'All-party' delegation including Pawar, Raj, Uddhav to meet Chief Electoral Officer: Raut
Mumbai (PTI): An "all-party" delegation including NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS president Raj Thackeray will meet Maharashtra's Chief Electoral Officer on October 14 ahead of civic body elections, MP Sanjay Raut said here.
State Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal, Ajit Nawale of the CPI, Prakash Reddy of the CPM and Jayant Patil of the Peasants and Workers Party will also be part of the delegation, and Samajwadi Party's Abu Azmi too has been invited, he said.He had also invited Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis as well as the Ajit Pawar-led NCP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena to be part of the delegation, Raut, a Sena (UBT) leader, said.
Despite the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena not being part of the Opposition's Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, Raj Thackeray will join the delegation, he noted.
"Meeting the Election Commission is a formality, because it does not do anything. Still, we have some questions, some secrets which can be disclosed only before the Election Commission. We must constantly put forth our position before the EC since it is constitutional arrangement," he said.
At the same time, it was like "banging one's head against a wall" as the EC is working under political pressure, Raut claimed.
Delegation members will later hold a press conference at the Yashwantrao Pratishthan auditorium, he said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Regret participating in 'movement' that vilified ex-PM Manmohan Singh: Prashant Bhushan
New Delhi: Senior advocate and activist Prashant Bhushan has expressed regret over his past role in political movements that, he said, contributed to the vilification of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Bhushan made the remarks in a post on social media on the first death anniversary of Manmohan Singh.
In his post, Bhushan described Manmohan Singh as “a humble, decent, well educated and well meaning man,” adding that the former prime minister’s humility and decency were “seen as a weakness.” He said he regretted having participated in a movement that helped discredit Singh and, in his words, “helped a rogue regime come to power.”
Bhushan’s statement is widely seen as a reference to the anti-corruption movement that gained momentum during the second United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, when Manmohan Singh was prime minister. The movement, led by civil society activists, had targeted corruption allegations against the government and eventually reshaped India’s political landscape. Critics have since argued that the campaign contributed to undermining Singh’s leadership and paved the way for a change in government at the Centre.
Manmohan Singh, who served as prime minister from 2004 to 2014, was known for his low-profile style, technocratic approach and role in shaping India’s economic reforms.
He was a humble, decent, well educated & well meaning man. His humility & decency was seen as a weakness.
— Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) December 26, 2025
I regret having participated in a movement that vilified him & helped a rogue regime come to power pic.twitter.com/6JWOrdCZdE
