NCP will vote against land ordinance in Rajya Sabha: Sharad Pawar

"I have spoken to a number of political parties who are opposed to the ordinance. The government may bulldoze it in the Lok Sabha based on its majority in the Lower House. But the picture will be different in the Rajya Sabha.

The NCP will vote against the ordinance in the Upper House," Pawar told reporters here. He said the Government has appointed Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari as the pointsman to hold dialogue with the Opposition to support the ordinance's passage in the Parliament.
  
"I have known Gadkari to be polite and open for dialogue. But the language of the letter he has written to all Opposition members asking whether they don't want development and water to farmers as well as defence projects smacks of arrogance of power. It is not the language of dialogue," Pawar said.

The letter is based on the brief he has got from his political bosses, Pawar charged, adding that he has not replied to the letter.
  
Pawar recalled that the Land Acquisition Bill passed in 2013 was drafted by a committee headed by him. "All suggestions by the then Leaders of Opposition Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley were incorporated and the Bill was passed unanimously. Why was a decision made to scrap the Act and bring amendments," he asked.

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NCP to take on alliance partner Congress in Goa LS polls

The NCP's announcement came hours after Congress short-listed its candidates for both the seats, shaking the long standing seat-sharing understanding between both the parties.

   

The North Goa seat has traditionally been contested by NCP, while South Goa by Congress.

   

"We have decided to contest both the seats. The formal announcement on the candidates is expected by March 19-20," NCP's Goa chief spokesman Trojano D'Mello said.

   

D'Mello, along with state desk in charge Dipak Kesarkar and party state chief Nilkant Halarnkar, met party chief Sharad Pawar and senior leader Praful Patel in Mumbai on Thursday morning.

   

The spokesman said, "The high command has allowed us to sever ties with the Congress and go ahead with contesting from both the seats".

   

Congress on Wednesday had shortlisted candidature of Ravi Naik (North Goa) and Fransisco Sardinha (South Goa), while the formal announcement is expected anytime from now.

       

NCP sources stated that local leaders have recommended names of Nilkant Halarnkar and Yuri Alemao, son of former minister Joaquim Alemao, to contest from North and South seats respectively.

(Agencies)

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NCP is sinking ship: Uddhav Thackeray

Uddhav came down heavily on the failures of the NCP and Congress at the mega rally of the SS-BJP-RPI-SWP in Dombivili, and appealed to the citizens to choose a 'credible' combine.

   

"Sena patriarch Balasaheb had handpicked performing and deserving sainiks and given them plum posts. But due to greed, they betrayed the party, its leadership and deserted it, walking over to other parties. Anand Paranjpe is one them, teach him a befitting lesson," Uddhav said addressing the rally on Sunday night.

   

"NCP poaching on Sena leaders will not weaken our party. Our asset is our mass-base who will prove their strength in the coming elections. Those joining the NCP are not aware that they are entering a sinking ship," he said.

The Sena suffered a blow few days ago when it’s sitting MP Bhausaheb Wakchaure, who represents Shirdi Lok Sabha seat, deciding to join the Congress. Also, speculation is rife that another Sena MP from Parbhani, Ganesh Dudhgaonkar, is all set to join the NCP following his meeting with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar on Saturday.

   

"Henceforth there will be no democracy in the Shiv Sena. Whatever I decide will be the final word,” Thackeray said.

    

He also criticised the extended parole granted to Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt and said the same benefits should be made available to others like Colonel Srikant Purohit, Sadhvi Pragya Singh and Aseemanand.

Senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde, in his address, said, "The NCP should not underestimate us. It will be tooth for a tooth, and an eye for an eye".

"Very soon, we would also bring two senior NCP leaders in the SS-BJP fold," Munde said, without taking any names.

Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Council, Vinod Tawde also made Paranjpe his target, and said, "We gave our blood to get him elected at the LS and this is what he gave us in return. A simple sainik can trounce him."

Paranjpe had announced his affiliation with the NCP in 2012 after quitting from the Sena alleging that party workers feel 'suffocated' under the leadership of Uddhav. He is set to contest the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Kalyan seat on the NCP ticket.

(Agencies)

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Pawar won't merge NCP with Congress before LS polls: Gopinath Munde

"NCP is not even a state-level party but a divisional level outfit having presence only in western Maharashtra," Munde said, speaking to reporters ahead of a rally by top opposition leaders on Sunday evening.

    

"We (opposition) are not willing to take Pawar into our fold. So that leaves Pawar no other option but to go with Congress," Munde said.

    

"The opposition alliance is united and our only objective is to dislodge the Congress-NCP government," Munde said.

    

After RPI leader Ramdas Athawale takes oath as Rajya Sabha member, his party will join NDA and he would be invited for all meetings of the BJP-led front at Centre, Munde said.

    

Similarly,  Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana, led by Lok Sabha member Raju Shetty, will also be a part of NDA soon, the senior BJP leader said

    

To a query on police booking Athawale over Indu mill violence, Munde said, "This is an attempt to silence the voice of opposition. We won't be cowed down by such tactics."

    

On reports of differences among the alliance partners over Madha Lok Sabha seat (where Pawar won in 2009), Munde said the issue would be sorted out amicably.

    

"The Mahayuti's seat distribution will be finalised by this month-end," he said.

    

Rashtriya Samaj Party leader Mahadeo Jankar, a part of the Mahayuti, said he wanted to contest from Madha, but "some people in the alliance have hatched a conspiracy against me".

"However, I joined the alliance because of my faith in Munde and will abide by whatever he says," Jankar added.

(Agencies)

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