government. He announced an ambitious goal of generating employment opportunities for 10 lakh youths and promised to rejuvenate Maharashtra’s economic stability. He urged voters to be cautious of the “fake narratives” being spread by the opposition and to trust in the state’s economic progress.

Throughout the rally, Fadnavis highlighted BJP’s transparency and development-oriented policies, portraying the opposition’s tactics as a strategy to promote “fake narratives” and undermine the state’s growth.

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