No question of taking back rebels: Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar after MVA's stellar LS performance
Mumbai, Jun 15: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar on Saturday said there was no question of taking back those leaders who had deserted the two parties.
The Shiv Sena split in June 2022 after a rebellion by Eknath Shinde, who went on to become Maharashtra chief minister, while the Nationalist Congress Party broke into two factions after Ajit Pawar joined the state government along with eight MLAs in July last year.
Following a stellar performance by the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi comprising the Shiv Sena (UBT), the NCP (SP) and the Congress in the Lok Sabha polls in the state, there is speculation about some leaders from rival factions wanting to return.
During the first press conference of the MVA after Lok Sabha results were announced on June 4, both Thackeray and Sharad Pawar categorically said "there is no question of taking rebel leaders back".
In the just concluded Lok Sabha polls, Parner MLA Nilesh Lanke had switched from the Ajit Pawar faction to the one headed by Sharad Pawar and won from Ahmednagar defeating sitting BJP MP Sujay Vikhe Patil.
Similarly, Bajrang Sonawane also left the Ajit Pawar-led NCP and contested the Lok Sabha polls from Beed on an NCP (SP) ticket. He defeated former state minister and senior BJP leader Pankaja Munde.
On the other hand, the BJP's tally in the state came down from 23 in the 2019 general elections to nine this time, while the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar's NCP had to be contend with seven and one wins, respectively.
In Maharashtra, which has 48 Lok Sabha seats, the Congress led with 13 wins, followed by nine for the Shiv Sena (UBT) and eight for the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP).
There is reportedly discomfort within the NCP and the Shiv Sena, allies of the ruling BJP, after the swearing in of the Narendra Modi government on June 9.
The Ajit Pawar faction was asked to make do with one berth of minister of state with independent charge, which it refused, while only Buldhana MP Prataprao Jadhav of the Shinde-led Sena was included in the Union government as minister of state (independent charge) though the party has seven MPs.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Cong slams Modi govt as 'anti-worker', calls for review of new Labour code
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Friday accused the Modi government of being "anti-worker" and demanded that the new labour code be reviewed, MGNREGA be revived as well as a national minimum wage of Rs 400 per day be established.
On International Labour Day, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge took a swipe at the government and said unemployment in India today is a direct consequence of the 'Hum Do, Hamare Do' policies.
"Driven by the 'Hum Do, Hamare Do' policy, the Modi government implemented an anti-worker Labour Code. As a result, unrest has erupted everywhere - be it in Noida, at the IOCL facility in Panipat, Adani's factory in Raikheda, NTPC Patratu, or the Samsung factory in Sriperumbudur," Kharge said in a post in Hindi on X.
Instead of ensuring job security, this Code promotes policies such as contract labour and 'Hire & Fire' practices, Kharge said and called for a review of the new Labour Code.
The Modi government has effectively dismantled MGNREGA by forcibly pushing legislation through Parliament, he alleged.
"Mr. Modi has shifted 40% of the wage burden onto the State governments. State governments are unable to bear this financial strain and will eventually be forced to stop providing work," he claimed.
The Modi government has compelled workers into a state of unemployment and pushed them towards 'gig work', Kharge said.
Currently, 69% of the workforce is working for wages below the statutory minimum wage, he said.
The Modi government has engineered a crisis of stagnant wages, Kharge alleged.
"When adjusted for inflation, the wages of the majority of India's workers have grown by less than 1% annually over the last decade (from 2014-15 to 2022-23)," he said.
The Modi government has created a massive unemployment crisis among the educated workforce, specifically, among graduates, Kharge claimed and added that jobs have been eliminated through the sale of Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs).
"The government has refused to fill approximately 30 lakh vacant government positions. Furthermore, the government's policy blunders have led to the decimation of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)," the Congress chief said.
The Congress reiterates its five demands for India's workers including revival of MGNREGA and its expansion to urban areas, Kharge said.
He said a national minimum wage of Rs 400 per day should be established, with MNREGA included within its scope.
Kharged demanded that a 'Right to Health' law must be enacted, providing Universal Health Coverage of up to Rs 25 lakh for laborers and workers.
"'Life Insurance and Accident Insurance' coverage must be provided for all unorganized workers. Preventing the contractualization of employment must be made a core priority of the government, and the new Labour Codes must be reviewed," Kharge asserted.
