Congress, NCP will decide together: Sharad Pawar on Maharashtra impasse
Mumbai: Amid talks that the NCP and Congress may support the Shiv Sena in government formation in Maharashtra, NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Monday said whatever be the decision, the two parties will take it together.
The Shiv Sena has been invited by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to stake claim to form government on Monday. Pawar also said there has been no discussion within his party on the governor's invite to the Sena.
"We (the Congress and NCP) contested the election together. Whatever the decision, we will have to take it together," Pawar told reporters ahead of the NCP's core committee meeting here.
The BJP, which is the single largest party in the state with 105 seats, on Sunday decided against staking claim to form government for want of adequate numbers. The governor then invited the second largest party Shiv Sena, which has been at loggerheads with the BJP over sharing the chief minister's post.
The Shiv Sena won 56 seats in the October 21 state polls, while the NCP and Congress bagged 54 and 44 seats, respectively. While the Shiv Sena has been making efforts to reach out to the NCP and the Congress, the Pawar-led party on Sunday said the Sena will have to walk out of the NDA first.
Shiv Sena leader Arvind Sawant, the lone party minister in the Modi Cabinet, on Monday announced his decision to quit the NDA government.
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Karnataka Guv to halve convoy size following PM Modi's austerity call
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Thursday reduced the size of his official convoy to the minimum required strength following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's austerity call.
In a post on 'X', the Lok Bhavan said Gehlot had taken the step in response to the Prime Minister's appeal for fuel conservation and reduction in foreign exchange expenditure amid the West Asia crisis.
"Hon'ble Governor of Karnataka Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot has reduced his convoy to the minimum required strength, following Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji's appeal," the post said.
The move comes days after Modi, while addressing a rally organised by the BJP in Hyderabad, called for several measures aimed at conserving foreign exchange and reducing dependence on imports amid tensions in West Asia.
The Prime Minister had urged citizens to reduce petrol and diesel consumption, use metro rail services in cities, adopt carpooling, increase the use of electric vehicles and utilise railway services for parcel transportation. He had also suggested working from home wherever possible to conserve fuel and foreign exchange.
Modi further appealed to people to postpone the purchase of gold and foreign travel for one year, reduce edible oil consumption, lower dependence on chemical fertilisers and promote natural farming and swadeshi products to strengthen self-reliance and conserve foreign exchange.
