Dissident Trinamool Congress MPs have announced their merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party and met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to request a separate seating arrangement, claiming two-thirds of TMC's Lok Sabha members support the move. The Mamata Banerjee-led faction, however, argues against recognising any separate group, citing anti-defection laws.
Amid cross-voting from both ruling and Opposition ranks, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Mahayuti on Monday swept 16 of the 17 Maharashtra Legislative Council seats from local authorities' constituencies even as Nashik delivered a surprise defeat to the governing bloc.
The Nationalist Citizens Party of India's campaign posters carry the message: 'To save your rights, reject political turncoats. Support social workers, not political personalities,' and urges voters to press the symbol of a pen nib.
Sharad Pawar objected to comparing PM Modi with Jawaharlal Nehru, highlighting Nehru's sacrifices and nation-building contributions.
Maharashtra BJP has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission regarding illegal hoardings allegedly put up by the NCP and other parties in Pune ahead of the civic body polls.
The Congress party experienced a significant decline in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, winning a mere 15 seats out of 227. Analysts attribute the poor performance to strategic missteps, infighting, and a failure to connect with voters amidst linguistic and religious polarization.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde mocked the Shiv Sena (UBT) in the assembly following the defection of six of its Lok Sabha MPs to his faction. Shinde stated that the opposition had lost its mental balance and predicted more "shocks" for them. The jibe came after opposition MLAs, including Aaditya Thackeray, walked out over procedural objections during the monsoon session.
BJP candidate Arun Lakhani, contesting the Maharashtra legislative council elections, addresses the unique situation of his son's marriage to Supriya Sule's daughter, emphasising the separation of politics and family ties.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday trounced the opposition including the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party and Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar by winning decisive mandates in Pune and neighbouring Pimpri Chinchwad in the civic polls, retaining power in both municipal corporations.
Leaders of the opposition INDIA bloc met in New Delhi on Monday and decided to write to the chief justice of India on the Special Intesive Revision exercise and "vote loot", besides demanding the immediate resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET-CBSE row.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) remains optimistic that Osmanabad (Dharashiv) MP Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar, one of six dissident parliamentarians, will not abandon the Uddhav Thackeray-led party, despite his recent statement about deciding his political future after consulting his constituents.
Rebel Trinamool Congress MP Arup Chakraborty on Monday said the breakaway faction is trying to "rectify" the party, and would fight for the control of its election symbol, even as the Mamata Banerjee-led outfit termed the move illegal under the anti-defection law.
Pawar was addressing an election campaign rally in Pimpri-Chinchwad and announced the development.
In an apparent reference to the buzz of six rebel Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray MPs switching sides, Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday said this is just a trailer and the movie is yet to come, indicating more defections could be in offing in the rival faction.
Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray Lok Sabha MP Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar, one of the six dissidents, on Sunday said he will decide his political course only after consulting the people of his constituency, even as the Uddhav Thackeray-led party hopes he will not defect.
NCP leader Rupali Chakankar has resigned from her position as the party's Maharashtra women's wing chief following controversy surrounding her association with Ashok Kharat, who has been accused of rape.
Leaders from several opposition parties within the INDIA bloc convened in New Delhi, stressing the critical need for unity to safeguard democratic values and address pressing issues like people's livelihoods, despite recent internal differences and electoral setbacks.
Senior TMC leader Firhad Hakim has resigned as the mayor of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), citing an inability to function properly. His resignation, approved by Mamata Banerjee, comes amidst significant political turbulence within the TMC following recent election defeats and a wave of councillor resignations, raising questions about the party's urban political structure.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh has alleged that the BJP's "real and ultimate target" in seeking a two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha is to amend the Constitution to end reservation, rather than genuinely implement women's reservation.
NCP's Parth Pawar flew in an aircraft belonging to VSR Aviation, a company targeted by his family after a plane crash killed his father, leading to controversy and clarification.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has invited Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee for a meeting on June 19 to discuss the party's internal split. This comes after 20 rebel TMC MPs sought recognition as a separate group following their merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India. Birla plans to hear both factions before making a decision, while Banerjee has argued against recognising any separate group within the AITC, citing anti-defection laws and a recent Supreme Court judgment.
Maharashtra minister Yogesh Kadam refuted allegations of delay or laxity in registering an FIR related to the air crash involving former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, following claims by NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar.
Political tensions are escalating in Uttar Pradesh as Samajwadi Party leaders strongly refute Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party chief Om Prakash Rajbhar's assertions of an impending split within the SP.
NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar has acknowledged that despite political differences with Narendra Modi, the prime minister is working to uphold India's prestige internationally. Pawar emphasised the importance of collective effort for national interest and cited examples of past leaders who prioritised the country's reputation.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has entered into post-poll alliances with rivals Congress and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen in some municipal councils in Maharashtra, even as Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday rejected the tie-ups and warned of action against party leaders involved.
Rebel Trinamool Congress MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar announced that 20 dissident Lok Sabha members from TMC have merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) and pledged support to the NDA under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The group expects its numbers to increase to 22 and clarified they have no connection with rebel TMC MLAs in West Bengal. Dastidar also highlighted the alleged non-implementation of central schemes in West Bengal by the previous TMC government.
Sunetra Pawar, who is not a member of either house of the Maharashtra legislature, will be elected as leader of the legislature wing of the Nationalist Congress Party at a meeting in Mumbai on Saturday, after which she is likely to take oath as deputy CM.
As the Shiv Sena marks 60 years, political experts highlight the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction's existential crisis and the Eknath Shinde-led group's struggle for relevance in the face of a dominant BJP, a significant shift from the party's historical 'elder brother' status in Maharashtra.
The Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), previously obscure, has gained national attention after 20 rebel TMC MPs merged with it. The Tripura-based party now claims to be the largest parliamentary bloc from West Bengal, holding 20 Lok Sabha seats. Its registered address in Howrah is linked to a couple running an NGO, and a founder member has expressed support for PM Modi and a desire to join the NDA.
The dramatic development marked the culmination of a revolt that began with allegations of forged signatures on a letter proposing a Leader of Opposition and snowballed into an open challenge to the party leadership following the TMC's defeat at the hands of the BJP in the assembly elections.
NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar defends the Congress party's right to contest the Baramati assembly bypoll, criticising his grandnephew Parth Pawar's remarks against the Congress candidate. Pawar cites the importance of electoral contest and questions Parth's political maturity.
Twenty rebel Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MPs have merged with the obscure Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), a move seen by political observers as a strategic way to support the BJP-led NDA without immediately joining the saffron party and bypassing legal complexities.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee has formally petitioned Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to disqualify 20 rebel MPs, arguing their claimed merger with the lesser-known Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) is invalid under the anti-defection law.
'It was done with record speed. First, a revolt of the MLAs, which was obviously engineered.' ''No one believed me when I said the MLAs breaking away is not the real issue.' 'It is like a comet. The head doesn't matter, the tail matters.' 'And the tail is Parliament. Suvendu has gifted the prime minister 20 MPs.'
A Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader was attacked and seriously injured by unidentified assailants in Maharashtra's Beed district, prompting a police investigation.
The Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) has named Jyotiprakash Chatterji as its new president, a development that follows the merger of a Trinamool Congress (TMC) rebel Lok Sabha faction with the party. This announcement by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, a key figure in the dissident camp, comes amidst speculation about the party's leadership after its founder stepped down. However, details about Chatterji and the party's internal workings remain unclear, with some existing members expressing unawareness of the change.
Two months after the death of Ajit Pawar, leaders within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) are advocating for a merger with the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP), amidst internal disputes and banner controversies.
NCP (SP) leader Rohit Pawar has raised doubts about the circumstances surrounding the death of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in an air crash and plans to provide a detailed presentation on the matter.
Senior NCP leader Narhari Zirwal says the public wants Sunetra Pawar, wife of late Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, to be brought into the Maharashtra state ministry.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance in Maharashtra is facing internal conflict over the allocation of a winnable Rajya Sabha seat, with the Congress staking its claim against the Shiv Sena (UBT). Discussions are ongoing to reach a consensus before the nomination deadline.
