Pawar, Athawale, Tawde set to get elected to Rajya Sabha
Mumbai (PTI): Six candidates of the ruling Mahayuti alliance, including Union Minister Ramdas Athawale and BJP leader Vinod Tawde, and opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi nominee Sharad Pawar, are set to get elected to the Rajya Sabha unopposed.
On the last day of filing nominations for the March 16 elections for seven seats from Maharashtra, only seven candidates filed their papers at Vidhan Bhawan in Mumbai on Thursday.
Pawar, 85, was not present at Vidhan Bhawan owing to ill-health. His daughter and Lok Sabha member Supriya Sule filed the papers on his behalf.
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Besides Athawale and Tawde, the BJP fielded Ramrao Wadkute and Maya Ivnate.
Wadkute, once considered close to Sharad Pawar during his stint in the undivided Nationalist Congress Party, hails from the Hatkar community in the Marathwada region.
He was then elected to the state Legislative council with Pawar’s support before joining the BJP.
Maya Ivnate is a former mayor of Nagpur, and has a tribal background.
The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena fielded party spokesperson Jyoti Waghmare amid speculation that former Lok Sabha member Rahul Shewale might be nominated.
From the Nationalist Congress Party, former deputy CM Ajit Pawar’s son Parth Pawar on Thursday filed his nomination for the Rajya Sabha elections.
With this, two members of the Pawar family are set to become Rajya Sabha members from Maharashtra this time.
Parth’s mother Sunetra Pawar, who is now deputy CM, is also a member of the Rajya Sabha.
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PM leads mega roadshow in Sikkim, to attend celebrations marking 50 years of statehood on Tuesday
Gangtok (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi led a mega roadshow in Gangtok on Monday evening after arriving in Sikkim to attend the closing ceremony of 50 years of statehood celebrations.
Modi, who wore a traditional Bhutia cap and a Lepcha coat, was received at the Libing helipad by Governor Om Prakash Mathur and Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang.
From the helipad, the PM began the roadshow, which concluded at Lok Bhavan, where he will stay overnight.
On the open vehicle, Modi was flanked by CM Tamang on his left and state BJP president D R Thapa on his right.
Large crowds lined the roads for hours, waving national flags and waiting to catch a glimpse of the Prime Minister.
As his convoy moved slowly through the city, people broke into celebrations. Some enthusiastic supporters chanted "Modi, Modi, Modi", while a few women were seen showering flower petals in his direction.
Modi acknowledged the cheering crowds by waving continuously.
Tamang was also seen urging the gathered people to cheer for the PM during the roadshow.
The route of the roadshow was decorated, with arch gates erected at several points and large cut-outs of Modi placed along the roads.
On Tuesday, Modi will visit the Orchidarium in Gangtok. To commemorate the golden jubilee of Sikkim's statehood and showcase the state's ecological and floral heritage, the 'Swarnajayanti Maitri Manjari' Park has been developed as a world-class Orchid Experience Centre.
The PM will also participate in the closing ceremony of Sikkim's 50th statehood celebrations at Paljor Stadium, where he will unveil development projects worth over Rs 4,000 crore.
The projects cover several sectors, including infrastructure, connectivity, healthcare, education, power, urban development, environment, tourism and agriculture.
Modi is also scheduled to address the gathering on the occasion.
He was expected to attend the opening ceremony of the year-long celebrations last year, but could not reach the venue due to inclement weather. However, he addressed the event virtually from Siliguri in neighbouring West Bengal.
Tamang later thanked the people for giving the grand reception to the PM during the hour-long roadshow in the state capital.
"With immense fervour and heartfelt enthusiasm, the people of Sikkim accorded a grand and resounding welcome to Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji on his arrival in Gangtok," he said in a social media post.
Tamang said people from all walks of life gathered in large numbers to greet him, reflecting the deep respect and warm affection the people of Sikkim hold for his leadership.
"It was indeed an honour to join him during the roadshow and witness the overwhelming love and support of the people firsthand," he said.
