Rohit Pawar claims Amol Kolhe was proposed state chief in NCP merger plan

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Mumbai, Feb 18 (IANS) Nationalist Congress Party (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar on Wednesday claimed that discussions had taken place regarding a possible merger between the two factions of the NCP and that Shirur Lok Sabha MP Amol Kolhe was proposed to be the state president of the unified party.

“As you all know, Ajit Dada was actively involved in the talks of merger between the two parties. It was decided to the extent that Amol Kolhe was to become the state president of the party,” Rohit Pawar said.

He further claimed that multiple meetings were held to discuss the proposed merger. “Around 13 meetings were held at the south Mumbai residence of Jayant Patil to plan the merger. Those who doubt can check the CCTV footage if needed,” he added.

Responding to the claims, Amol Kolhe said discussions had taken place in the past but added that the issue no longer held relevance.

“Everything started during my journey with Ajit Pawar on May 16. We travelled together on the day of the Malegaon sugar factory election. What Rohit Pawar has spoken today has been in the public domain for several days now. But the person who was holding the discussions and finalised everything is no more, and talking about everything that was fixed holds no meaning now,” Kolhe said.

Kolhe, a two-term Lok Sabha MP from Shirur constituency in Pune district, is also a well-known Marathi actor recognised for portraying Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj in television serials. He is considered a prominent Other Backward Classes (OBC) face of the NCP-SP and is known for his oratory skills and political outreach.

Leaders from the NCP-SP faction have repeatedly referred to discussions involving late Ajit Pawar regarding a possible merger. However, senior leaders from the NCP faction, including Working President Praful Patel and State President Sunil Tatkare, have refrained from commenting on the matter.

Rohit Pawar’s remarks come at a time when Tatkare has reiterated that the NCP remains part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and will continue to remain aligned with it.

Earlier this week, the NCP leadership, after Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar chaired a meeting with party legislators, reportedly asked members not to publicly comment on the merger or reunion issue and authorised her to take decisions regarding organisational matters.

NCP-SP Working President Supriya Sule also said there was no point in discussing past developments, stating that Ajit Pawar was no longer alive to clarify the discussions.

–IANS

sj/pgh

Related Posts

Gujarat records over 92 pc rainfall; 113 dams on high alert

Gandhinagar, Sep 4 (IANS) Gujarat has received widespread rainfall this monsoon, with an average of 92.64 per cent recorded across the state till Thursday, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC).

North Gujarat has reported the highest rainfall at 96.94 per cent, followed by South Gujarat (96.91 per cent), East-Central Gujarat (93.79 per cent), Kutch (85.14 per cent) and Saurashtra (84.74 per cent). The heavy and uniform rainfall has significantly filled up reservoirs.

Out of 206 dams in the state, 113 are on high alert, with 82 filled to 100 per cent capacity and 68 between 70-100 per cent.

The Sardar Sarovar Dam, considered Gujarat’s lifeline, currently holds more than 89 per cent of its total storage capacity. The abundant rainfall has also benefited agriculture. By September 1, a total of 96.29 per cent of the cultivable area had been sown under kharif crops. Groundnut tops the list with 22 lakh hectares under cultivation, followed by cotton on 20 lakh hectares and paddy on over eight lakh hectares, according to the state agriculture department. In the last 24 hours, 24 districts and 158 talukas reported more than 12 mm of rainfall.

Meanwhile, the IMD has advised fishermen not to venture into the sea between September 4 and 7 due to rough weather conditions.

The impact of this year’s rainfall on farming in Gujarat has been twofold — largely beneficial for crop prospects but also challenging in certain pockets. With the state receiving over 92 per cent of its seasonal average rainfall, it ensures ample irrigation water for kharif crops like cotton, groundnut, paddy, pulses, and bajra.

Farmers in Saurashtra and North Gujarat, where groundnut and cotton dominate, have particularly benefited as timely and sufficient rains boosted sowing and improved crop growth. The assured water supply is also expected to support a strong rabi season, especially for wheat, cumin, and mustard.

The state’s extensive dam network — over 200 major and medium reservoirs, with 113 placed on high alert this season — plays a crucial role in flood control, irrigation, and water storage, ensuring both drinking water and agricultural supply for the year.

Urban centres like Ahmedabad, Surat, and Vadodara have invested in stormwater drainage projects, riverfront development, and flood-control mechanisms, which help reduce the impact of heavy downpours. Rural areas benefit from thousands of check dams, farm ponds, and watershed structures that recharge groundwater and prevent drought conditions later.

–IANS

janvi/dpb

GST revamp to benefit small and medium farmers: Minister

New Delhi, Sep 7 (IANS) The GST reforms will have a wide-scale impact on the agriculture sector, benefitting small and medium farmers becase due to reduced GST rates on agricultural equipment, the cost of agriculture will decrease and farmers’ profits will increase, according to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

The GST on bio-pesticides and micro-nutrients has been reduced, which will benefit farmers. Also, the trend of farmers towards bio-fertilisers from chemical fertilisers will definitely increase.

In the dairy sector, there will now be no GST on milk and cheese. This will not only benefit the common man, but farmers, cattle breeders and milk producers will also benefit, said Chouhan during a press meet in Bhopal.

“The government and the Prime Minister are trying to ensure that there are no difficulties in the life of the common man. From the ramparts of the Red Fort, he had told the country that next generation reforms will be brought in GST and those reforms will bring great relief to the people,” said the minister.

As a farmer and Agriculture Minister, “I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Our resolution is to reduce the cost of production in agriculture and increase production. If production increases and cost decreases, then the farmer’s profit in farming will increase,” he added.

Chouhan further stated that if we look at the reforms that have been made in GST, then the farmers of the country are going to get great benefits from them.

Some companies have started it. The reduction of GST to 5 per cent on agricultural equipment, be it tractor, harvester, rotavator, of different types, will prove to be a boon for the farmers.

“The size of the landholdings of the farmers of our country is small. That is why we are trying to integrate farming, which means that the farmer should be involved in farming and do some other work of the allied sector,” said the minister.

If we look at the GST reforms, as an example, if a tractor used to cost Rs 9 lakh and was bought for Rs 9 lakh, then now the farmer will save Rs 65,000 on it.

“GST has been reduced on butter, ghee, so definitely these indigenous products will start selling more, GST has also been reduced on milk cans, the dairy sector will also get its benefit and if the dairy sector progresses, then farmers and cattle rearers will directly progress,” the minister noted.

There are 12 biological pesticides and micronutrients and GST has been reduced on them as well. GST on fertilisers like ammonia, sulphuric acid, nitric acid has also been reduced from 18 per cent to 5 per cent. These are the raw materials used to prepare fertilisers, so their prices will definitely come down and farmers will also benefit from that.

—IANS

na/

Tripura CM stresses ethics-based education, highlights progress in safety and infrastructure

Agartala, Feb 4 (IANS) Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Wednesday urged students to embrace ethics and moral values alongside academic learning, stressing that education should be used for the welfare of society and the nation.

“Only when education is guided by values can students develop into responsible and humane citizens,” the Chief Minister said while inaugurating the newly constructed two-storey building of P.M.-SHRI Hajibari Class XII School in the Fatikroy Assembly constituency.

During the visit, Saha also laid the foundation stone for a new bridge between Saidarpar and Sardapalli of Kumarghat over the Manu River, to be built for Rs 1.26 crore, and inaugurated the Sixth Milan Mela-2026 on the school premises.

Saha said that upon completion, the bridge would directly benefit nearly 6,000 to 7,000 people in the area, particularly farmers, who would be able to transport their produce easily to the Kumarghat market.

“The bridge will also improve access to the Kumarghat Railway Station, significantly enhancing connectivity for the local population,” he said.

Highlighting improvements in women’s safety, the Chief Minister said Tripura has witnessed a significant decline in crime rates, enabling women to move freely and fearlessly, even at night.

“This is real development,” Saha said.

He further said that the state government is integrating technology into the education system and has introduced initiatives such as Personalized Adaptive Learning (PAL) to make education more accessible and student-centric under the National Education Policy.

“Education is a journey from darkness to light. We want healthy competition among schools. Tripura has made substantial progress in higher education infrastructure with the presence of both government and private universities,” he said.

Saha added that seats in medical colleges have been increased, another medical college is coming up in Ambassa, and institutions such as a Forensic University and a Law University have been established, reducing the need for students to pursue higher education outside the state.

“Along with modernising the education system, we are committed to instilling moral values among students,” he said.

The Chief Minister was accompanied by Scheduled Caste Welfare Minister Sudhangshu Das, Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Tinku Roy, Unakoti Zila Parishad President Amalendu Das, District Magistrate Tamal Majumdar, Superintendent of Police Sudambika R., Kumarghat Panchayat Samiti Chairman Sumati Das, and other officials.

–IANS

sc/dan