Tag: Maharashtra

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INDIA 2024 India News Politics

Maharashtra’s political titans lock horns

Five Lok Sabha seats in Phase 1 include Chandrapur, Bhandara-Gondiya, Gadchiroli-Chimur, Ramtek, and Nagpur…reports Asian Lite News

Polling is underway in five parliamentary seats in Maharashtra in the first phase of polling, in which as many as 95.54 lakh registered voters will decide the fate of 97 candidates.

Maharashtra, the second-largest state after Uttar Pradesh (80), which contributes 48 seats in 543-member Lok Sabha, will witness a fierce contest between the two major state coalitions – the Mahayuti (Bharatiya Janata Party, Shiv Sena, and Nationalist Congress Party) and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (SP)).

Five Lok Sabha seats include Chandrapur, Bhandara-Gondiya, Gadchiroli-Chimur, Ramtek, and Nagpur.

However, Prakash Ambedkar’s Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA has also fielded some candidates, making it a three-cornered fight on some seats.

Among these voters, there are 48.28 lakh males, 47.26 lakh females, and 347 transgender persons.

To facilitate the electoral process, the ECI has established 10,652 polling stations, each equipped with 21,527 ballot units, 13,963 control units, and 14,755 VVPAT machines.

Nagpur will see the contest between senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari and Vikas Thakre, who is currently the Nagpur West MLA.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Nitin Gadkari registered victory with a massive vote share of 55.7 per cent. He defeated the current Maharashtra Congress President, Nana Patole, with a victory margin of 2,16,009 votes. Gadkari also defeated Congress leader Vilas Muttemwar by a margin of 2,84,828 votes in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Chandrapur in Maharashtra was the only seat, out of the total 48 in the state, that Congress managed to win. But this time, the fight may not be easy for it as the BJP is sparing no effort to win back the constituency and fielded a state minister from there.

From the Congress’s side, Pratibha Dhanorkar, the wife of Suresh alias Balu Dhanorkar who died last year, is in the fray, while the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has given a chance to Sudhir Mungantiwar, who is the Minister of Forests, Cultural Affairs in the state.

An intriguing three-way contest is on the cards in Maharashtra’s Ramtek (reserved for SC), which goes to polls on Friday.

Ramtek is the only seat being contested by Shinde-led Sena in the first phase of general elections on April 19.

Congress, a constituent of Maha Vikas Aghadi, has fielded Shyamkumar Dault Barve from Ramtek.

With the Returning Officer of Ramtek constituency declaring the nomination of Congress candidate Rashmi Barve as invalid, her husband Shyamkumar Barve became the official candidate of Congress.

Now, the contest between Congress’s Shyamkumar Barve and Shinde-led Shiv Sena’s candidate Raju Parwe has become a litmus test for Shinde-led Sena.

In Gadchiroli-Chimur, the largest Lok Sabha constituency in terms of area in Maharashtra and with a huge region affected by Naxal violence, the Congress party has fielded Namdeo Dasaram Kirsan against Ashok Mahadeorao Nete of the BJP. Nete is the sitting Member of Parliament (MP), who won Lok Sabha polls from the same constituency two consecutive times in 2014 and 2019.

Marotrao Kovase of the Congress defeated Nete in the Lok Sabha elections of 2009. But Nete had won the state Assembly elections from Gadchiroli seat twice, in 1999 and 2004.

After 25 years, the Congress has fielded a candidate, Prashant Padole, in the Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha constituency in the eastern Vidarbha region. The BJP has fielded sitting MP Sunil Mendhe from the seat.

In the last 25 years, the Congress always played the role of an alliance partner, leaving the Bhandara-Gondia constituency to the undivided NCP led by Sharad Pawar, with senior leader and former Union minister Praful Patel becoming the face of the Congress-NCP in Bhandara-Gondia.

Meanwhile, the MahaYuti partners on Thursday expressed confidence that the alliance will win more than 45 out of 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, asserting that the performance of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led state government will bring success.

MahaYuti leaders comprising Maharashtra Cabinet ministers Hasan Mushrif, Ravindra Chavan and Aditi Tatkare, and several legislators had gathered at the time of filing of nomination by NCP nominee Sunil Tatkare from Raigad constituency where he is pitted against Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate and former Union minister Anant Geete. The polling is slated for May 7.

Tatkare said that the Lok Sabha elections will strengthen the country’s ranking in the world, especially when a slew of development projects are being done under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“MahaYuti will win more than 45 seats in Maharashtra,” he added.

“After getting elected, I will work as an MP of MahaYuti for the next five years. Various schemes of the Central government have been pending for many years to be implemented in Raigad seat. I am committed to complete the long-pending works and new projects after the grand coalition comes to power for the third time in the country under the leadership of Narendra Modi,” said Tatkare.

He declared that he would win by a bigger margin than the 2019 elections.

Maharashtra has 48 Lok Sabha seats, the second-largest after Uttar Pradesh. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won 23 out of 25 seats it contested in alliance with the undivided Shiv Sena. Elections to the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra will be held in five phases on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, and May 20. (ANI)

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INDIA 2024 India News Politics

Maharashtra Cong confident of winning all 5 seats in Phase 1

State Congress President Nana Patole contended that there is massive anger against the BJP in Centre that will benefit the Opposition parties….reports Asian Lite News

As the heat and dust of campaigning for the first phase of Lok Sabha subsided this evening, the Congress expressed confidence that it will win all the five seats for which voting will be conducted in Maharashtra on April 19, here on Wednesday.

State Congress President Nana Patole contended that there is massive anger against the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that will benefit the Opposition parties.

“The BJP is trying to hide its sins by criticising the Nehru-Gandhi families… Why is the PM and his party silent on the real issues confronting the masses like runaway inflation, massive joblessness and other problems,” demanded Patole, while addressing media persons here.

Patole said that the masses have wholeheartedly accepted the candidates of the INDIA bloc constituents and Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance partners, and “will bless them in the elections” in Nagpur, Ramtek (SC), Gadchiroli-Chimur (ST), Bhandara-Gondiya and Chandrapur.

However, in contrast, he pointed out how the ruling party leaders and candidates have faced strong hostility from the people in many parts of the state, they vented their anger at the BJP’s oppressive policies and ignored the genuine problems that remain unsolved.

Patole added that in the past 10 years, the BJP government at the Centre has frittered away the country’s wealth, pushed it into deep debts, ruined the lives of farmers and jeopardised the future of the youth.

The Congress and its allies organised public rallies, big and small padyatras, corner meetings and even door-to-door canvassing, where they attempted to popularise the ‘Five Nyays’ and 25 Guarantees promised by the party to the people of the country, intended for the welfare of the ordinary masses.

“The people have clearly understood how the BJP has attempted to whitewash corruption by letting loose the Central investigative agencies, threatened tainted leaders and after they switched sides got them ‘laundered’ and respectable,” slammed Patole, who carried out final corner meetings and a padyatra before the curtains came down on the electioneering.

Patole said it was strange that instead of talking about what the Modi regime did in the past 10 years, they kept talking about the performance of the Congress governments headed by the Nehru-Gandhi family, and warned that “the people of India will give the BJP a fitting reply” at the hustings.

ALSO READ: Modi to visit Karnataka on April 20

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-Top News India News Politics

Modi tears into Congress in Maharashtra rally

Chandrapur [Maharashtra], Apr 8 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a public meeting for the Lok Sabha elections, in Chandrapur on Monday. (ANI Photo)

PM Modi said that under Congress rule, India lagged behind other countries that gained independence at the same time…reports Asian Lite News

Coming out heavily against the Congress party in Maharashtra, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the grand old party is the “originator” of all the problems faced by the country, ranging from the issues of terrorism, naxalism to the violence in Kashmir. He further said that under Congress rule, India lagged behind other countries that gained independence at the same time. Addressing the public meeting on Monday, PM Modi said, “It is the responsibility of political parties to resolve people’s issues but the Congress Party is the root of all problems in the country.

Since Independence, who has been responsible for the country’s partition on the basis of religion? Who was responsible for the problem in Kashmir? So many countries got independent at the same time, and went ahead. Which party was in power for the maximum time?” “The country faced the wrath of terrorism for decades. Bomb blasts were a common thing those days. Who gave protection to terrorists just for appeasement? The problem of Naxalism got out of hand, who was responsible for this ‘red terror’?” he added while slamming Congress for not taking action against terrorism.

“The dispute over Ram janmabhoomi continued even after seven decades of independence. Who used to create obstruction in the construction of Ayodhya’s Ram Temple? The leaders of which party questioned the existence of Lord Ram?” PM Modi further said. PM Modi used a Marathi proverb to hit out at the Congress party over remarks by party leaders DK Suresh and Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin. “Bitter gourd remains bitter whether it is mixed with ghee or sugar. This perfectly applies to Congress. They can never improve. Due to its misdeeds, today the Congress party has lost public support in the country, that’s why the Congress has openly started the game of divide and rule,” the Prime Minister said. “The Congress manifesto has the language of Muslim League written in it. Their MPs are talking about another partition of India. Leaders of the INDI alliance are threatening to separate South India. DMK party is terming ‘Santana’ as dengue and malaria,” he added. He further attacked Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge over his remarks and said that Kashmir is an integral part of the country. “Congress President has said, why Modi talks about Kashmir and Article 370 in other states? You tell me, isn’t this Congress’ divisive thinking? Is Kashmir not ours? Is it not our crown?” PM Modi said. “When Kashmir was burning under the fire of terrorism, houses of Kashmiri Pandits were being burnt, late Balasaheb Thackeray had openly come out against Congress.

Did Balasaheb Thackeray think that Kashmir is on fire and what it has to do with the people of Maharashtra? I am happy that Eknath Shinde and his party are strongly taking forward the ideas of Bala Saheb,” he added. During his address, Prime Minister Modi said that the Lok Sabha polls is an election between stability and instability, while stressing on the importance of a stable government. “This is an election between stability and instability. On one side is BJP, which believes in taking strong and big decisions for the country. On the other hand, is the Congress party and the INDI alliance says ‘jaha bhi satta pao, khoob malai khao’ (Reap as much as possible wherever you come to power),” PM Modi said. “INDI Alliance has always pushed the country into instability. How important it is to have a stable government, that can understand better than Maharashtra,” he added. He also gave reference to the wide range and quality of wood from Chandrapur, stating that the wood has been used in Ram Mandir in Ayodhya as well as the new Parliament building. “Chandrapur sent wood for the construction of the grand Ram temple in Ayodhya. The wood from Chandrapur was also used in the new Parliament building, which represents the New India. The fame of Chandrapur has reached the entire country, I congratulate the people of Chandrapur,” he further said. Maharashtra sends the second-highest 48 MPs seats to the parliament. The polling in the state will be held in five phases: April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13 and May 20. The counting of votes will be held on June 4. In the 2019 elections, the BJP emerged as the single largest party with 23 seats, followed by Shiv Sena (undivided) with 18 seats. (ANI)

‘Time to open govt treasury for common man’

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday alleged that the Prime Minister waived off Rs 16 lakh crore of a few billionaires in one go and said that now is the time to open the government treasury for the common man.

In his post on X, Rahul said “Narendra Modi waived off Rs 16 lakh crore of a few billionaires in one go. With this much money, a revolutionary scheme like MGNREGA could have been run for 24 years. Those who ask where the money will come from for Congress’s schemes, they hide these figures from you.”

“Enough of ‘kindness towards friends’, now is the time to open the government treasury for the common man,” he added.

Meanwhile, Union Minister Smriti Irani on Monday claimed that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took the support of the banned outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Kerala’s Wayanad, his current parliamentary seat.

Irani, while speaking to the reporters here, accused the Congress MP of “insulting” the people of Amethi, a parliamentary seat which once considered to be Congress’ bastion, but is currently being represented by her.

“We have received this information that Rahul Gandhi took the support of the terrorist organization PFI to contest his election in Wayanad. When you read the chargesheet filed in the context of PFI, you will get to know that the organisation had planned to kill Hindus in every district. Rahul Gandhi should tell the people of Amethi why is taking the help of PFI that plans to kill Hindus…He insulted Amethi. PM Narendra Modi developed Amethi and the people of Amethi will bless PM Narendra Modi,” she said.

Significantly, Rahul Gandhi is locked in a triangular fight in Wayanad where his principal rival is CPI’s Annie Raja.

General elections will be held in India from April 19 to June 1 to elect the 543 members of the 18th Lok Sabha.

The elections will be conducted in seven phases and the results will be declared on June 4. (ANI)

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India News Jammu & Kashmir Politics

Maharashtra Makes History, Owns Land in J&K

The state will have the Maharashtra Bhawan which will come up in Budgam district to facilitate its tourists…reports Asian Lite News

Maharashtra is going to be the first state in the country to own land in J&K.

The state will have the Maharashtra Bhawan which will come up in Budgam district to facilitate its tourists here.

The details of the project were worked out when Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited J&K in June 2023 during his meetings with Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha, official sources said.

“UT government has approved the transfer of 2.5 acres of land at Ichgam in Budgam district near Srinagar international airport to Maharashtra at a cost of Rs 8.16 crore,” said sources.

Reports also said that the state government has allocated Rs 77 crore for two Maharashtra Bhawans, one at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh and the other at Budgam in J&K.

With the J&K’s approval of land transfer of 2.5 acres, Maharashtra, thus, would be the first state to own land in the union territory.

Before the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A, no person, institution or entity belonging outside J&K could buy land here although a provision to allot land on 99-year lease to outsiders did exist before the acts were struck off.

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Books India News London News

Maha minister Lodha to attend wife’s book launch at Nehru Centre, London

Maharshtra’s minister for Tourism, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Woman and Child Development BJP loyalist Mangal Prabhat Lodha – a reputed builder and politician will join his wife Dr Manju Lodha to launch her book ‘’Ankahin Kahaniyan’’ at the Nehru Centre, London at 6.00 pm on 4th November, reports Asian Lite’s Rahul Laud

Big wigs from trade, industry, government and Indian High Commission offices are expected to attend the launch and rub shoulders with India’s Maharashtra state minister. Director of Nehru Centre, renowned author, writer  come diplomat, First Secretary, Culture  Amish Tripathi is also expected to attend the glamorous launch.  

Manju Lodha, a writer, poet, and philanthropist is the Chairperson of the Lodha Foundation which is involved in social activities. Author of 11 books , Manju is an orator and is never short of words. She takes care of Lodha Dham – a religious complex. She is the Founder of Gyan Gangitri Kavya Manch, which is the only women’s literary organization for the development of literacy skills for housewives in Mumbai. She is running 3 libraries, which include the world’s largest religious library with over six lac religious books and one ‘Mobile’ library. She has written 11 books in all.

The book ’Ankahin Kahaniyan’’ pays homage to India’s greatest revolutionaries and freedom fighters and narrates their emotional yet inspiring stories that laid the forefront of India’s freedom and constitution. “It is about all the heroes of our country, be it soldiers, warriors, kings, and sultans, revolutionaries, freedom fighters, politicians who have led the country through very tough times and steered the country towards betterment and who are unsung ,” says Manju.

“This book is an ode to visionaries that revolutionised India through social, cultural and industrial reforms and an amalgamation of stories that have inspired me in my journey as an author, poet and philanthropist,” Manju added.. From the powerful story of Savitribai Phule that revolutionized the Indian education system, to accounts of General Tatya Tope’s rebellious victories, this book aims to inspire the youth of our nation through tales that are left untold.

Later minister Lodha will be joined in London by his core tourism team from Maharashtra – Saurabh Vyas IAS, secretary tourism; Dr B N Patil IAS Director, Directorate of Tourism and Dr Dhananjay Sawalkar, Dy Director, Directorate of Tourism Tourism who will pitch to attract tourists and trade at the World Travel Market between 7-9 November  in London.

ALSO READ: Sanskruti-Veekshanam amazes audiences at Nehru Centre

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India News Maharashtra

Winds of change in Madhya Pradesh politics

In the first phase of counting held on July 17, AIMIM had bagged two municipal wards in Jabalpur and one each in Khandwa and Burhanpur…reports Asian Lite News

The outcomes of the urban local body polls in Madhya Pradesh will send warning signal to the two national parties dominating state politics, the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress, as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) have made a stunning entry in Madhya Pradesh’s political scenario.

While the Arvind Keriwal-led AAP bagged one Mayoral post besides winning around half-a-dozen municipal wards, Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM also made an impressive entry into state politics by winning as many as six municipal wards.

After the second phase of counting on Wednesday, results of five municipal corporations — Rewa, Katni, Morena, Dewas and Ratlam — were announced, in which the AAP managed to win one municipal ward while the AIMIM won three municipal wards.

Notably, the results came just about 16 months before the Assembly elections scheduled in 2023, boosting the confidence of the cadres both the debutant parties in the state.

In the first phase of counting held on July 17, AIMIM had bagged two municipal wards in Jabalpur and one each in Khandwa and Burhanpur. In the second phase of counting held on Wednesday, out of the three municipal seats AIMIM won, one was won in Khargone by a candidate belonging to the Hindu community.

AIMIM’s Aruna Upadhyay, who won from Khargone, told IANS, “I had never thought of contesting elections, but I was impressed by the thoughts of Asaduddin Owaisi. Communal violence in April this year changed the scenario of the city and the people who used to walk and talk together are now experiencing bitterness. People from both the communities have supported me and I will try my best to work for them.”

In the overall results, out of the 16 municipal corporations in Madhya Pradesh, BJP could retain only nine Mayoral posts, while the Congress for the first time managed to win five Mayoral. The AAP and an Independent candidate won one Mayoral post each.

The saffron camp lost the Mayoral post in the Morena Municipal Corporation, the home turf of party stalwart and Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar. The BJP also lost the Mayoral post in Rewa after a gap of 25 years.

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Environment India News

Heavy rainfall to continue in Western India

The monsoon trough is active and south of its normal position, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said…reports Asian Lite News

With the monsoon trough active and continuing to be at a position south of its normal, very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall is likely over Gujarat, the Western Ghat areas of Maharashtra, Konkan, and Goa on Thursday and over Saurashtra and Kutch till Friday.

“A well-marked Low Pressure Area lies over south coastal Odisha and neighbourhood with the associated cyclonic circulation extending up to upper tropospheric levels tilting southwestwards with height. The monsoon trough is active and south of its normal position,” the India Meteorological Department (IMD) bulletin on Wednesday.

An east-west shear zone runs roughly along 20 degree North in middle and upper tropospheric levels tilting southwestwards with height across north peninsular India, the IMD said.

“Under the influence above two systems, fairly widespread/widespread light/moderate rainfall and thunderstorm/lightning with isolated heavy rainfall is very likely over Chhattisgarh, Vidarbha, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala, and Mahe, coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam, Telangana, and Karnataka during next 5 days.”

Isolated very heavy rainfall is very likely over west Madhya Pradesh and Telangana on Thursday, east Madhya Pradesh on Sunday, Vidarbha on Thursday and Sunday, Chhattisgarh over the weekend, Odisha till Saturday, Konkan and Goa, central Maharashtra and Gujarat region on Friday, Saurashtra and Kutch on Saturday, and coastal and south interior Karnataka on Thursday.

Isolated heavy to very rainfall with extremely heavy rainfall is very likely over Gujarat, the Ghat areas of Maharashtra, Konkan, and Goa on Thursday and over Saurashtra and Kutch till Friday.

Stating that scattered to fairly widespread light/moderate rainfall with isolated thunderstorm/lightning is very likely over Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit, Baltistan and Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand during next five days and over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi & Rajasthan during next three days, the IMD bulletin said, adding that there will be reduction thereafter.

Flood situation in Telangana

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has put the state administration, Ministers, MLAs on alert as heavy rains lashed the state.

The Chief Minister held marathon reviews with every department and issued necessary instructions to contain flood-related damages.

KCR is in constant touch with the administration in flood-affected areas of the Godavari River basin. He spoke to Ministers A Indrakaran Reddy, P Ajay Kumar and V Prashanath Reddy and enquired about the flood situation in the heavy rain-hit districts.

On CM instructions, Ministers, MLAs and Officials are shifting people from flood-affected areas to safer zones. Regular monitoring helped to keep control of the flood losses, said the government.

As the flood water is flowing heavily into the Kadem project, the authorities have evacuated the people of 12 villages that are being flooded due to the release of water downstream of the Kadem project.

The Chief Minister ordered the local minister Indrakaran Reddy over the phone to take protective measures from there.

The Chief Minister directed Special Chief Secretary Municipal Department Arvind Kumar to take immediate action in the river catchment area towns which are facing floods including Nirmal.

The CM ordered Minister Vemula Prashant Reddy to take immediate steps to restore the national and state roads which are cut off due to floods.

The CM directed the CS, Irrigation Officers, District Collectors and SPs to take immediate measures to prevent any loss of life.

ALSO READ-Flood fury in MP: Highway closed, flights diverted

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India News Politics

Ajit Pawar is Maharashtra’s new Leader of Opposition

Known to harbour a secret desire for the top post of CM, Ajit Pawar is described as an opportunist, aggressive and no-nonsense leader, by his party colleagues, politicians and admirers…reports Asian Lite News

Nationalist Congress Party leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has been elected the new Leader of the Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, here on Monday.

State President and the NCP Legislative Party leader Jayant Patil proposed the name of Ajit Pawar for the august post which was announced in the House.

Pawar, 62, will now lead the combined Opposition Congress, Shiv Sena and other parties against the new Chief Minister Eknath Shinde – supported by the Bharatiya Janata Party – in the government.

The nephew of NCP President Sharad Pawar – who heads one of the state’s important political clans – Ajit Pawar is a cousin of incumbent Baramati MP Supriya Sule, and Rohit R. Pawar, MLA from Karjat-Jamkhed.

A B.Com graduate and a farmer by profession, Ajit Pawar is a former one-term MP from Baramati, a seven-time MLA and also 4-time ex-Deputy Chief Minister of the state in his 4-decade long political career.

In its 60-year history, Maharashtra has had only 9 Deputy CMs, and Ajit Pawar has held the post a record four times – Nov 2010 – Sep 2012, Dec 2012 – Sep 2014, Nov 23 – 28, 2019, Dec 2019 – June 2022 – the last during the Maha Vikas Aghadi government headed by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

His election came even as the Opposition wanted a tough and experienced leader of stature for the critical post given the recent major political upheavals that saw the collapse of the 31-month-old 3-party MVA alliance regime on June 30.

Known to harbour a secret desire for the top post of CM, Ajit Pawar is described as an opportunist, aggressive and no-nonsense leader, by his party colleagues, politicians and admirers.

He launched his political career with the sugar and banking cooperative sector in 1982, when his uncle Pawar Sr was emerging as a major force in state politics, and under his tutelage, soon became an important leader in his own right.

He became a Minister of State in 1991 and has handled all major portfolios like Finance, Rural Development, Agriculture, Energy, Irrigation, Water Resources, etc, hugging controversies along the political path.

In Nov 2019, he created a major political fracas when he was sworn-in as Dy CM, along with BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis as the CM, but the two-man government crashed in barely 80 hours, but later was ‘forgiven’ by all and rehabilitated as Dy CM in the Thackeray cabinet in Dec 2019.

Often known for making brazen statements and off-the-cuff remarks, Ajit Pawar is married to Sunetra, the couple have two sons, and the family lives in Mumbai and their native Baramati, in Pune district.

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-Top News India News Maharashtra

Thackeray sacks Shinde as ‘Shiv Sena Leader’

Eknath Shinde

On anticipated lines, the Shiv Sena ‘removed’ the new Chief Minister Eknath Shinde as a ‘Shiv Sena Leader’ for indulging in ‘anti-party’ activities, the party confirmed here on Saturday.

In a terse letter to Shinde on Thursday, Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray, who quit as Chief Minister on June 29, said: “You have been indulging in anti-party activities and have voluntarily given up your membership of Shiv Sena.”

Accordingly, in exercise of the powers vested in him as the ‘Shivsena Paksha Pramukha’, Thackeray said he has removed Shinde as a Shiv Sena leader in the party organisation.

The party’s mouthpiece, ‘Saamana’ Group of publications have highlighted and confirmed the development in their editions on Saturday amid speculation it could trigger a bigger struggle to control the 56-year-old party and its assets.

There are 11 Shiv Sena leaders in the top party hierarchy who plan out major policy decisions giving a direction to the party, and the move was taken as per certain precedents.

The possibility of a similar fate awaiting the other 39 MLAs who joined the Shinde-led rebellion on June 20, is not ruled out, after it created an unprecedented political crisis in the state and led to the collapse of the three-party Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government on Thursday.

On Friday, Thackeray dismissively said that a person who ‘sidelined’ the Sena could not be called a ‘Shiv Sena Chief Minister’, as contended by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and the rebels group, though Shinde’s supporters are unfazed.

Uddhav Thackeray

While Thackeray resigned as Chief Minister on June 29 after 31 months in power, the Sena ‘rebel’ Shinde was sworn-in as the new Chief Minister with the BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis as the surprise Deputy Chief Minister on Thursday.

The new government has been ordered by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to seek a ‘vote of confidence’ in a Special Legislative Assembly session to be held on July 3-4.

ALSO READ: Shinde takes oath as Maharashtra CM

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India News Politics

Constitution, Governor and the Sena imbroglio

A question which emerges in this political imbroglio – when would Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari call for a floor test…reports Asian Lite News

The ongoing tussle in Maharashtra between rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde’s faction and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is poised for an intriguing climax, where the Governor’s role is extremely crucial in establishing political stability in the state.

Apparently, the odds are against the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, which is on the brink of collapse. However, Shinde’s camp received a setback after the Assembly’s Deputy Speaker rejected the no-confidence motion moved by them against him and recently, Shiv Sena’s Executive Committee authorised Thackeray to take action against the rebel MLAs.

A question which emerges in this political imbroglio – when would Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari call for a floor test.

Post the rebellion in the ranks, Shiv Sena indicated at suggesting dissolution of the Assembly and the Deputy Speaker issued notices to the 16 rebel MLAs on the disqualification plea by Thackeray’s team. The Supreme Court judgments in such scenarios mandate the Governor to allow an opportunity to a party, which stakes claim to form the government.

Articles in the Constitution outline the power of the Governor, especially Article 174, which is a crucial provision. Article 174 (1) says the Governor shall, from time to time, summon the House or each House of the legislature of the state to meet at such time and place as he thinks fit, but six months shall not intervene between its last sitting in one session and the date appointed for its first sitting in the next session. Article 174 (2) (a) authorises the Governor to prorogue the House from time to time, while Article 174 (2) (b) empowers the Governor to dissolve the Legislative Assembly.

Article 163 (1) says Council of Ministers with the Chief Minister at the head to aid and advise the Governor in the exercise of his functions. However, Article 163 (2) says, “If any question arises whether any matter is or is not a matter as respects which the Governor is by or under this Constitution required to act in his discretion, the decision of the Governor in his discretion shall be final, and the validity of anything done by the Governor shall not be called in question on the ground that he ought or ought not to have acted in his discretion.”

Various Supreme Court judgments also help in having a clarity on the power of the Governor, when confronted with a political crisis, like the one ongoing in Maharashtra.

In the S.R. Bommai (1994) and Rameshwar Prasad (2006) cases, the apex court consistently maintained that the Governor should do a floor test to test the government’s majority support. In Rameshwar Prasad, it said: “If a political party with the support of other political party or other MLAs stakes claim to form a government and satisfies the Governor about its majority to form a stable government, the Governor cannot refuse formation of government and override the majority claim because of his subjective assessment that the majority was cobbled by illegal and unethical means.”

“No such power has been vested with the Governor. Such a power would be against the democratic principles of majority rule.”

In the 2016 judgment in Nebam Rabia vs Deputy Speaker, Arunachal Pradesh, the apex court considered whether the Governor must exercise this power in his discretion or on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers. “In a situation where the Governor has reasons to believe, that the Chief Minister and his Council of Ministers have lost the confidence of the House, it is open to the Governor, to require the Chief Minister and his Council of Ministers to prove their majority in the House, by a floor test. Only in a situation, where the government in power on the holding of such floor test is seen to have lost the confidence of the majority, it would be open to the Governor to exercise the powers vested with him under Article 174 at his own, and without any aid and advice,” noted the top court in its 2016 judgment.

In Shivraj Singh Chouhan vs Speaker Madhya Pradesh (2020), the apex court said: “In a situation where the Governor has reasons to believe that the Council of Ministers headed by the Chief Minister has lost the confidence of the House, constitutional propriety requires that the issue be resolved by calling for a floor test. The Governor in calling for a floor test cannot be construed to have acted beyond the bounds of constitutional authority.”

In Madhya Pradesh, the MLAs in the Jyotiraditya Scindia camp defected to the BJP. The then Congress Chief Minister Kamal Nath asked the Governor to dissolve the Assembly. However, the Governor called for a floor test.

During the Karnataka political crisis in 2018 and Maharashtra political crisis in 2019, the apex court ordered floor tests.

In 2013, the top court in judgment in R.A. Mehta’s case pointed out there may be a situation where the Council of Ministers may advise the Governor to dissolve a House, which may be detrimental to the interests of the nation. “In such circumstances, the Governor would be justified in refusing to accept the advice rendered to him, and act in his discretion. There may even be circumstances where ministerial advice is not available at all, i.e., the decision regarding the choice of Chief Minister under Article 164(1), which involves choosing a Chief Minister after a fresh election, or in the event of the death or resignation of the Chief Minister, or dismissal of the Chief Minister, who loses majority in the House and yet refuses to resign, or agree to dissolution. The Governor is further not required to act on the advice of the Council of Ministers, where some other body has been referred for the purpose of consultation i.e., Article 192(2) as regards decisions on questions related to the disqualification of members of the state Legislature,” said the top court.

Against the backdrop of a series of Supreme Court judgments ordering floor tests to test the government’s majority, it would be interesting to see what decision Koshyari takes to defuse the political uncertainty in the state.

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