MLAs of deputy CMs Eknath Shinde, Ajit Pawar will go over to BJP: Rohit
Mumbai (PTI): NCP (SP) leader Rohit Pawar on Thursday claimed that several MLAs of the ruling allies Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party in Maharashtra will join the Bharatiya Janata Party before the 2029 elections.
Speaking at a press conference here, he also alleged that the BJP was poaching the MLAs of the NCP led by deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar "one by one".
Shiv Sena's Sanjay Gaikwad had alleged that there were more than one lakh bogus voters in his constituency of Buldhana, and despite his complaints the district collector's office was not updating the electoral rolls, he said.
Elsewhere, Sangram Jagtap of the NCP was toeing the BJP line in his speeches, asking people to buy things for Diwali only from Hindu traders, and was unrepentant even after Ajit Pawar reprimanded him, said Rohit.
"BJP is breaking Ajit Pawar's MLAs one by one," he claimed.
Shinde and Ajit Pawar, both deputy chief ministers in the BJP-led government, will soon feel the need to find ways to stop the "vote theft", Rohit Pawar further said.
After the unfavourable results for the BJP-led Mahayuti in the Lok Sabha elections, there were malpractices such as registration of bogus voters, bulk deletion of genuine voters and double registration of voters, he alleged.
`Unfavourable' voters were shown as dead, and bogus voting took place in the name of dead persons, Pawar claimed.
Between 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha polls, 32 lakh voters were added, which amounted to addition of 6.5 lakh voters per year or 54,000 per month. But between the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the Maharashtra assembly polls, 48 lakh voters were added in just six months, the NCP (SP) leader said.
In his own Karjat Jamkhed assembly constituency, 14,292 voters were added, 5,360 names were deleted and 14,162 duplicate names were inserted in voter rolls after the Lok Sabha elections, he alleged.
There were instances where the Aadhaar card of a voter in one constituency was used for the registration of another voter in a different constituency with the photo and name changed, the NCP (SP) MLA said.
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Minister Patil chairs industry meetings to chart growth for key sectors in Karnataka
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister M B Patil on Tuesday chaired meetings with industry representatives from the aerospace and defence, machine tools, auto/EV, and green energy sectors to discuss sector growth and government support measures.
The meetings were attended by leading industrialists and their representatives, with some participating virtually.
Speaking on the occasion, the minister for Large and Medium Industries said Karnataka is at the forefront of the country’s aerospace and defence sectors.
He noted that Suzuki and Toyota plan to launch aerial taxi services in Japan by 2028, with Bengaluru-based Sasmos supplying electrical equipment for the project.
Industrialists suggested introducing similar “fly-taxi” services in Karnataka through an appropriate policy, which Patil said would be examined seriously.
The minister highlighted the need to establish testing centres and Common Facility Centres for the aerospace and defence industries and assured that these facilities would be provided.
Suggestions were also made to prepare a comprehensive roadmap for sector growth.
Karnataka has urged the Central Government to approve Defence Corridor projects in the Bengaluru North–Kolar–Chikkaballapur and Dharawada–Vijayapura–Belagavi regions.
Industrialists also suggested a corridor between Bengaluru and Mysuru, Patil said.
He said Karnataka aims to become a hub for defence electronics manufacturing, with plans to establish a 200-acre Defence Electronics Park and a 100-acre Avionics and Sensor Park.
These projects will be implemented once the Special Investment Region is operational, and land availability will not be an issue.
On the machine tools sector, Patil said the industry has recorded an annual turnover of Rs 36,500 crore and is witnessing steady growth.
Large-scale exhibitions have increased demand, and the state must strengthen its capabilities to develop control systems for heavy machinery. One testing unit is already operational in Bengaluru, with another planned for Tumakuru. Expansion of vocational training institutes in industrial areas is also underway.
In the Auto and EV sector, Vision Group members highlighted the need for a network of dry ports and more EV charging stations across the state.
Patil noted that the Tata Group is manufacturing EV buses in Dharawada for nationwide supply. Plans for mini excavator production and export facilitation were also discussed, along with the establishment of a testing facility for two-wheeler EVs.
For the Green Energy sector, the group emphasised the need for a suitable policy on battery-based energy storage and the establishment of data centres.
Patil assured that the government will seriously consider all suggestions and respond positively.
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