Protecting the corrupt, aligning with them for power agenda of Modi and team: Sharad Pawar
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nov 8: Protecting those involved in corruption and joining hands with them for the sake of power is the single-point agenda of the Narendra Modi government, Nationalist Congress Party (SP) leader Sharad Pawar said on Friday.
Addressing a rally in Jintur in Parbhani, some 200 kilometres from here, Pawar cited a reported statement of state minister Chhagan Bhujbal, who is part of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, to buttress his claim.
"Bhujbal, when asked why he joined the ruling alliance, claimed he did not want to go to jail. (He said) if we do not want to go to jail, then we have to join Modi. If a senior minister is saying this, then it is clear power is being misused against the opposition. Fake offences are being registered so as to not allow opposition parties to function," he claimed.
"Protecting those involved in corruption and joining hands with them for power is the single point agenda of Modi and his team," Pawar alleged.
Bhujbal on Friday denied he joined the BJP-led ruling alliance in the state to avoid investigation by the Enforcement Directorate, and also said he had never made any such admission.
Bhujbal was part of the Ajit Pawar-led group that joined the Eknath Shinde government in July last year, leading to a split in the Sharad Pawar-founded party.
While the previous Congress-NCP government waived farmer loans to the tune of Rs 70,000 crore, the situation is such that soybean and cotton are not fetching remunerative prices and farmers are in trouble, the former Union agriculture minister said.
"Now the Modi government has decided to not allow sugar export, which is part of its anti-farmer policy. If we want to oppose this decision, then we have to defeat those in power (Mahayuti). Atrocities against women have gone up. We have the example of Badlapur (sexual assault on two school girls). Earlier, MP Fauzia Khan said women are missing in the state," he told the gathering.
The present government has no right to be in power when women are not respected and nor are they safe, Pawar added.
Speaking about the collapse of the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Malvan in Sindhudurg (in August), Pawar said the incident was a clear case of corruption.
"It was, however, claimed the statue fell due to winds. Then how come statues in Mumbai, located along the sea, are safe," the opposition stalwart asked.
Maharashtra assembly polls will be held on November 20, while results will be declared on November 23.
The fight is between the ruling alliance of the BJP, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led NCP, and the Maha Vikas Aghadi comprising the NCP (SP), Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Congress.
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Karnataka: GBA city corporation polls likely between June 14 and 24
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka State Election Commissioner G S Sangreshi on Friday said elections to the five city corporations under the GBA will be held anytime between June 14 and June 24.
He said the exact date for the polls will be announced after a week, asserting that the power to postpone the elections, as requested by GBA authorities, lies with the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court had directed the Karnataka government and the State Election Commission to conduct Bengaluru local body elections by June 30.
On Friday, the SEC held a consultation meeting with the GBA Chief Commissioner and commissioners of the five city corporations regarding the election schedule, as per the provisions of the GBA Act.
“During the meeting, I informed GBA officials that only the election date has to be fixed, as all other measures and formalities for conducting the polls have already been completed,” Sangreshi said.
“They requested the Commission to consider factors such as rains, exams, census work, SIR, and manpower shortages while fixing the date and sought additional time,” he added.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, he said, “I told them this meeting was not for seeking time. Elections to the five corporations under the GBA must be held before June 30, as directed by the Supreme Court, and a compliance report must be submitted to the court. I do not have the power to postpone the elections as requested.”
The Supreme Court has already given a “final opportunity,” and both the SEC and the government must comply with its directions, the State Election Commissioner said.
He asked GBA officials to suggest suitable dates between June 14 and June 24.
“While stating that they are ready for elections, the officials highlighted operational challenges, including manpower shortages. However, I have informed them that the elections will have to be held between June 14 and June 24. After a week, I will announce the final date,” he said.
Reiterating that he does not have the power to postpone the elections, Sangreshi said the authority rests with the Supreme Court, and elections must be conducted as scheduled.
“We have consulted the GBA as per the rules. It is up to them to suggest a date within the given window. If they need more time, they must approach the court. Our responsibility is to fix the date and complete the polls before June 30,” he said.
The matter regarding manpower and other concerns raised by GBA officials is already before the Supreme Court, and the State Election Commission has also filed a petition in this regard. The case is yet to be heard.
“Since the matter has not come up for hearing, the earlier order remains binding. Therefore, preparations are underway,” he added.
The tenure of the previous elected body under the erstwhile Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) ended on September 10, 2020, and since then, a government-appointed administrator has been managing its day-to-day affairs.
Bengaluru was divided into five municipal corporations—Central, East, West, North, and South—under the Greater Bengaluru Authority in September 2025, replacing the BBMP.
Sangreshi had earlier said that elections to the five corporations would be conducted using ballot papers instead of Electronic Voting Machines.
This follows the Congress government’s decision last September to recommend the use of ballot papers in all future panchayat and urban local body elections, citing concerns over declining public confidence in EVMs.
The state government subsequently enacted the Karnataka Gram Swaraj and Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Act, 2026, paving the way for the use of ballot papers in local body elections.
