Ajit Pawar joined hands with BJP to replace Maha CM Shinde, claims Saamana
Mumbai (PTI): The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) on Monday claimed NCP leader Ajit Pawar, who has been sworn in as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, would replace Chief Minister Eknath Shinde soon.
Ajit Pawar on Sunday led a vertical split in the NCP to become the deputy chief minister, shocking his uncle Sharad Pawar, who founded the party 24 years ago.
Eight NCP leaders were also sworn in as ministers in the Shinde-BJP government.
An editorial in the Shiv Sena (UBT) mouthpiece 'Saamana' claimed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah has not only "muddied" politics of Maharashtra but also of the country.
"Ajit Pawar has a made a record of taking oath as deputy chief minister. This time the 'deal' is strong," it said.
"Pawar has not gone there for the deputy CM's post. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and rebel MLAs of the Sena would be disqualified soon and Pawar would be coronated," it claimed.
This new development will not go down well with the people of the state. The state had no such political tradition and it will never be supported by the people, it said.
Ajit Pawar's somersault is actually dangerous for CM Shinde, the Marathi daily claimed.
It said when Shinde and other MLAs left the Shiv Sena (last year), they blamed the party president and (then) chief minister Uddhav Thackeray for not controlling then finance minister Ajit Pawar who had taken immense control over fund disbursement and sanctioning work orders.
"The primary reason according to the rebel MLAs was 'we left the Shiv Sena because of the NCP'," the editorial said.
What will they do now? During the swearing-in ceremony (of Ajit Pawar on Sunday), the expressions on their faces (of Shinde bloc members) made it evident that their future is dark, it claimed.
"Their so-called Hindutva is now over. The day is not very far when Shinde and his rebel colleagues will be disqualified, is the true meaning of Sunday's development," the Marathi publication further claimed.
Those who possess the arrogance of power and believe they can buy out their opposition are taking control of democracy. These people are not even ready to hold elections for 14 municipal corporations in the state, including Mumbai city, it said.
"The (previous) Congress regime and the British rule were much better as one could fight with them on the street openly. Ajit Pawar has not taken the decision to support Shinde on any moral ground," it added.
The editorial also hit out at BJP leader and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, claiming he had said they will never join hands with NCP, "the party of corrupts" and that Ajit Pawar was facing allegations in an irrigation scam worth Rs 70,000 crore.
"This swearing-in has exposed the BJP's true face," it said.
Refusing to accept that Sunday's developments came as a surprise for everyone, the editorial claimed some people were already aware of this "earthquake".
"What happened to the Shiv Sena a year ago is now happening to the NCP. As NCP chief Sharad Pawar said, there will be a new day tomorrow," the editorial said, adding it was not an earthquake but minor tremors.
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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.
