Page 3 - Sharad Pawar

Dassehra rallies: Pawar advises Thackeray-Shinde not to 'cross limits'

As Maharashtra braces for an unprecedented political development of 'two Shiv Sena' Dassehra rallies crossing words and swords, Sharad Pawar advised both Shinde and Thackeray "not to cross the limit"

Mamata ready to bury differences with Cong to form anti-BJP front: Pawar

NCP president Sharad Pawar on Wednesday said Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee is ready to bury her differences with the Congress in the national interests, and come together to form an alliance of opposition parties ahead of the 2024 general elections. Speaking to reporters here, Pawar also said he and some leaders from other states, including Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and former Jammu and Kashmir CM Farooq Abdulla were not averse to join hands with the Congress to form a front against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the next polls. Replying to a query about the TMC supremo's alleged differences with the Congress after it independently contested elections in West Bengal, Pawar said, "Mamata Bannerjee had personally said that her party is ready to come together in the national interests and work with Congress to put up a proper challenge before the ruling BJP." According to the former Union minister, Banerjee has also said

Filing cases, arresting Opposition leaders Centre's flagship project: Pawar

NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday said that filing cases and arresting Opposition leaders seem to be the flagship project of the Centre. If you check today's newspaper, it has detailed how Central probe agencies have increased their actions against Opposition parties and leaders. It seems that filing cases and arresting Opposition leaders are the flagship project of the Centre. "Whenever they have some doubts about the outcome of an election, such steps are taken as an important work. The key issues and challenges before the society are kept aside, Pawar told reporters here in a swipe at BJP-ruled Centre. We will respond to it politically, said the NCP chief. A prime witness in Mumbai's Patra 'chawl' redevelopment project case has told the Enforcement Directorate, probing the related money laundering, in which Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut is an accused, that during 2008-09 some residents of the area had approached NCP chief Sharad Pawar through local politicians for the redevelopment

NCP attacks Centre, Maha govt on farmer suicide, asks to decide priorities

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Monday attacked the Centre and the Maharashtra government over the suicide of a farmer in Pune, with party chief Sharad Pawar saying those in power in the state should decide their priorities, an apparent swipe at Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis. Addressing reporters, NCP spokesperson Mahesh Tapase claimed the farmer had blamed the Modi government for agrarian distress. "Dashrath Laxman Kedari, a farmer from Junnar (in Pune district) died by suicide on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday (September 17). He blamed the Modi government for farmers in distress in the country. We condemn the Modi government. When an annadata (food provider) commits suicide, then the government has to give a justification for this, Tapase said. Reacting to the farmer's suicide, Pawar said those in the power in the state, where farmers have to resort to suicide, should decide "what to celebrate and what to appreciate". Pawar was ...

North India, Parliament still not conducive for women's quota: Pawar

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar on Saturday said the "mentality" of north India and Parliament seems not conducive yet to giving reservations to women in the Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies. He made the remarks at a programme organised by the Pune Doctors' Association where he and his daughter and Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule were interviewed. Replying to a question on the Women's Reservation Bill, which aims to reserve 33 per cent seats in Lok Sabha and all state legislative assemblies for women which is yet to be passed, and whether this shows the country is still not mentally ready to accept the women leadership, Pawar said he has been speaking on this issue in Parliament since he was Congress MP in Lok Sabha. "The 'mansikta' (mentality) of Parliament, especially of North India, has not been conducive (on this issue). I can recall that when I was Lok Sabha MP in Congress, I used to talk about the issue of reservations for women in Parliament. Once after

What an uncle can teach his nephew

There is much to be said about Sharad Pawar's ability to be comfortable in his own skin and there are lessons in it for his nephew Ajit Pawar

Some life in Oppn: For first time, Left parties & Mamata on the same stage?

It doesn't bear thinking about. But Nitish Kumar may have managed the impossible feat of bringing the two together

Will never surrender before rulers in Delhi, says NCP chief Pawar

Even as several Opposition leaders are under the scanner of central probe agencies, NCP president Sharad Pawar on Sunday said his party will never surrender before the "rulers in Delhi" and urged non-BJP parties to work together to keep the saffron party away from power. Addressing the eighth national convention of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) here, Pawar slammed the Modi government over rising inflation, unemployment, its handling of the farmers' protests and "fanning hatred" against religious minorities in the country. "We have to democratically challenge the present government, which is misusing central agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate, CBI and money power. We have to be prepared for a fight," the 81-year-old Rajya Sabha member told party workers. Opposition leaders cutting across party lines, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Farooq Abdullah, P Chidambaram, Karti Chidambaram, Sanjay Raut, Nawab Malik, Abhishek Banerjee, Satyendra Jain, Manish Sisodia are

Nation in anguish under BJP rule, says Pawar; NCP calls for Oppn unity

Ahead of the next round of assembly elections, the NCP on Saturday gave a clarion call for unity of anti-BJP forces and said that party chief Sharad Pawar would play an important role in this regard. Addressing the extended working committee of the NCP here, Pawar alleged that the Modi government was anti-farmer and had also failed to tackle the issue of unemployment. He also slammed the BJP over the release of convicts in the Bilkis Bano gangrape case. I am surprised that the prime minister speaks of upholding the dignity of women and two days later the BJP government in the prime minister's home state reduced the sentence of those who committed atrocities against Bilkis Bano and her family, Pawar said. The extended working committee of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) also re-elected Pawar as the national president of the party. The veteran leader said that farmers were looking forward to getting a good price for their paddy crop, but the government has imposed a 20 per cent

It should be 'main front', not 'third front': Nitish on opposition unity

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday pitched for uniting all non-BJP parties, saying it will be the "main front" and not the "third front". Speaking to reporters after meeting several non-BJP leaders here, Kumar said he had "very good and long discussions". "If all non-BJP parties in various states come together, then an atmosphere will emerge for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections where things would not remain one-sided. With whomever I talked to, there were positive discussions," he said. On talks of the third front, he said, "Whenever someone says there is a need to create a third front, I always say let's make the 'main front'. Whenever it happens, it will be the main front, not the third front." Kumar held deliberations with NCP supremo Sharad Pawar earlier in the day and also met CPI(ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya. The Bihar chief minister met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday. He had on Tuesday met CPIM general secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI general .

Sharad Pawar renews pitch for opposition unity for 2024 Lok Sabha polls

Amid bickering among the opposition parties, NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday renewed the pitch for unity for the Lok Sabha elections in 2024. Interacting with reporters here after welcoming leaders from Haryana into the party fold, Pawar said the NCP was open to contesting polls as part of an opposition alliance under a common minimum programme to take on the BJP. Pawar also asked the opposition parties to keep aside differences and unite on an anti-BJP platform for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Earlier, he had said efforts were underway at the national level to bring non-BJP parties together to create a public opinion. At the same time, the NCP supremo had made it clear that he was not keen on taking up any responsibility due to his age. Pawar also accused the Narendra Modi government of failing to fulfil any of the promises made by it since 2014, including ushering in "acche din". The BJP's agenda is to keep smaller parties away from power, the NCP chief alleged.

Pawar backs Nitish Kumar, accuses BJP for finishing regional allies

NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of finishing off its regional allies gradually, and supported Bihar CM Nitish Kumar's decision to snap ties with the BJP.

BJP showing arrogance of power, common man can teach a lesson: Pawar

NCP president Sharad Pawar on Saturday said the BJP was displaying the arrogance of power just because of its majority in Parliament and its days could be numbered if the common man united against it

Centre likely to allow 1.2 MT additional sugar exports this season

Sugar production in the current year now estimated at more than 36 MT, against expectation of 35 MT

Sharad Pawar makes strong pitch for GM crops to improve food security

Former Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar has made a strong pitch for use of genetically modified (GM) crops, saying ignoring advances in crop science could adversely affect the country's food security

Mamata Banerjee loses pole position in Opposition

Her conduct in the election of the president and the vice-president confirms her image as an unpredictable leader

History based on facts needed to inspire new generation: Sharad Pawar

"Nobody else has done injustice to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj more than Babasaheb Purandare," Pawar alleged.

Prez poll: Opposition leaders Mamata, Pawar, Rahul congratulate Murmu

Several Opposition leaders, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Congress' Rahul Gandhi, congratulated Droupadi Murmu for emerging victorious in the presidential election. Murmu defeated Opposition's Yashwant Sinha who conceded defeat. Banerjee congratulated the NDA presidential nominee and said the country will sincerely look up to Murmu as the "Head of State to protect the ideals of the Constitution and the custodian of our democracy". The TMC had supported Sinha, the joint candidate of major non-BJP parties, in the election held on July 18. "I would like to congratulate Hon'ble Presidential-Elect Smt Draupadi Murmu. The country will sincerely look up to you as the Head of State to protect the ideals of our Constitution & be the custodian of our democracy, especially when (the) nation is plagued with so many dissensions (sic)," she tweeted. The NCP chief wished Murmu success. Heartfelt congratulations Smt Droupadi Murmu on being ...

NCP Chief Sharad Pawar dissolves all departments, cells in a sudden move

Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar has dissolved all departments and cells of the party with immediate effect, a senior NCP leader said on Wednesday

Ex-Union minister Margaret Alva to be Oppn's vice-presidential candidate

Alva (80) would file her nomination papers on Tuesday, July 19 which is the last date for filing nominations for the August 6 election