"If we had the numbers, we wouldn't have waited for anyone. The Congress and the NCP didn't cross the 100 mark...we will work as a responsible opposition," Pawar said.
All eyes are now on the Sena factions, led by CM Shinde, backed by the BJP, and his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray, and their performance in the coastal belt in the November 20 polls.
The NCP chief says, "Self-styled' loyalists of 10, Janpath, convinced Gandhi that it would be better to back Narsimha Rao in 1991 as prime minister over him as the "Gandhi family was not about to let someone with independent mind" to get the top post, Sharad Pawar has claimed.
Defence Minister A K Antony on Saturday said all members of the Union cabinet are equal, comments that come in the midst of a stand off between the Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress on issues including the Number 2 slot to Sharad Pawar.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said the Election Commission's order recognising Eknath Shinde faction as the real Shiv Sena was "dangerous for democracy", and he would challenge it in the Supreme Court.
"This whole incident of Waze's activities and controversies thereafter taught a lesson to the MVA government. It was good in a way that it happened and taught us some lessons," the Sena's chief spokesperson said.
Raut said he will meet Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the coming days.
The fifth round of talks was held on December 5, while the sixth round originally scheduled for December 9 was called off after an informal meeting of Home Minister Shah with some union leaders failed to reach any breakthrough.
Shridhar Madhav Patankar, the brother of Thackeray's wife Rashmi, "owns and controls" Shree Saibaba Grihanirmiti Private Limited, it said.
Nationalist Congress Party will announce candidates for the Lok Sabha elections on January 21 and will retain majority of the sitting MPs, the party said on Monday.
If the party's members aren't sure what it stands for, see no path to wealth or power, and endure control by a dynasty, which, almighty as it is within the party, cannot get them the votes, they are likely to explore options, notes Shekhar Gupta.
The stakes are significant for the BJP in this round as the party had in 2019 won an overwhelming majority of these seats, including all in Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, that will go to polls on May 7.
President Ram Nath Kovind along with First Lady Savita Kovind, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu and other leaders joined the fellow citizens on Sunday to express their gratitude towards all those who are safeguarding the health of the nation in wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
A photograph of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat sitting with Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav has set tongues wagging in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, with the Congress taunting that the S in SP means the Sangh.
Floral tributes were paid to martyrs of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks on the fourth anniversary of the strike on Monday with Union ministers Sushil Kumar Shinde and Sharad Pawar laying wreaths at the police memorial in South Mumbai.
In an interview with Neerja Chowdhury, Ajay Maken strongly defended the provisions of his controversial bill, which, he says, he plans to bring before the Cabinet again in its revised version, and once it is cleared, he would introduce it in Parliament in the winter session.
A day after NCP leader Samir Bhujbal was arrested by the ED, party chief Sharad Pawar said he has not seen such "blatant misuse of power" in last 40 years.
The advertisement highlights NCP chief Sharad Pawar's accomplishments as Union agriculture minister and thanks the UPA government for its support. While the Congress said it was unaware of the advertisement, the NCP claimed it was not issued by the party.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday directed fast-tracking of major infrastructure projects in Maharashtra, including building of two new airports and expansion of one.
Former Mumbai police commissioner M N Singh made startling revelations about SRK, Dawood Ibrahim's surrender plan and Sharad Pawar at a book launch in Mumbai.
The Wankhede stadium finally threw its door open on Sunday. Understandably, there was a huge media gathering as officials took scribes around the renovated stands, newly-built players' dressing room, press box and various other facilities.
In a big political win for Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar on Wednesday held that the Shiv Sena faction led by him was the "real political party" when rival groups emerged in June 2022, and did not disqualify any MLA from the two camps, a verdict that adds another chapter in the Sena legacy war.
The comments were made in Rokhthok column of the Sena mouthpiece Saamana which carried the Kadaknath Mumbaikar byline and not of the Marathi daily's executive editor Sanjay Raut.
'Nitish may take such a decision because he was the first person who was with the INDIA front.' 'He went back only because he did not get proper encouragement from the Congress.' 'Nitish will take a decision provided there is a strong alternative.' 'If he feels ours is a weak coalition, he will not come.' 'Then, this government will continue for five years.'
The Union Council of Ministers will be expanded on Sunday with the possible induction of Jyotiraditya Scindia and Raghunath Jha even as Minister of State for Personnel Suresh Pachouri resigned from the government ahead of the exercise. Besides Scindia and Jha, both Lok Sabha members, names doing rounds for possible ministerial berths include M S Gill, Supriya Sule, V Hanumantha Rao, and V Narayanaswamy.
The Election Commission has reduced maximum number of campaigners for the recognised parties to 30 while for the unrecognised parties it would be not more than 20 in view of coronavirus pandemic, Additional Chief Electoral Officer (ACEO) Sanjay Kumar Singh said on Friday. The maximum number was earlier fixed at 40 for everybody.
It was after a gap of two decades that saw such an occasion where MPs of the upper house enthralled their fellow colleagues at a dinner hosted by Chairman and Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu for 72 retiring members.
What some of our leaders were up to on Monday, December 12.
Supreme Court-appointed farm panel member Anil Ghanwat on Friday described as regressive the central government's decision to repeal the three farm laws which were at the centre of protests by farmers for the past year.
The Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group plans to develop Baramati, about 100 km from Pune, as a hub for private jets, with airports in Mumbai and Pune facing acute shortage of parking bays. Baramati is also the home town of Union agriculture minister and Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar.
Followers and politicians did not flock 'Chaitya Bhoomi', the Constitution architect's memorial in central Mumbai.
The Union home ministry on direction of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is preparing a road map for relocation of the security forces in the Kashmir Valley -- the major demand of agitators across the state. Unified command of the security forces in the Valley is also involved in this process.
Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena on Saturday appeared to have resolved their differences with the latter deciding to nominate Rajya Sabha member Anil Desai to be included in the Union Cabinet when Prime Minister Narendra Modi reshuffles and expands his ministry on Sunday.
Wadettiwar said he was not opposed to the idea of increasing the overall quota ceiling to accommodate the Maratha community.
Sources said the BJP is expecting Sena rebels, who include 39 MLAs and have been joined by at least 10 independents in a Guwahati hotel, to make the first move by approaching Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.
Taking to Twitter, Modi said, "Congratulations to @Dev_Fadnavis Ji and @AjitPawarSpeaks Ji on taking oath as the CM and Deputy CM of Maharashtra respectively. I am confident they will work diligently for the bright future of Maharashtra."
Political leaders from across states in the country have turned up for the event. Here's a glimpse at some of the leaders who have shown up for the big-ticket event.
In an apparent attempt to act as a pressure group within the United Progressive Alliance, two constituents -- Rashtriya Janata Dal and Telangana Rashtra Samithi -- Thursday announced the formation of an informal group within to "review" UPA
Commonwealth Games Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi has catapulted to the top position in the SportzPower List 2009, while the once-powerful Lalit Modi and number one in 2008 dropped to fifth position. Union Sports Minister M S Gill dropped two spots in 2009 and is placed fourth. He is replaced by former Board of Control for Cricket in India president Sharad Pawar in the second place.
Ahead of the Lok Sabha poll verdict on May 16, former Nationalist Congress Party leader P A Sangma on Monday met Narendra Modi and declared support of the North East Regional Political Front led by him to the Bharatiya Janata Party prime ministerial nominee.
