The controversy over fund collection for Congress president Sonia Gandhi's rally at Sevagram in Wardha district on Friday could land Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee chief Manikrao Thakre in trouble. The All India Congress Committe indicated that it was not coming to the rescue of the beleaguered leader, amid questions whether he was off the hook or being proceeded against.
Guru Nair, the vice-chairman of the cultural cell of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee, has written to both the President and Prime Minister, questioning the legality of the auction.
The Congress' Maharashtra unit said on Friday that it wanted a fresh negotiation with its 10-year-old ally Nationalist Congress Party, a move that comes barely a month ahead of the Assembly elections and is likely to delay seat-sharing talks.
He was the member of the Legislative Council from 1978 till 1996 and was a minister for more than a decade in the ministries of late Vasantdada Patil, A R Antule, Babasaheb Bhosle, Sharad Pawar and Sudhakarrao Naik.
Deshmukh, who is a senior leader from the Vidarbha region, replaces Govindrao Adik.
Earlier, three Rane supporters quit their assembly seat which they had won as Sena nominees in 2004 polls, and had joined Congress.
The Congress will not allow the Maharashtra state assembly to function and will corner the Bharatiya Janata Party-led state government, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee said on Sunday.
Nirupam said he would take a decision on his new political address soon.
"He [Krishna] is the governor of the state and not of any party," caretaker Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee spokesman Anant Gadgil said.
"We have not discussed the matter in our party," the MPCC chief said.
The two will address a rally of Banjara tribals at Digras in Yavatmal district, about 230 km from Nagpur.
Sushilkumar Shinde will now head a 69-member jumbo ministry of the Democratic Front govt.
Deshmukh is a senior leader from the Vidarbha region.
The veteran leader quit the party and formed a new outfit to pursue the demand for a separate Vidarbha state.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Adik said he was prepared to step down if so asked by Sonia Gandhi. He, however, added that he had not been asked to quit by the party president.
Maharashtra's Minorities Affairs Minister Eknath Khadse courted controversy after comparing Yoga with Namaz, evoking a sharp response from the opposition in Mumbai.
Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao gives sanction to the CBI to prosecute former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan in the Adarsh scam case.
'The people who were assigned the role to look after the affairs of the Congress in Maharashtra have failed.'
"Your money will be given to those select 15-20 industrialists," Rahul alleged.
The Congress on Friday termed the National Investigation Agecy's decision to drop all charges against Sadhvi Pragya Thakur was a vindication of the disclosure made by former special public prosecutor.
"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.
Political parties in Maharashtra reacted strongly to the Supreme Court verdict.
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The party was retaliating to farmers' suicide comment by BJP national treasurer Piyush Goyal.
Congress legislators in Maharashtra disrupted Governor Vidyasagar Rao's address to the joint session of the state legislature, protesting the manner in which the 13-day-old BJP government won the trust vote on Wednesday.
As the fierce contest between estranged saffron allies Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party to win the BMC continued, Maharashtra BJP president Raosaheb Danve Thursday said his party may be able to rule the cash-rich body with the support of some independents.
Going solo in civic, local body elections won't impact coalition state government.
As the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiv Sena refused to blink, the opposition, the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party are keen to take the benefit, reports Sanjay Jog.
'The prime minister did not think that COVID-19 was a serious challenge as late as March 20.'
State Congress legislators made a pitch for a change in party leadership by bringing in more new faces, especially youngsters in their Thursday meeting.
The commencement of negotiations is close on the heels of the recent decision taken by the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party high commands, to continue alliance during the state assembly election.
Congress leader Sushilkumar Shinde left for New Delhi on Monday, where he is expected to meet Congress President Sonia Gandhi and submit his views on the change of leadership in Maharashtra and also suggest measures to revive the party ahead of the assembly elections slated for September-October.
However, it was Narendra Modi's 27 rallies that attracted maximum attention.
Fadnavis rules out holding special session of legislature and instead assures of relief measures, says Sanjay Jog
Debacle in four states prompts party to step up efforts to fare well in general elections, reports Sanjay Jog.
Congress party in Maharashtra has its hopes pinned on a 'newly recharged' vice-president Rahul Gandhi for its revival.
The Sena said Rane will lose by even greater margin if he contests the elections for the third time.
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