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Maharashtra bypolls: Shiv Sena's Trupti Sawant defeats former CM Narayan Rane from Bandra (East)

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Trupti Sawant

Mumbai: Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Narayan Rane today lost to ruling Shiv Sena’s Trupti Sawant in Bandra (East) Assembly bypoll, his second consecutive defeat in six months, raising questions over his fate in Congress.

NCP nominee and late R R Patil’s wife Sumantai Patil won in Tasgaon-Kavathe Mahankal Assembly constituency of Sangli district by over 1.12 lakh votes as the Sharad Pawar-led party retained the seat. No major party had put up candidate against her.

63-year-old Rane, who joined the Congress in 2005 after being expelled from Shiv Sena, has ironically tasted defeat in the constituency which is the home turf of Sena founder late Bal Thackeray and where party chief Uddhav Thackeray now resides at ‘Matoshree’.

Trupti Sawant, whose husband Bala Sawant’s death necessitated the bypoll, secured 52,711 votes, retaining the seat for Sena. Rane garnered only 33,703 votes, losing by a margin of 19,008 votes. All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) candidate Rehbar Khan was a distant third with 15,050 votes.

This is the second defeat within six months for Rane, who lost last year’s Assembly polls from his home turf Kankavali in coastal Konkan region.

Shiv Sena workers celebrated the defeat of the Congress heavyweight outside his residence and ‘Matoshree’ by bursting crackers, waving saffron flags and shouting party slogans.

“I do not know what will happen to Rane’s career now but it is anybody’s guess. We were confident of Trupti Sawant’s victory. We have once again shown that there is no place for political opportunism in the country,” Sena MP Arvind Sawant told reporters here.

It was the first electoral test for the BJP-Shiv Sena combine which formed the government after contesting the polls as rivals last year. Despite strains in their ties over a host of issues, BJP and Sena projected a united front to fight the Congress.

Sena, for which the outcome is a morale booster as it came a year ahead of the crucial Mumbai municipal elections, bettered its performance over the last Assembly election by polling 11,827 more votes.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar had also campaigned actively for Rane.

For MIM, which claimed that it had turned the fight in Bandra (East) into a triangular one, the result showed a sharp decline compared to the 24,000 votes polled by its candidate in the last election.

Knives are already out for Rane as his outbursts have riled many within the party. He made adverse remarks over the AICC’s decision to appoint former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan as the MPCC president.

On former MP Sanjay Nirupam being appointed as MRCC chief, Rane had said he was not a suitable candidate for the post and had even raked the Congress leader’s ‘north Indian’ origin.

“Rane should leave politics for his two sons, who are already active in politics,” BJP minister Girish Mahajan said.

Rane’s one son Nilesh is a former Lok Sabha member while the other Nitesh is a Congress MLA.

Former AAP leader Anjali Damania suggested that Rane should take “political sanyas” after two consecutive defeats.

If Rane had won the bypoll, it would have given the state Congress an aggressive face to take on BJP and Shiv Sena, according to observers.

As chief minister (February-October 1999) in the Shiv Sena-BJP government and subsequently as revenue and industries minister in Congress-NCP government (2006-2014), Rane is known for his hold in administration.

Not one to mince words, Rane often landed himself in trouble with his uncharitable remarks against the Congress leadership.

In 2008, he was suspended from Congress for adverse comments against AICC leaders following their decision to make Ashok Chavan the Chief Minister to replace Vilasrao Deshmukh, who was removed following the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai.

The party position is the Assembly remains unchanged as both the Sena and NCP have retained their seats in the bypolls.

(Agencies)

No voting right if people do not go for family planning: Sakshi Maharaj

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Sakshi Maharaj

Unnao: Known for making controversial statements, BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj has demanded that a strict law for family planning be brought in for all to check population growth and those who do not follow it should be stripped of their voting right.

“When Hindus go for sterilisation, Muslims should also opt for it. There should be one law for everyone. There will be no appeasement of any section in our regime,” he said on the sidelines of a function here.

“I don’t say Muslims and Christians should be sterilised. But there should be family planning and a uniform law for all. When we talk of four-child issue, there is a lot of hue and cry, and when they have 40 children from four wives no one says anything,” the saffron-robed MP said last evening.

Stressing that population growth was a major challenge before the country, he said the issue has to be addressed through family planning.

“There should be family planning. When the country gained independence, the population was only 30 crore. Today it is 130 crore. Who is responsible for it?…There should be one law for everyone be it Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs or Christians.

“Whether for one, two, three or four kids… unless we have a common law for everyone, the country will not benefit…So both the government and the opposition should come together to bring a strict law and those who do not follow it should be stripped of their voting right,” the 59-year-old MP from Unnao said.

“You cannot discriminate between women of different communities,” he said.

His remarks come after Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut in an editorial demanded scrapping of voting rights of Muslims, saying they are used as vote bank.

“Balasaheb had once said withdraw Muslims voting rights. Owaisi brothers are doing politics of Muslim votes. They are threat to the nation,” wrote Raut in the party mouthpiece ‘Saamana’.

Asked about Raut’s statement, Sakshi Maharaj said he had not gone through his statement.

Sakshi was earlier at the centre of a controversy when he asked Hindu women to have at least four children, sparking condemnation from the opposition which alleged that the ruling party was trying to polarise the atmosphere.

BJP on its part had distanced itself from the remarks of Maharaj, who was also served a show cause notice, and urged its workers and public representatives to refrain from making such comments.

Sakshi had also drawn flak for describing Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse as a “patriot” and was forced to apologise in Parliament.

(PTI)

Owaisi hits out at Sena, seeks action against 'Saamana' editor

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asaduddin-owaisi

Hyderabad: Hitting out at Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut for demanding revocation of voting rights of Muslims, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi today said the BJP cannot dissociate itself from his statement and asked it to take action against him.

“He (Raut) has no right whatsoever to seek such a revocation of any Indian. He has no right whatsoever, leave aside Muslims,” Owaisi told PTI here.

“The real agenda of fascist Hindu forces is being exposed now. Their ideology is to promote hatred. Shiv Sena is not just an ally of BJP, but they are sharing power. Now does the ruling party (BJP) share the same views?” the MP from Hyderabad sought to know.

“They (BJP) cannot disassociate saying it’s an individual opinion and he (Raut) is a fringe element. They should take action. He is not a fringe element. He is the main element. When PM (Narendra Modi) speaks at a UN forum (during his ongoing foreign visit), their ally speaks like this,” he said.

Owaisi said the comments of Raut, the editor of Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamana’, are also an embarrassment to union ministers Najma Heptulla and Muqtar Abbas Naqvi as their voting rights are also sought to be revoked if one goes by Raut’s argument.

Shiv Sena had yesterday courted controversy by demanding scrapping of voting rights of Muslims, saying the community has often been used for vote bank politics, evoking sharp reactions from several political parties which accused it of trying to inflame passions and divide people.

“Vote bank politics is being played in the name of fighting against the injustice meted out to Muslims. Their educational and health status is being used politically. This politics was once played by the Congress and now every other person calls himself secular,” an editorial in ‘Saamana’ yesterday said.

Under attack, the Sena later sought to downplay the issue, contending that the party is against “appeasement politics”.

(PTI)

Shiv Sena urges to withdraw Muslims' voting right, Congress terms it 'unconstitutional'

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sanjay-raut

Mumbai: Shiv Sena leader and Member of Parliament Sanjay Raut has stirred a hornet’s nest by his article in party’s mouthpiece, Saamana, in which he has written that Muslims’ voting rights should be withdrawn to put an end to vote bank politics.

The Sena leader has also called All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leaders, Asaduddin and Akbaruddin Owaisi, a threat to the nation.

“Balasaheb had once said to withdraw Muslims voting rights. Owaisi brothers are doing politics of Muslim votes. They are threat to the nation,” wrote Raut.

When asked about his opinion in Saamana, Raut told ANI: “Even after independence, the politics over vote-bank does not seem to end,” adding, “Country once faced partition on the basis of religion. After that, we thought things would settle and Hindu and Muslim would be one. However, that did not happen. The Muslim population continued to grow and new Muslim leaders emerged.”

Meanwhile, slamming the Shiv Sena for its statement, the Congress demanded serious action against it.

“It is unconstitutional, it calls for serious action. Motive is to communalise the whole atmosphere,” Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit told ANI.

Earlier, while hitting out at AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi for demanding reservation for Muslims in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena had said that if the minority leader wants his demands to be met on religious grounds, then he should go to Pakistan and try his antics there.

Terming Owaisi’s speeches “hateful”, the Sena said that the Devendra Fadnavis government should file a case against him and start legal proceedings.

“(Asaduddin) Owaisi is insisting that Muslims should get reservation akin to the Marathas. Such insistence had caused the separation of Pakistan from India. Hatred for Hindus compelled a section of Muslims to take control over Pakistan. Hence Owaisi may try and get his demands based on religious grounds fulfilled in Pakistan,” said an edit piece in the Sena mouthpiece, ‘Saamana’.

It added that the minority community will have to respect India as their motherland.

“They (minority community) will have to respect the Uniform Civil Code and stop demanding the continuation of Article 370 for Kashmir. Asking for reservations while continuing with religious rants will not work,” it said.

“Owaisi says ‘Muslims have suffered a lot and hence I speak up for them’. But will he give a count of the sufferings of Hindus due to the terrorist activities of extremist Muslims? If extremists start communal violence and terrorist activities after listening to his speeches… Owaisi’s speeches should be termed as hateful and action should be taken against him,” the Sena said.

Addressing a public gathering in Nagpur on Saturday night, Owaisi, the 45-year-old Lok Sabha MP from Hyderabad, had demanded reservation for backward Muslims in government jobs and educational institutes in Maharashtra.

Claiming that “injustice” has been done to Muslims in Maharashtra, Owaisi had blamed the more than 50 years of Congress rule at the Centre and the Congress-NCP and Shiv Sena -BJP governments in the state for the prevailing backwardness of minority community members.

(Agencies)

Shiv Sena protests outside Shobhaa De home

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shiv-sena-shobhaa-de

Mumbai: The Shiv Sena staged a noisy protest on Thursday outside celebrity author Shobhaa De’s residence, after she attacked a move to force multiplexes to show Marathi movies in the prime time slot.

Carrying banners as well as ‘vada-pav’ and ‘misal’, the Sainkis shouted slogans against De.The protesters condemned De’s comments opposing the Bharatiya Janata Party-Sena government’s diktat to all multiplexes in Maharashtra to daily exhibit Marathi movies between 6 and 9 p.m.

Police personnel deployed in large numbers outside De’s residence in the upmarket Cuffe Parade in south Mumbai prevented the Sainiks from entering the building premises.

De told journalists that she was overwhelmed by the support she received for her tweets on the social media and elsewhere.

On the protests, she said she was not at all worried.”I have full faith in Mumbai Police… Police barricades are up… I am feeling perfectly calm and safe… Thank You, Mumbai Police.

she later tweeted.Shiv Sena legislator Pratap Sarnaik has sought an apology and moved a notice for breach of privilege in the assembly.

Sarnaik accused De of “insulting the chief minister (Devendra Fadnavis) and the people of the state”.

De on Wednesday tweeted: “Now a privilege motion demanding an apology from me? Come on! I am a proud Maharashtrian and love Marathi films. Always have. Always will!”

“No more pop corn at multiplexes in Mumbai? Dahi missal and vada pav only. To go better with the Marathi movies at prime time,” De later tweeted.

On April 7, De’s tweets were: “Devendra Fadnavis is at it again!!! From beef to movies. This is not the Maharashtra we all love! Nako! Nako! Yeh sab roko! I love Marathi movies. Let me decide when and where to watch them, Devendra Fadnavis. This is nothing but Dadagiri.”

(IANS)

For special treatment, go to Pakistan: Shiv Sena tells Muslims

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asaduddin-owaisi

Mumbai: “If the Muslim community in India want any special treatment as Muslims, they should go to Pakistan,” the Shiv Sena warned here Tuesday.

“If they (Muslims) want anything from this country, they must first accept India as their motherland and proclaim ‘Vande Mataram’. They cannot demand freedom and yet continue to cling to their religion,” the party said in a sharp edit in ‘Saamana’ on Tuesday.

The edit was said to be in reaction to All India Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi’s speech in Nagpur March 1, where among other things, he demanded reservations for the Muslim community on the lines of Marathas in Maharashtra.

Taking umbrage at Owaisi’s tone and tenor, the Shiv Sena reiterated its stance that reservations policy must be based on social criteria and not religious lines.

“The poorest of poor Muslim should be given reservation, not because he is a Muslim, but because he is a citizen of India,” the party declared.

It urged all people – especially Muslims and Hindus – to accept this philosophy, which could eradicate politics of vote-banks and reservations, and help the country’s progress.

“Now, Owaisi is insisting that since reservations have been given to Marathas, even Muslims must be granted the same. It was exactly such a stubborn attitude of anti-Hindu hardliner Muslims which resulted in the partition of India and they had created Pakistan,” the Sena said.

But, not anymore, the Sena warned.

Listing the requirements, ‘Saamana’ said Muslims must accept the uniform civil code, embrace family planning and give up the demand for Article 370 pertaining to the special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

Blasting Owaisi, it said the day when such leaders stop brainwashing the Muslims with their hate politics, it would spell a new era for the country.

“Owaisi claims that Muslims have suffered a lot in India. Has he bothered to calculate how much Hindus have suffered with the Muslim fundamentalism, terror activities, bomb blasts and communal riots,” it pointed out.

Demanding that such a speech by Owaisi should be treated as ‘anti-national’, the Sena demanded an investigation to ascertain whether he has taken a ‘contract’ to create communal disturbances in Maharashtra, and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis must take action in the matter.

Shiv Sena blasts BJP over Govind Pansare shooting

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uddhav-thackeray

Mumbai: Condemning the attack on communist leader Govind Pansare, the Shiv Sena today taunted the BJP-led government in Maharashtra over the “deteriorating” law and order situation.

“Pansare was shot when Sun’s rays were illuminating Kolhapur. All this is happening in our own Maharashtra, despite change in government,” an editorial in Sena mouthpiece Saamana said.

“When (anti-superstition crusader) Narendra Dabholkar was killed, there was Congress government in the state. It was put in the convict’s box over the murder. Now who will take responsibility for this daylight attack,” Sena asked.

“The government is ours (Sena is a part of the Fadnavis led ministry) so we cannot even say that the law and order situation is in tatters and convicts are roaming scott free,” it said.

“Had it been some other government, one could have battered it with these very words.”

“Pansare is against Hindutva. His booklet about Shivaji Maharaj was controversial. Many people didn’t like his speeches about Nathuram Godse in Kolhapur. However, his contribution in social work is immense,” Sena said.

(PTI)

Delhi loss ‘defeat’ for Modi, says Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray

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Shiv Sena-BJP

Mumbai: With BJP left badly bruised in the Delhi Assembly poll, ally Shiv Sena today added to its woes saying the outcome amounted to “defeat” for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and showed that tsunami is mightier than the “Modi wave”.

“It would not be wrong to call the results a defeat for Narendra Modi. Talks had been going on about a Modi wave sweeping the country. But the people of Delhi have shown that tsunami is mightier than a wave,” Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said, taking a swipe at BJP over the poll debacle.

The Sena leader, who called up AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal to congratulate him on the victory, said he would attend the oath-taking ceremony if invited.

“I spoke to (Arvind) Kejriwal today and congratulated him on this victory. I also advised him to continue to work for Delhi and not commit the mistake of resigning from the CM’s post again,” he said.

Though Shiv Sena is part of the NDA government at the Centre and BJP-led dispensation in Maharashtra, the relations between the two parties have been far from smooth since the two parted ways just ahead of the state Assembly elections last year.

Uddhav said the Sena will continue to be in the government but at the same time ensure that the benefits of government schemes reached the people.

“When we were in the Opposition, we had a responsibility towards the people of this state. After coming to power, this responsibility has only increased. It is our duty to live up to the expectations of the people. Thus, I and the Shiv Sena will ensure that schemes that are meant to benefit people, actually benefit them,” Thackeray said.

“The people of the country are the final authority. Nobody can take them lightly. The final outcome will depend on what the people of this nation want,” he said.

Despite joining the Devendra Fadnavis government weeks after it was formed after tough negotiations over ministerial berths, Sena has been critical of its handling of agrarian problems in the state and a spate of suicide by farmers.

(PTI)

Original preamble of Constitution did not have 'secular', 'socialist': I&B Minister

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preamble-india

New Delhi: The original preamble of the Constitution did not have the words “socialist” and “secular”, said Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore Wednesday.

The government has been criticised over a Republic Day advertisement, which showed the preamble without the two words.

The minister said a picture of the original preamble was used for the advertisement to “honour” it.

He also tweeted pictures of the preamble before and after the 42nd Amendment, which added the words “secular” and “socialist” to it. “This is the original preamble. The words ‘Socialist’ and ‘Secular’ were added in 1976,” he added.

“Let me assure you, we are celebrating the 66th Republic Day, that is, we are celebrating an anniversary of the preamble that was made way back then,” Rathore told reporters.

“The photograph that we have put is of the first preamble that our great leaders had made at that point of time,” Rathore said.

He added that the two words were included after the 42nd Constitutional Amendment in 1976.

Rathore’s comments came after row erupted when an advertisement issued by the I&B Ministry carried a picture of the Preamble to the Constitution as it appeared before the 42nd Amendment, without the words ‘secular’ and ‘socialist’.

Welcoming the move, Shiv Sena has demanded “permanent deletion” of the words ‘secular’ and ‘socialist’ from the Constitution.

“We welcome the exclusion of the (secular and socialist) words from the Republic Day advertisement. Though it might have been done inadvertently, it is like honouring the feelings of the people of India. If these words were deleted by mistake this time, they should be deleted from the Constitution permanently,” Sena MP Sanjay Raut said.

Congress leader Manish Tewari attacked the Centre on the issue, claiming the government advertisement “deleted” the two words, which was only a prelude to their “substitution” with “communal” and “corporate”.

The advertisement showed a picture of the Preamble in the background with a quote from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and pictures of some citizens in the foreground.

Shiv Sena to get 12 ministries in Maharashtra government

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uddhav-thackeray

Mumbai: A day after Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the talks with Shiv Sena over power sharing were 70-80 per cent complete, a senior Sena leader today said both the parties have “buried” their differences and agreed on a “suitable” formula.

According to the pact, Sena will be alloted a total of 12 ministries in the Fadnavis government, out of which 5 will be of Cabinet rank.

However, the formal announcement in this regard is likely to be delayed in the wake of demise of Congress veteran and former Maharashtra chief minister AR Antulay today.

“After discussing our alliance with the BJP over last few days, we have finally decided on a ministry-sharing formula (which is) agreeable to both parties,” said a senior Sena leader whose name is reportedly in reckoning among Sena inductees in BJP government.

“We have decided (with BJP) that Shiv Sena will hold 5 cabinet portfolios in the state ministry and 7 Minister of State portfolios,” he said. He said the expansion of the state cabinet, slated for Wednesday, may get deferred by a couple of days after Antulay’s death.

“We have to follow the protocol after the sad demise of Congress leader A R Antulay. The expansion will be deferred by at least a couple of days now, and thus we will be formally announcing the names of Sena ministers only when the cabinet expansion date is announced,” he said.

Another Sena leader said ministries to be allotted to his party include Industries, Environment, Health, MSRDC (Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation) and Transport or Excise.

This is viewed as a tactical climb-down by Sena from its earlier stand wherein it had staked the claim for the crucial posts of the deputy chief minister and home minister.

However, senior Sena leader Subhash Desai who had held talks with Fadnavis last night said that talks between BJP and Sena leaders will continue today.

“We discussed several things last night,” he has said. A Sena leader had said last night that talks with BJP have almost reached a positive conclusion barring one ministry.

When contacted a senior BJP leader said the formula – allotting 5 Cabinet berths and 7 state ministries to Sena – is indeed thrashed out. “However discussions are still on,” he said on condition of anonymity as he is not authorised to speak to media.

(PTI)

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