Sharad Pawar

Sharad Pawar urges PM Modi to install statues of Maratha warriors in Delhi

NCP-SP chief Sharad Pawar has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to permit installing three horse-mounted statues of Peshwa Bajirao I, Mahadji Shinde and Malharrao Holkar at the Talkatora Stadium here. The area around Talkatora Stadium holds immense importance in the military campaigns launched by the Maratha Empire against the Mughals in the 18th century. Pawar said a Pune-based NGO had planned to install busts of Bajirao, Shinde and Holkar at the Talkatora Stadium, but litterateurs and historians have weighed in favour of equestrian statues of the three warriors. "However, many literary figures and well-wishers have voiced the sentiment that full-sized equestrian statues would be a more fitting tribute to their valour and contribution," he said in a letter to Modi. Pawar said as Talkatora Stadium falls under the jurisdiction of the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC), he was seeking the prime minister's intervention in directing the Government of Delhi and NDMC to grant the ..

Maharashtra farmer suicides worrying, govt needs a policy solution: Pawar

NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Saturday expressed concerns about farmer suicides in Marathwada and Vidarbha and said the Centre should come up with a policy to help cultivators. Pawar's statement comes in the backdrop of the data released by the state relief and rehabilitation department that revealed that 2,635 farmers died by suicide in Maharashtra in 2024. "The information which has come from Marathwada and Vidarbha is worrying. We will collect accurate data from different locations. The Centre should prepare a policy to help farmers," he told reporters in Baramati. On speculations about NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil crossing over to the Ajit Pawar-led party faction, the senior politician said Patil had already given his statement to the media. Patil, the state president of NCP (SP), had earlier said nothing about him was certain, sparking the buzz that he could quit the party. On Friday, Patil met the NCP (SP) chief at an event in Baramati and later said he was not upset an

As Modi and Sharad Pawar grow closer, Maharashtra's political cauldron bubbles

Fault lines within MVA deepen as NCP (SP) warms up to BJP-Shinde, and Thackeray charts solo path for ensuing local body polls in the state, explains RADHIKA RAMASESHAN

People gave clear verdict on Sena, NCP with thumping Mahayuti win: Shah

The Mahayuti won 230 of the 288 Maharashtra assembly seats in the polls held in November, while the Sena and NCP factions led by Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar, respectively, fared poorly

Sharad Pawar should not have felicitated Eknath Shinde, says Sanjay Raut

The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Wednesday expressed strong disapproval of its ally and NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar felicitating Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at an event in Delhi. It was Shinde who split the Shiv Sena with the help of Amit Shah, and felicitating him was akin to honouring the BJP leader, said Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sanjay Raut. Shinde was on Tuesday honoured with the Mahadji Shinde Rashtra Gaurav Puraskar at the hands of Pawar and in the presence of Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on the occasion of the 98th Akhil Bhartiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan. Pawar heads the reception committee of the literary meet, scheduled to start next week. Raut said Pawar should not have attended the event, as Shinde toppled the Uddhav Thackeray-led government of the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress in Maharashtra in 2022 by resorting to "betrayal". "Certain things should be avoided in politics. Yesterday, Sharad Pawar did not felicitate Shinde, but he felicitated Amit Shah. Thi

Ego clashes within INDIA bloc led to BJP's Delhi win: NCP MLA Rohit Pawar

The BJP will form its government in Delhi after a gap of more than 26 years as it won 48 of the 70 seats in the assembly polls, the results of which were announced on Saturday

Sharad Pawar says no party issues discussed at meet with nephew Ajit Pawar

Nationalist Congress Party (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Friday sought to downplay his closed-door meeting with estranged nephew and Maharashtra deputy CM Ajit Pawar in Pune, and asserted no issue related to their respective parties was discussed. Speaking to reporters in Kolhapur city, the former Union agriculture minister insisted discussion at the meeting solely centred around a sugar industry project. Asked about the possibility of rival NCP factions, headed by him and Ajit Pawar, coming together and if this issue was touched up in the meeting, the veteran politician asserted no party-related matter was discussed. "In the meeting, Ajit Pawar, myself and people associated with the (sugar industry) project were present," he said. The two politicians were in Pune to attend the annual general body meeting of the Vasantdada Sugar Institute (VSI), which is headed by the senior Pawar. Deputy CM Ajit Pawar is a member of the Pune-based VSI, a prominent research institute of the sugar

Amit Shah bats for science-led co-op farming, takes jibe at Sharad Pawar

Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Friday said agriculture becomes a profitable business when science is part of the cooperative sector. Shah also took a swipe at NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, saying just becoming a leader is not enough and questioned his contribution to the key sector when he was the Agriculture Minister in the Congress-led UPA government (2004-2014). 'You also need to work on the ground," he said while addressing a meeting of the cooperative sector at Malegaon in north Maharashtra's Nashik district. Shah, who also holds the home portfolio, pointed out that to emphasise on the importance of science, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had included 'Jai Vigyan' to former PM Lal Bahadur Shastri's famous slogan of 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan' (hailing soldiers and farmers). Agriculture becomes a profitable business when science is part of the cooperative sector, noted the minister. He said a separate entity, Bharat Cooperative Organics Ltd (officially named National ...

BJP's Maharashtra win ends Sharad Pawar's politics of betrayal: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said veteran politician Sharad Pawar played politics of betrayal and treachery in Maharashtra from 1978, which was ended by BJP's massive victory in the assembly polls with its resolve to establish a stable government. Addressing a state BJP convention in Shirdi, Shah said the people of Maharashtra showed Pawar, who heads NCP (SP), and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray their place by rejecting the politics of dynasty and betrayal in last year's elections. Citing differences between Congress and allies in Delhi, West Bengal, Bihar, and Maharashtra, Shah said the decline of the opposition INDI block has begun. "Sharad Pawar started politics of 'daga-phatka' (betrayal and treachery) in Maharashtra in 1978, which was rejected by people in 2024 (elections). Similarly, the politics of the dynasty and the betrayal of Uddhav Thackeray was also rejected. People showed Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray their place in 2024 polls," Shah said. Noting that

Sharad Pawar discusses Beed, Parbhani situation with CM Devendra Fadnavis

NCP (SP) head Sharad Pawar has said he has spoken to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on efforts to normalise the social tension gripping Beed and Parbhani after the murder of a sarpanch and death of a Dalit youth in judicial custody. United efforts are required to restore normalcy and resolve issues in Beed and Parbhani, Pawar said on Saturday. The brutal murder of Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district, on December 9 has triggered a slugfest between the ruling and opposition parties as one of the persons held in a related extortion case is a close associate of state minister Dhananjay Munde. The incident has led to widespread protests in the state and also given rise to fears of a caste conflict since Deshmukh was a Maratha and some of those held hail from the Vanjari community. Somnath Suryavanshi, who was arrested following violence in Parbhani on December 10 after a replica of the Constitution was vandalised, died on December 15 after h

Sharad Pawar shares stage with Chhagan Bhujbal for Savitribai Phule event

NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar and disgruntled NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal on Friday shared a stage in Pune to mark the birth anniversary of legendary educationist and social reformer Savitribai Phule. Speaking on the occasion, Bhujbal said many were "surprised" at the two sharing a stage but asserted "we will always come together for great personalities like Mahatma Phule, Shahu Maharaj and Babasaheb Ambedkar". The Nationalist Congress Party split in July 2023 after Ajit Pawar, Bhujbal and several others joined the Eknath Shinde government. The NCP name and 'clock' symbol was given to the faction headed by Ajit Pawar, while the one under Sharad Pawar was christened NCP (SP). The two parties have been bitter rivals since. Bhujbal has been upset with his party, headed by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, after he was not included in the Devendra Fadnavis cabinet. In the days following the swearing-in ceremony on December 15, Bhujbal had lashed out at the deputy CM over his ...

Sharad Pawar urges Maharashtra CM to address Beed, Parbhani cases

: NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Sunday had a telephonic conversation with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis about the murder of a sarpanch in Beed and the death of a man following violence in Parbhani. Pawar on Saturday visited the families of Santosh Deshmukh, the slain sarpanch, and Somnath Suryawanshi, who allegedly died in judicial custody after his arrest in connection with the violence in Parbhani. The NCP (SP) chief attended the Bhimthadi Jatra at the College of Agriculture in the city on Sunday. While at the event, he called the chief minister, urging him to take note of the Beed and Parbhani cases. Fadnavis on Friday announced judicial probes into the Parbhani violence and the sarpanch's murder and financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh each to the kin of Deshmukh and Suryawanshi. Talking to reporters here, Pawar said, "I had a word with the chief minister about the places I visited yesterday. I told him that the situation was serious and asked him to take not

Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar may come together in future, says Shiv Sena MLA

It seems that the negotiations are going on and all the leaders may unite, said Shrisat

Some MPs of NCP(SP) could switch their loyalties, says BJP leader Darekar

BJP leader Pravin Darekar on Wednesday hinted that some MPs of the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) could cross over to his party if development was their priority. Many Maha Vikas Aghadi MPs, especially those from the NCP (SP), represent constituencies where the BJP-led alliance won most seats in the assembly elections, he said. "If development is their priority, with both the central and state governments controlled by the BJP-led alliance, they may consider their political future carefully," Darekar said. In her reaction, NCP (SP) leader Vidya Chavan dismissed Darekar's claims. "The Union government led by the BJP is a fragile alliance with leaders like Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu. They live in fear of losing their support, which is why they resort to such tactics (of wooing MPs from Opposition parties)," she said. "Our MPs are firm and will not betray the coalition," Chavan asserted.

Will YSRCP have courage to support Oppn's motion on Dhankhar, asks Congress

He was reacting to a YSRCP Rajya Sabha MP Vijayasai Reddy's post on X where he supported the proposals of several leaders of the parties in the INDIA bloc for Mamata Banerjee

INDIA bloc to approach Supreme Court over EVM issue: NCP (SCP) leader

He said that the INDIA alliance has faith in the apex court and hoped that it will give a decision in their favour

Lalu Prasad joins Oppn chorus to back Mamata for heading INDIA bloc

The Assembly elections in Bihar are less than a year away, and Congress sources attributed Prasad's comments as a tactic to pressure their party during the forthcoming seat-sharing negotiations

BJP's Rahul Narwekar set to become Maharashtra Assembly speaker unopposed

BJP's Rahul Narwekar is poised to be elected unopposed as the speaker of the Maharashtra legislative assembly, with the opposition alliance Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) deciding not to put up a contest. Narwekar, who was the speaker in the 14th assembly for two and a half years and gave the key verdicts tied to the Shiv Sena and NCP, was reelected from the Colaba assembly seat in Mumbai. Accompanied by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his deputies Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, Narwekar filed his nomination before the legislature secretary Jitendra Bhole on Sunday. MVA leaders met Fadnavis and urged him to follow the protocol of giving the deputy speaker's post to the opposition. They also sought the post of the leader of the opposition. The speaker's election will be formally announced in the House on Monday. This will be followed by a floor test to prove the new government's strength. Governor CP Radhakrishnan will then address the joint session of both Houses of the state ...

Stop misleading people about EVMs, accept poll mandate: Shinde to Oppn

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday hit out at the opposition, accusing it of misleading people about electronic voting machines and not accepting their mandate. Talking to reporters, Shinde said the ruling Mahayuti alliance won the November 20 assembly polls because of its work, and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi must accept the people's mandate and support the government in development works. The Mahayuti combine of the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP swept the recently held polls, winning 230 out of 288 seats, while the opposition bloc of Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) managed just 46 seats. The opposition parties have alleged irregularities with EVMs for its poll losses and demanded the use of ballot papers. Slamming the opposition, the Shiv Sena chief said, "When you win, there is no EVM scam, but the machine becomes bad when you lose. This is not the right approach." He said the opposition must accept the people's mandate that they have been decisively

Oppn mislead people on EVMs instead of accepting defeat: Mahayuti leaders

The ruling Mahayuti alliance on Sunday accused leaders of the opposition parties of misleading people about electronic voting machines (EVMs) instead of accepting the losses it faced in the Maharashtra assembly elections. The November 20 elections saw the Mahayuti alliance of the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP achieve a landslide victory by clinching 230 out of 288 assembly seats. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, comprising the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP), managed just 46 seats. The opposition bloc has since claimed irregularities in the EVMs and demanded the use of ballot papers. Speaking to reporters, Shiv Sena leader Uday Samant slammed the opposition for indulging in double standards. "It is because of the MVA's double standards that the Samajwadi Party has parted from the alliance. Yesterday, they boycotted the oath-taking ceremony, and today, they will hopefully take oath as members, which will again highlight their double standards," he said. He claimed the opposition