Senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan defends New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's note for jailed activist Umar Khalid, emphasizing the importance of human rights.
Why will I apologise? It is out of the question. The Constitution gives me the right to ask questions.
The previous Congress-NCP government had issued an ordinance to grant a 16 per cent quota to Marathas and five per cent to Muslims.
This comes after Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee hinted at foul play behind the plane crash and demanded the Supreme Court's probe into the incident.
Shiv Sena-UBT MP Sanjay Raut claimed that former Maharashtra chief minister and Shiv Sena head Eknath Shinde wanted to join the Congress in the past. Raut's claim comes after former Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole offered Shinde and Ajit Pawar the "rotational post of the chief minister" if they switched to the opposition alliance. Raut said that "nothing is impossible in politics" and that Shinde and Ajit Pawar are carrying the flags of the BJP.
With Ajit Pawar's passing, the 40 MLAs who remain will now have to decide whether they want to continue in Mahayuti in the company of the BJP and Shiv Sena -- or return to the Sharad Pawar fold.
Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar has credited late Congress leader Vilasrao Deshmukh with having proper understanding and maturity to lead a coalition government in Maharashtra, and said he had doubts on the capability of Prithviraj Chavan under whose leadership the Congress-NCP alliance lost power to the BJP in 2014 after ruling for 15 years.
"Just bargaining was going on over what he (Ajit) should be getting. As per our information, he has been given a promise of chief minister's post by pushing Eknath Shinde aside with the help of Assembly speaker's decision (on disqualification of 16 Shiv Sena MLAs)," the former CM claimed.
Remarks by Congress and NCP (SP) leaders in Maharashtra suggesting the term 'Sanatani terrorist' have sparked a controversy, drawing strong criticism from the BJP, which accuses them of 'Hindu hatred' and 'appeasement politics'.
The Congress in Maharashtra is in disarray. Prithviraj Chavan tried to clean up the party and its image, but there is a lack of faith in him within the party and outside, says N Suresh.
Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office, Prithviraj Chavan, considered close to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, was selected as the new Maharashtra chief minister on Wednesday morning.
Maharashtra Chief Minister-designate Prithviraj Chavan arrived in Mumbai on Tuesday evening from Delhi.
Asked about going with Raj Thackeray, who has spoken often against north Indians in Mumbai, Chennithala said, "We do not agree with Raj Thackeray's statement about ousting people from North from Mumbai."
Chavan continues to survive despite strong criticism from coalition partner Nationalist Congress Party, notes Sanjay Jog.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Thursday held talks with Congress president Sonia Gandhi on the issue of his election to the state legislative council, which is necessary for his remaining at the helm of affairs in the state.
With local body elections approaching in Maharashtra, a significant portion of the Congress party is advocating for contesting independently to regain lost ground amidst the BJP's growing influence. The party is currently part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance.
Chavan, however, made it clear that if the NCP merger happens and if that party goes with the National Democratic Alliance, it would become difficult for the Congress to continue the alliance with them in Maharashtra.
Maharashtra Chief Prithviraj Chavan resigned on Friday, a day after the Nationalist Congress Party broke its 15-year-old alliance with Congress in the state, reducing his government to a minority.
Ahead of the Congress-nationalist Congress Party Coordination Committee meeting, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Monday held consultations with senior leaders, including party chief Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday night discussed with Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan the drought-like situation as also the security scenario in the state arising following the blasts in Pune and exodus of people of Northeastern states.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the election of Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan for the state Legislative Council which he won unopposed as the opposition parties did not field any candidates against him. A bench of justices R M Lodha and H L Gokhale dismissed the plea of Shiv Sena Member of Legislative Council Anil Dattatray Parab who had challenged the Election Commission's decision to hold the election.
After snapping ties with the Congress in the run up to the October 15 Maharashtra polls, the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party has decided to support Congress rebel Vilas Patil Undalkar against former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan from the Karad South assembly constituency.
Hinting at the possible post-poll strategy of his party, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Friday said the chances of Narendra Modi becoming the prime minister were slim, and the Congress could form the next government by joining hands with "the Third Front".
Kolewadi gram sabha in Maharashtra's Satara district has resolved to conduct future elections on ballot papers, becoming the second village in the state to pass a resolution against EVMs.
The Maharashtra Assembly elections saw a fierce contest between two coalitions and six major players. Despite securing over one lakh votes, 58 candidates lost the election. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Sharad Pawar suffered the most, with 22 candidates losing despite receiving over one lakh votes. Other prominent losing candidates included former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and senior Congress leaders Balasaheb Thorat and Dhiraj Deshmukh. The Mahayuti coalition, comprising the Shiv Sena, BJP, and Ajit Pawar-led NCP, retained power by winning 230 out of 288 assembly seats.
There is quiet a bit of history behind NCP chief Sharad Pawar's recent outburst about the Maharashtra chief minister, says Neeta Kolhatkar
Rajan will, however, continue to remain in jail in connection with other criminal cases.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan came under a scathing attack at a meeting of the All India Congress Committee headed by senior leader A K Antony, with some state leaders telling the high command that the party's fate would be no better in the assembly polls due by October.
'Mrs Gandhi had nothing to do in the day-to-day working of Dr Singh's government.' 'People say Mrs Gandhi's office used to give orders, which is nonsense.'
The ruling Mahayuti alliance bagged 53 of the 70 assembly seats in the region.
A division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Prithviraj Chavan said there seems to be nothing amiss about the death.
The Maharashtra chief minister is here to stay for the time being, that's the message to party members. The Congress is in no hurry to replace him or rush into campaign mode, says N Suresh.
An SIT should be formed to probe the killing and the high court should monitor the investigation, the petition demanded.
A division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Prithviraj Chavan said it was confirming the death penalty on the convict -- Sunil Kuchkoravi -- and added there was no chance of his reformation. The bench said this was a case of cannibalism and it falls under the rarest of rare category.
The strains are telling as old friends and new enemies face each other in the battlefield.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, who has completed three years in office, will have to further gear up to lead the ruling Congress party in the ensuing Lok Sabha and assembly elections slated for 2014.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday assured his government will continue the Ladki Bahin Yojana and fulfil Mahayuti's pre-poll promise of hiking the monthly stipend under the scheme to Rs 2,100 from Rs 1,500 now to eligible women.
"If Ajit Pawar was unhappy in the Congress-NCP government, he should have left that time itself," Patole told reporters.
The Bombay High Court has criticized the Maharashtra CID for its "lackadaisical" probe into the killing of the Badlapur school sexual assault case accused, Akshay Shinde, in an alleged police shootout on September 23. The court pointed to several lacunae in the investigation, including the lack of gunshot residue on Shinde's hands and fingerprints on the water bottle he was given. The court directed the CID to complete the probe in two weeks and submit all relevant material to the magistrate.
Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Wednesday claimed that the centre imposed President's rule in the state even after the governor had asked him to continue as caretaker chief minister.
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