The post Maharashtra Council Panel Reschedules Hearing for Kunal Kamra and Sushma Andhare appeared first on The Edge Media.
]]>Both Kamra and Andhare were earlier asked to appear before the committee at 2 pm on February 5. However, after they conveyed their inability to attend on the scheduled date, the panel decided to defer the hearing, according to committee chairperson and BJP MLC Prasad Lad.
Lad said Kamra formally informed the committee on Wednesday that he would not be able to appear on February 5. Following this communication, a fresh summons was issued asking him to depose on February 17. The hearing for Andhare was also rescheduled to the same date after she cited her preoccupation with campaigning for the upcoming Zilla Parishad elections.
The chairperson added that Nationalist Congress Party Sharadchandra Pawar faction worker Suryakant More, who was summoned over alleged remarks against Legislative Council chairman Ram Shinde, was also unable to attend his hearing on February 4 due to severe traffic congestion on the Mumbai Pune Expressway. He has now been asked to appear before the committee on February 16.
Lad said the privileges committee is required to offer three mandatory opportunities for hearing and all three individuals missed the first scheduled appearance. He warned that failure to comply with two summons could prompt the committee to decide on further action.
According to Lad, there is a prima facie case against Kamra and Andhare for insulting the Deputy Chief Minister. He said that once they appear before the panel, video clips related to the alleged remarks will be shown to them and the proceedings will be officially recorded.
The breach of privilege notice was moved by BJP MLC Pravin Darekar, who accused Kamra and Andhare of making derogatory comments against Shinde, whose Shiv Sena faction is part of the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance.
Background of the Controversy
The controversy dates back to a performance by Kamra last year in which he targeted Eknath Shinde through a parody song, indirectly referring to him as a traitor. The performance reportedly used a modified version of a Hindi song from the film Dil To Pagal Hai to comment on Shinde’s 2022 rebellion against then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
Sushma Andhare publicly supported Kamra following the performance, drawing criticism from the ruling alliance. After the show at a hotel in Mumbai’s Khar area, a group of Shiv Sena workers allegedly vandalised the venue.
Shinde’s rebellion in June 2022 led to a split in the Shiv Sena and resulted in the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, triggering prolonged political and legal disputes in Maharashtra.
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]]>The post Sunetra Pawar Likely to Take Oath as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister appeared first on The Edge Media.
]]>Party sources said the decision is likely to be finalised at a meeting scheduled for January 31. If sworn in, Sunetra Pawar will become the first woman to hold the post of Deputy Chief Minister in Maharashtra, a position that was created in 1978 with the advent of coalition politics in the state.
Following Ajit Pawar’s death in an air crash in Baramati on Wednesday, a section of NCP leaders urged the party leadership to offer the post to his wife to ensure stability in both the government and the party. Sources added that Sunetra Pawar has conveyed her consent to accept the responsibility and has informed senior leaders of her decision.
“On Saturday, a parliamentary board meeting of the party will be held in Mumbai, where Sunetra Pawar is likely to be elected leader of the NCP legislature party,” a source said. “She may be sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister by the evening.”
Reacting to the developments, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the Bharatiya Janata Party would support any decision taken by the NCP and the family of the late Ajit Pawar. Speaking in Nagpur, he said the ruling alliance stands firmly with the Pawar family and the party during this period.
Until the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Sunetra Pawar largely remained away from active politics. She contested the Baramati seat in the general elections as the NCP candidate but lost to her sister-in-law and incumbent MP Supriya Sule of the NCP-Sharadchandra Pawar faction. She was later elected to the Rajya Sabha. The Baramati assembly seat has since fallen vacant following Ajit Pawar’s death.
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]]>The post Uddhav Thackeray Questions BJP’s Hindutva, Targets Party at Nashik Rally appeared first on The Edge Media.
]]>Addressing a joint public rally in Nashik alongside his cousin and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, Uddhav Thackeray launched a direct attack on the ruling party as campaigning intensified for the January 15 civic elections. He asked whether the BJP’s version of Hindutva was genuine or merely projected during election seasons to mobilise voters.
The Shiv Sena UBT leader also criticised the Nashik Municipal Corporation’s proposal to cut trees for the construction of a sadhugram ahead of the Kumbh Mela scheduled for next year. He questioned the rationale behind sacrificing green cover in the name of development and religious events, suggesting that environmental concerns were being ignored.
Uddhav Thackeray further said he felt sympathy for long time BJP workers who were being sidelined as the party inducted leaders with controversial backgrounds. According to him, loyal party members were being overlooked while preference was being given to what he described as tainted entrants, reflecting a shift in the BJP’s internal priorities.
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]]>The post NCP Candidate Booked for Conducting Ritual Inside Pune Polling Booth appeared first on The Edge Media.
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The complaint was filed after the polling centre in charge approached the authorities, reporting a violation of the model code of conduct.
According to Bhor division, returning officer Prajakta Ghorpade, the ritual took place after the mock poll had been completed. She stated that “performing such acts inside the booth clearly breaches election guidelines.”
She further mentioned that the centre in charge attempted to stop the candidate and his wife from carrying out the ritual, but they continued despite the warnings and performed the puja on the EVM.
A mock poll is conducted before voting begins to ensure that the Electronic Voting Machine is functioning correctly.
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]]>The post Pune Land Deal Worth ₹300 Crore Linked to Ajit Pawar’s Son Sparks Political Controversy and High-Level Probe appeared first on The Edge Media.
]]>Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis described the deal as prima facie serious and confirmed that he has sought detailed information from the concerned departments. Ajit Pawar, however, denied any involvement in the disputed transaction, insisting that he has no connection with it.
The Opposition parties attacked the ruling Mahayuti alliance of the BJP, NCP, and Shiv Sena, demanding a judicial inquiry into what they called a violation of government land laws. The state administration has formed a probe panel led by Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) Vikas Kharge to investigate the alleged misuse of procedures.
According to officials, the case involves around 40 acres of government-owned Mahar Vatan land located in Pune’s Mundhwa area. The property was reportedly sold to Amadea Enterprises LLP, a private firm in which Parth Pawar is a partner, for ₹300 crore. The land, marked as belonging to the state, was allegedly sold without proper authorization, and stamp duty was waived.
Inspector General of Registration Ravindra Binwade stated that the inquiry would determine how the transfer took place and whether the exemption granted followed legal norms. He confirmed that Sub-Registrar RB Taru from Haveli No 4 office has been suspended for approving the registration without the necessary clearance. The registration was done despite the absence of a no-objection certificate from competent authorities, causing what officials said was a loss to the state exchequer.
The registration documents reportedly showed the land in the name of the Mumbai Government on the 7/12 extract. The sale was executed through a power of attorney involving over 270 individuals who transferred the land to the firm via a Pune resident named Shital Tejwani. Officials added that a tehsildar-rank officer, Suryakant Yewale, already suspended in another case, is also under investigation for allowing the illegal transfer of government land.
In Nagpur, Chief Minister Fadnavis told reporters that the issue appeared serious and that he had ordered a full inquiry. Ajit Pawar reiterated that he had neither directed any officer nor sought any benefit for his family members. He stated that any wrongdoing should be probed by the Chief Minister and clarified that his relatives manage their own business activities independently.
BJP minister Nitesh Rane said that the government would show zero tolerance toward corruption and no one would be spared if found guilty. Industry Minister Uday Samant, however, defended Parth Pawar, saying the firm’s documents appeared legitimate and that his department had no role in granting the incentives or exemptions.
Opposition leaders including Congress’s Vijay Wadettiwar and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray accused the government of shielding those involved. Wadettiwar alleged that the approval process for the land transfer moved unusually fast through official channels and that stamp duty worth ₹21 crore was waived in record time. Thackeray expressed skepticism about the inquiry, suggesting that the government would ultimately protect the accused.
The investigation led by senior officials is ongoing, with the committee expected to review all related documents and financial exemptions to determine how the public land was transferred and whether the process complied with existing laws.
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