Connect with us
Monday,28-July-2025
Breaking News

Maharashtra

Maharashtra Politics: First, Two Senas; Now, Two NCPs

Published

on

Finally, Ajit Pawar, who was sulking over his neglect, especially after the elevation of his cousin Supriya Sule as the NCP working president, rocked the party’s boat by staging a coup four years after his 80-hour failed coup of becoming the deputy chief minister. He chose to challenge his uncle and party supreme Sharad Pawar’s leadership and staked claim to the NCP, which has entered its 25th year of existence, even as he had emerged as a major leader involved in the exercise to unite opposition against the BJP in the forthcoming Lok Sabha election.

Ajit Pawar was facing ED probe

Ajit Pawar, who as the leader of the opposition, often criticised for going soft on the Shinde-Fadnavis government, was scared of the ongoing probe by the Enforcement Directorate against him and his wife in connection with the Jarandeshwar sugar factory and therefore, preferred to join the ruling Shinde-Fadnavis alliance. Unlike the last time, Ajit Pawar took no risk but brought along with him veterans and young legislators, including close confidants of his uncle.

Bhujbal and Hasan Mushrif also facing cases

Incidentally, Bhujbal, who, along with Pawar, was one of the signatories in the establishment of the NCP on June 10, 1999, and is currently out on bail in the Maharashtra Sadan scam case, preferred safe passage by accepting Ajit Pawar’s leadership and dumping of the older Pawar. Similarly, former minister Hasan Mushrif, whose fate also hangs in the balance as he faces arrest from the ED in connection with the Kolhapur sugar factory, chose to join Ajit Pawar and thereby become a ruling partner of the BJP, which he until recently criticised as being communal and fundamentalist Walse-Patil’s decision to associate with Ajit Pawar has stunned the older Pawar, merely to avoid ED action linked to a private milk dairy unit in his Ambegaon assembly segment.

Dilip Walse-Patil’s rise under Sharad Pawar; leaves senior Pawar for Ajit

Walse-Patil, who had worked as the personal assistant to the older Pawar when the latter was the leader of the opposition, later rose to become an MLA for the first time in 1990 and since then, has been elected from the same constituency. Thanks to his old boss, he held several departments as minister between 1999 and 2009, later becoming assembly speaker and the home minister in the MVA government. More importantly, Praful Patel, also scared about ED action, ditched Sharad Pawar and joined Ajit.

Praful Patel, Sharad Pawar’s blue-eyed boy

Praful Patel, Sharad Pawar’s blue-eyed boy and associate for more than four decades, has joined the Ajit bandwagon because he believes the Modi-led government will be back after the general elections and there was no point taking on the BJP as the MVA experiment has failed miserably.

Ajit Pawar’s recent utterances

Ajit Pawar, speaking at the recent function to celebrate the NCP’s anniversary, had targeted his uncle for the party’s failure to become the single largest party and form the government, unlike other regional parties including Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress, Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party and K Chandrashekar Rao’s Bharat Rashtra Samithi. He has claimed that almost all of the 53 legislators and MPs have been on board. Further, he has also declared that the decision to join the Shinde-Fadnavis government was taken with the blessings and support of the older Pawar, in the larger interest of expediting Maharashtra’s progress and the development of farmers, workers, tribals, OBCs. Interestingly, it was a well-thoughtout decision by Ajit Pawar, who was unsure about the NCP’s future at a time when his uncle is getting older and the party was unable to consolidate its position in Maharashtra, forget about other states. He openly ridiculed the opposition unity exercise as a farce and heaped praise on Modi for his ‘strong and able leadership which has helped India achieve spectacular growth in the last nine years’.

NCP would fight all elections with the Shinde-led Shiv Sena and BJP, says Ajit Pawar

He also went a step further and announced that the NCP would fight all elections with the Shinde-led Shiv Sena and BJP to stay relevant in Maharashtra. Even though Ajit Pawar has severed links with his uncle to pursue his ambition, the road ahead for him as well as the other legislators will be quite bumpy, as they will have to take on Pawar senior and convince voters about their decision. In addition, Ajit Pawar will have to be a tough negotiator to get seats for his faction during seat-sharing arrangements with the Shinde-led Shiv Sena and BJP, especially when the latter wants the lion’s share to achieve its ‘Mission 45-plus’ in the Lok Sabha and 200-plus seats in the assembly elections slated for 2024.

BJP kept the cards close to its chest

The BJP played its cards well by tapping into the rising discontent and fear of punitive action in NCP legislators, including Ajit Pawar, as it had done with Eknath Shinde last year. The saffron party could execute ‘Operation Lotus’ because of the operative skills of Fadnavis and with the tacit support of Modi. Incidentally, both Modi and Fadnavis had termed the NCP as the most corrupt party and last week; in fact, the PM had singled out the Rs 70,000 crore irrigation scam and Maharashtra State Cooperative bank irregularities, of which the uncle and nephew were alleged beneficiaries. As far as Shinde is concerned, he will have to convince his 39 MLAs and 10 Independents about their fate and relevance in the new arrangement. There are a large number of them who are expecting ministerial berths and Shinde will continue to pacify them to avoid any trouble. The fate of Shinde and 15 legislators hangs in the balance due to disqualification proceedings. BJP insiders point out that Ajit Pawar’s decision has come as a buffer, to minimise the dependence on the Shinde faction for government’s survival.

Neither down nor out, says Sharad Pawar

However, Sharad Pawar, who faced the media after his nephew’s coup in broad daylight, hinted that he is neither down nor out but ready to revive the NCP with the promotion of new young leadership. He also disapproved of the ministerial berths to Ajit Pawar and eight others, saying that it was their personal decision and not that of the party. He also made it clear that it was against the party’s secular and progressive line, reiterating that he would step up the fight against the communal and divisive politics of the BJP and Modi.

Senior Pawar narrates ’80’s tale

Narrating his experience when 50 legislators had deserted him in the 1980s but he went on to fight the elections and won 69 seats in 1980, Sharad Pawar announced that he would start anew. The 83-year-old has announced he will travel extensively across Maharashtra and parts of India, starting with the launch of his outreach from Karad on Monday. Incidentally, Karad is the birthplace of former chief minister and Sharad Pawar’s mentor, Y B Chavan. With uncle and nephew essaying different roles now, it will be the BJP which will use every opportunity to exploit the rift and achieve electoral gains.

Maharashtra

Navi Mumbai: NMMC Receives Highest Super Swachh Rating After Ranking First In Maharashtra And Third In India

Published

on

Navi Mumbai: The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has achieved the highest Super Swachh rating in the Swachh Survekshan, securing third place nationally and first in the state. Commissioner Dr. Kailash Shinde emphasised transforming the cleanliness campaign into a sustainable movement rather than mere competition, enabling maximum public participation. Diverse stakeholders, including students, NGOs, and marginalized groups, were actively involved to foster a clean city identity.

The city’s waste management strategy is notable, with the generation of 750 tons of waste daily, comprising 350 tons of wet and 400 tons of dry waste. The corporation employs a fleet of 206 vehicles for transportation, equipped with GPS trackers for real-time monitoring.

Waste processing projects at 38 sites convert wet waste into biogas and fertiliser while reusing construction waste for paver blocks. The old dumping ground has been transformed into a nature park, and innovative projects, like processing old clothes, have garnered national recognition.

In terms of sanitation facilities, Navi Mumbai boasts a nearly complete sewerage network (99.9%), processes all sewage, and repurposes the output for parks and industries. Public amenities include 465 toilets, and sanitation workers are honoured as Swachhatadut. The city achieved a seven-star rating for waste management and the highest Water Plus rating for its open defecation-free efforts. Future plans aim to enhance the Swachhata Abhiyan and develop projects for energy and biogas generation from waste.

In the Swachh Survekshan 2024-25, Indore, Surat, and Navi Mumbai emerged as the cleanest cities. The MoHUA ceremony recognized 78 cities and institutions for sanitation excellence, with Prayagraj awarded Best Ganga Town and Secunderabad Cantonment Board commended for sanitation efforts. Cities like Visakhapatnam were honoured for sanitation worker safety.

An assessment framework spotlighted 34 Promising Swachh Shehars, and President Murmu emphasised sustainable growth. The Swachh City Partnership links top performers with underperformers, while the Accelerated Dumpsite Remediation Programme addresses legacy waste. MoHUA officials stressed long-term strategies for Viksit Bharat 2047.

Continue Reading

Crime

Maharashtra, Mysuru Police Bust MDMA Factory On Ring Road; ₹100 Crore Drugs Seized, Four Held

Published

on

Bengaluru: In a joint operation, the Maharashtra police and Mysuru police have raided a narcotics manufacturing factory on the outer ring road of Mysuiru and seized 13 kg of MDMA and 37 kg of liquid being used to manufacture MDMA, all worth over Rs 100 crore in the international market.

Interestingly, the narcotics manufactured here were being supplied to Maharashtra and the raiding police squad have arrested four persons in this connection. The Mysuru city Commissioner has suspended the Narasimharaja police station inspector Lakshmikanth Talawar for dereliction of duty, under whose jurisdiction the factory comes.

Recently, a drug peddler who was arrested by the Maharashtra police had confessed that he was procuring drugs from Mysuru. He had told the police that a large quantity of the MDMA was stored in Mysuru either in the form of powder or pills and was being supplied to Maharashtra.

Based on the information, the Maharashtra police approached the Mysuru City Police Commissioner Seema Latkar, who organised the raid. In the early hours on Sunday, the police team raided an old garage near Belavattha in the outer ring road. Among the four arrested, two are from Mysuru and the other two are outsiders. The police have refused to divulge any details of the arrested, as it would hamper the future investigations.

Reacting to the drug factory in Mysuru, Karnataka Home Minister Dr G Parameshwar said that it was a disturbing development, as Mysuru was a quiet place without much such activities.

“Now we have unearthed the factory, we are taking strict action against such activities. Even our police are investigating various angles of the incident,” he added.

Continue Reading

Maharashtra

‘Don’t View It Politically’: Says Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis On Raj-Uddhav Birthday Meet At Matoshree

Published

on

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis urged people not to interpret the recent meeting between Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray through a political lens.

Speaking to the media, Fadnavis said, “Raj Thackeray went to wish Uddhav Thackeray on his birthday. It’s a matter of happiness. Why should we view it politically? We also extend our best wishes to Uddhav ji.”

The chief minister’s clarification came in response to the buzz surrounding Raj Thackeray’s visit to Matoshree, Uddhav Thackeray’s residence, which took place on the latter’s 65th birthday.

What’s in the Heart of Maharashtra Will Be Seen Again: Fadnavis

Commenting on the upcoming local body elections, Fadnavis added, “You saw what’s in the heart of Maharashtra during the Assembly elections. You will see it again in the upcoming local polls. Just because something is in the mind of a leader of a particular party doesn’t mean it reflects the sentiments of all of Maharashtra.”

His statement was seen as a subtle response to growing speculations around the potential political implications of the Thackeray brothers’ renewed rapport.

Birthday Bonding: Raj Thackeray Visits Matoshree

On Sunday, visuals of Raj Thackeray visiting Matoshree surfaced on social media, with Shiv Sena (UBT) sharing the moment on X. “Maharashtra Navnirman Sena president Rajsaheb Thackeray extended birthday greetings to party chief Uddhavsaheb Thackeray,” the party posted.

This meeting came just weeks after the Thackeray brothers shared a stage at a joint rally on July 5, where they voiced strong opposition against the alleged Hindi imposition in Maharashtra.

INDIA Bloc Leaders Shower Birthday Wishes on Uddhav

Several leaders from the INDIA alliance also extended birthday greetings to Uddhav Thackeray. Congress MP Rahul Gandhi wrote on X, “Heartfelt birthday wishes and congratulations to Shiv Sena President and INDIA alliance partner Uddhav Thackeray ji. May you stay healthy, live long, and together we will fight for the interests and rights of the people of Maharashtra.”

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin also praised Uddhav’s linguistic stance, saying, “Your bold resistance to #HindiImposition and your firm stand to uphold Maharashtra’s identity have united the Marathi people… Wishing you strength as you continue to defend federalism and linguistic dignity.”

‘Lighthouse in Every Storm’: Sanjay Raut’s Tribute

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut added a poetic touch to the occasion, posting, “Shiv Sena chief, my friend Uddhav Thackeray, who stands firm like a lighthouse in every storm, heartfelt birthday wishes to you! Jai Maharashtra!”

Continue Reading

Trending