My fight won't end till I give father party he founded, symbol: NCP(SP) leader Supriya Sule
Mumbai, Sep 27: Nationalist Congress Party (SP) leader Supriya Sule on Friday said her fight will not end till she gives her father Sharad Pawar the party he founded and its original symbol.
The Sharad Pawar-founded NCP split in July last year after Ajit Pawar and eight MLAs joined the Eknath Shinde government. The ECI later gave the party name and 'clock' symbol to the faction led by the deputy chief minister, while Sharad Pawar's faction was christened NCP (SP) with 'man blowing tutari' as its symbol.
Addressing a Maha Vikas Aghadi rally in Anushakti Nagar in north east Mumbai, Sule said, "My fight will not end until I give Pawar saheb the party he created and his symbol."
She also took a swipe at the ruling alliance by saying "what happened to those who had an allergy to Nawab Malik". Malik is the sitting MLA from Anushakti Nagar and has thrown his weight with the faction led by Ajit Pawar.
Malik was arrested in February 2022 by the Enforcement Directorate for allegedly usurping a property in Kurla here with the help of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim's sister. Malik was released on bail last year.
Expressing disappointment with Malik moving towards the ruling alliance, Sule said, "I feel sorry when I see Nawab bhai with the BJP. The same party that put you in jail, you have joined hands with them?"
The Ajit Pawar-led NCP, BJP and the Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena comprise the ruling alliance in Maharashtra.
Sule stressed the (undivided) NCP gave Malik full support when he was jailed, during his court hearings and when he was hospitalised for various ailments.
"I have seen the tears of Nawab bhai's wife and his children. Nawab bhai may have forgotten the injustice meted out to him by the BJP but I have not," the Baramati Lok Sabha MP asserted.
Sule said allegations of irregularities to the tune of Rs 100 crore were made against former state home minister and party colleague Anil Deshmukh but the FIR mentioned only Rs 1 crore.
He, however, spent seven months in jail, leaving his kin in immense distress, Sule told the gathering.
Sule also expressed gratitude to Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and his wife Dimple Yadav for supporting her when the party split and the symbol was given to the breakaway faction.
Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi and Congress Rajya Sabha MP Chandrakant Handore also addressed the gathering.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
