DCM Ajit Pawar's wife to contest against Supriya Sule from Baramati 2
There are speculations in political corridors that Mrs. Ajit Pawar is contesting against Supriya Sule. Sharad Pawar’s dinner invitation to the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Ministers comes as Sunetra Pawar, the wife of Ajit Pawar, has increased her outreach among the Baramati voters amid buzz that she could be fielded to take on Supriya Sule.
Sule, who is looking at a possible challenge from Ajit’s wife in the Baramati seat, has said her father was only upholding the tradition of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava (a guest is like god)’. Sharad Pawar’s political party is already in the doldrums and now his daughter’s career is at stake. Pawar’s well-earned reputation as an excellent host, especially to visitors to Baramati, and as a leader who retains the art of breaking bread across parties, employing yet another of those googlies that his opponents find hard to read. In the recent past, Sharad Pawar has invited CM Shinde, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar for lunch as they visit his home turf, Baramati, on Saturday.
All three top state government functionaries are puzzled by the invite, particularly nephew Ajit, who didn’t just take more than half the NCP from Pawar Senior but also the party name and symbol. Those watching on with more than a tad of apprehension include Pawar’s allies Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT), who know better than to take the gesture by the old warhorse at face value.
At this dinner party, Uddhav Thackeray and Sanjay Raut will also be present. No one is able to read the mind of Pawar, but political pundits predict that this move could be for reunion and Senior Pawar may set some equations ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Pawar has chosen not to offer any reason or explanation, except what he said publicly: that he wanted to give Shinde a traditional welcome as it was his first visit to Baramati in Pune district after becoming CM.
What is coming is to unveil an employment scheme, the Namo Maharozgar Yojna, at Baramati. While a similar event was held in Nagpur, Fadnavis’s home town, a couple of months ago, the choice of Baramati was clearly meant to rattle Pawar, with the NDA parties having declared their intention to wrest the Baramati Lok Sabha seat from his family’s control this time.
A minister and MLA from the Shinde-faction got into scuffle inside the Vidhan Sabha lobby 4
In a shocking incident in the Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha on Friday, a minister and a Shinde faction MLA engaged in a physical altercation while the state budget session was in progress. Today is the last day of the session, and it is clear that the differences within the Shinde group have emerged. According to reports, Minister Dada Bhuse and Karjat MLA Mahendra Thorve got into an argument in the Legislative Assembly lobby.
According to reports, Minister Dada Bhuse and MLA Thorway pushed each other in the legislature’s lobby. According to reports at the time, the dispute was resolved through the mediation of Ministers Shambhuraj Desai and Bharat Gogawle. Following that, there was a commotion. Now an uproar has started in the assembly as well.
Serious concerns arise over use of fake signature, stamp of CM: Dy CM Ajit Pawar addresses assembly 6
In a significant development, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar expressed grave concern in the Legislative Assembly regarding the discovery of statements bearing fake signatures and stamps of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The state government has promptly taken note of this alarming situation, registering a case with the police, and ensuring a thorough investigation is underway.
Deputy CM Ajit Pawar affirmed that strict action will be taken against those responsible, emphasizing that no one will be spared in this matter. He further revealed that officers and employees at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat uncovered instances where statements, carrying fabricated signatures and seals of CM Eknath Shinde, were submitted for processing. The gravity of the situation has prompted the government to address it with utmost seriousness.
A First Information Report (FIR) has been filed at the police station, and authorities are actively investigating to identify the individuals behind this deceptive act. The Deputy CM reassured the Assembly that every effort would be made to ensure accountability in this matter.
Leader of Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar brought this issue to the forefront during the Legislative Assembly session, emphasizing the need for a thorough examination of the fraudulent use of the Chief Minister’s signature and stamp.
Symphonic Debut: Mukesh Parikh announced Millionaires of Love with Mithoon, Ricky Kej, and more 8
The announcement of the first Indo-Hollywood musical film “Millionaires of Love” took place this week at PVR Cinema in Mumbai. This film, produced by American writer-producer Mukesh Parikh, has Somendra Harsh as its co-producer. The music for the film has been composed by the two-time Filmfare Award winner Mithoon, while the three-time Grammy winner Ricky Kej is the guest composer. Present at the official announcement were producer Mukesh Parikh, co-producer Somendra Harsh, Mithoon, Ricky Kej, and actor Anup Soni as a guest. Sayeed Quadri has penned the lyrics for this film, and Mohammed Faiz has sung one of the songs. Everyone was honored by traditional turbans .
The film revolves around the theme of never giving up on dreams and is based on a true story set in Rajasthan.
Producer Mukesh Parikh’s short film was showcased at the Cannes Film Festival, earning several awards. Speaking about this Indo-Hollywood project, he said it is a fusion of talents. He mentioned that he extensively researched and wrote the story, which is based on true events and presents a beautiful love story. He recently came to India and recorded songs in Yash Raj Studios. He praised Sayeed Quadri as the king of words and admired Mithoon’s music prowess, stating that it’s a lovely love story. Rajasthan, being his favorite state, inspired him to present its true story. He admired Mukesh’s vision and expressed his happiness in composing music for this film.
Ricky Kej expressed pride in working on this project, mentioning Mithoon’s exceptional talent in Indian music. He highlighted the Indian roots reflected in the film’s music.
The wordsmith Sayeed Quadri shared that this film is his way of repaying his debt to his land. Being born in Rajasthan, he feels connected to its soil and its stories.
Anup Soni, a resident of Jaipur, expressed pride in being associated with the project. He mentioned the rich culture of Rajasthan and his deep-rooted connection with it. He met Mukesh Parikh a year ago in Jaipur, heard about the story and music, and readily agreed to be part of it, considering the characters created by Mukesh to be very real.
Singer Mohammed Faiz expressed his gratitude towards Mukesh since their connection during a reality show. He felt lucky to have the opportunity to sing a song with Ricky Ji.
60 percent of the shooting for this musical drama film will take place in Rajasthan. The film comprises four songs. The film is produced under the banner of Millionaires of Love Films LLP.
With victory on 30 more Rajya Sabha seats, NDA is just four short of Upper House majority mark of 121 10
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 30 seats, including 20 unopposed out of 56 Rajya Sabha seats for which the elections were held on Tuesday. The numbers will take the BJP’s tally in Rajya Sabha to 97 and that of BJP-led NDA to 117, just four short of the majority mark of 121 in the 240-member House once all 56 members are sworn-in.
Of 56 Rajya Sabha seats that fall vacant in April, BJP won 30; 20 unopposed and 10 in elections held Tuesday. The Rajya Sabha polls for 15 seats across three states were marked by cross-voting, with the BJP winning 10 seats, the Congress three and the Samajwadi Party two seats.
Last week, as many as 41 candidates were declared winners as there were no other candidates in the fray on those seats. The BJP was the main gainer, having won an additional seat in Uttar Pradesh and bagging one in Himachal Pradesh.
The biennial elections for the 56 seats were necessitated as 50 members will complete their term on April 2 and six will retire on April 3. Heading into polling day, the ruling NDA had 109 MPs in the Upper House, 10 members short of the halfway mark in the 238 member Rajya Sabha. The Opposition INDIA bloc had 89 MPs.
During the biennial polls, Uttar Pradesh had the highest number of seats going to vote (10), followed by Maharashtra and Bihar (6 each), Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal (5 each), Karnataka and Gujarat (4 each), Odisha, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Rajasthan (3 each), and Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, and Chhattisgarh (1 each). However, after the results out on Tuesday evening, the BJP remained the single-largest party in RS with 97 members (including five nominated members who joined the party) followed by Congress with 29 members, Trinamool Congress with 13, DMK and AAP with 10 each, BJD and YSRCP with nine each, BRS with seven, RJD with six, CPM with five, and AIADMK and JD(U) with four each.
The NDA, with 117 members, is now only four short of the majority mark of 121.
Modi govt has 'eclipsed' dreams of students: Rahul Gandhi on paper leaks 12
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday attacked BJP over recent incidents of exam paper leaks and issues in recruitment alleging that the government has ”eclipsed” the dreams of students and that history will never forgive Prime Minister Narendra Modi for it.
In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi alleged that the Modi government has become the ”enemy of the country’s future”.
”At some places students are yearning for recruitment, at some places students are frustrated due to paper leaks, at some places students are visiting courts for appointments and at some places students are facing lathicharge for raising their voice,” the former Congress chief said.
The BJP government, which has failed to conduct even a single examination from RO-ARO to police recruitment and from railways to the army in a fair manner, is venting its anger on the youth, he claimed.
”Selling job-creating institutions to their friends and hiring youth on contract is Modi’s policy, and exploitation is Modi’s guarantee,” he alleged.
The Modi government has eclipsed the dreams of students and their families and has taken away the light of hope from them, Gandhi claimed.
”History will never forgive Narendra Modi for this crime,” Gandhi said.
Terming the cancellation of the police constable recruitment exam by the Uttar Pradesh government as a victory of youth unity and student power, Gandhi on Saturday had said those who unite will win while those who divide will be crushed.
The UP government on Saturday had cancelled the recently held police constable recruitment examination following allegations of question paper leak and ordered a re-test within six months.
Biden faces protest vote over Gaza in Michigan; polls show Trump beating Haley 14
President Joe Biden’s support for Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza will be put to a test on Tuesday in Michigan, home to a large Arab American constituency where Democratic voters have been urged to mark their primary ballots as “uncommitted.”
Biden, a Democrat, and Republican former President Donald Trump will both want strong showings in their separate nominating contests. Michigan is a battleground state expected to play a decisive role in the head-to-head Nov. 5 election. Many in the large Arab American community are outraged, along with some progressive Democrats, over what they assert is Biden’s unwavering support for Israel’s Gaza offensive in which tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed.
Late on Monday, Biden said Israel had agreed to halt military activities in Gaza for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan expected to begin on the evening of March 10, as Hamas studied a draft for a truce that includes a prisoner-hostage exchange. The effect on the vote in Michigan remained to be seen.
In the run-up to the primary vote, Rashida Tlaib, a Michigan Democratic congresswoman and Palestinian American, had urged Democratic primary voters to not vote for Biden on Tuesday and to instead mark “uncommitted” on their ballots. The uncommitted campaign, backed by Arab American leaders, won support, including in Dearborn, a city where nearly 55% of its 110,000 residents are of Middle Eastern or North African ancestry, most of them Arab, says the U.S. Census Bureau.
On Sunday, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, pushed back against the uncommitted campaign. She warned that if Democrats failed to support Biden, it could hand the swing state and the country to Trump in November. “It’s important not to lose sight of the fact that any vote that’s not cast for Joe Biden supports a second Trump term,” Whitmer told CNN’s “State of the Union.”
She reminded people of Trump’s travel ban on people from Muslim countries when he was president. “A second Trump term would be devastating,” Whitmer said. Waleed Shahid, a senior Democratic strategist and adviser to the Listen to Michigan group behind the uncommitted vote, said: “When voters choose uncommitted over President Biden in this primary, what they’re saying is we are uncommitted to President Biden’s reelection until he stops funding Israel’s war in Gaza.”
A senior Biden campaign official said: “We’re taking this seriously. The president himself has said repeatedly that he hears these demonstrators and that he thinks that their cause is important.” The official added: “This is not a cause for panic. Michigan is big and has many different constituencies and overall, we have a good story to tell there.”
On Feb. 1, Biden won a strong pledge of support from union autoworkers, a Michigan voting bloc no less crucial to his reelection bid. The state is home to nearly 20% of all U.S. auto production, more than any state in the country. “We are going to keep highlighting the contrast between Biden and Trump and once that becomes clear, we fully expect these voters, who have walked away from Biden, to come back,” said LaShawn English, UAW Director Region 1, which represents eight counties in Michigan.
MICHIGAN A BATTLEGROUND FOR SUPPORT
Biden beat Trump in Michigan by 2.8 percentage points in the 2020 election. Trump beat Democrat Hillary Clinton there by less than one percentage point when he won the presidency in 2016. Those results explain why both candidates want to shore up support now.
“Those who are pushing for the uncommitted vote for Tuesday should be careful what they wish for because Biden is trailing Trump in our statewide polls in Michigan. Biden is underperforming right now, and this uncommitted movement could hurt him in November,” said Bernie Porn, president of Michigan-based research firm EPIC-MRA. Hamas fighters infiltrated Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people on the deadliest day for Israel in its 75-year-old history and taking some 240 hostages back to Hamas-ruled Gaza, according to Israeli tallies.
In the four months since, Palestinian authorities say Israel has killed nearly 30,000 people in Gaza and displaced most of its 2.3 million people. Israeli leaders say they remain committed to wiping out Hamas. Biden has been supportive of Israel while pushing for more humanitarian aid to Gaza and has faced criticism from some Democrats for not backing a ceasefire in the Palestinian territory,
On the Republican side, Michigan this year will allocate its delegates to July’s party convention based on both Tuesday’s primary, open to all voters, and a March 2 caucus in which active party members choose the nominee. Beset by chaos among warring factions, the Michigan Republican Party will hold competing caucus meetings on March 2. Nonetheless, Trump is expected to easily win the Tuesday primary and the March 2 caucuses. Opinion polls show him holding an average statewide lead of nearly 57 percentage points over rival Nikki Haley, says the poll tracking website FiveThirtyEight.
The results in Michigan will be watched to see how much Trump struggles to attract large numbers of moderates and traditional Republicans, voters he will likely need to win back the White House in November. Trump has soundly defeated Haley in all the nominating contests so far, but Haley has performed well with moderate voters, exposing a potential vulnerability for Trump in the general election.
After losing to Trump in Saturday’s primary in South Carolina, her home state, Haley vowed to carry on despite having no clear path to the nomination. She campaigned in Michigan on Monday and will visit many of the 15 states that vote on March 5, known as “Super Tuesday.”
Police begin probe against Shiv Sena (UBT) after forgery compaint by Shinde-led faction 16
The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Police has initiated a probe against the Shiv Sena (UBT) faction in connection with an alleged cheating and forgery case, the officials said on Tuesday. According to Mumbai Police, the probe was initiated against the Shiv Sena (UBT) faction after the Eknath Shinde-led party filed a complaint that the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena) withdrew Rs 50 crores from the party fund even after the Election Commission declared the Shinde faction as the real Shiv Sena.
Earlier, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena met Mumbai police commissioner Vivek Phansalkar to lodge a police complaint for cheating and forgery against the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena UBT functionaries claiming that they were misusing the party’s PAN and TAN details and fraudulently filing the TDS and Income Tax returns of Shiv Sena. The EOW has also written to the Income Tax Department seeking information regarding who is paying the tax of the UBT faction, the Mumbai Police said.
“EOW begins probe after Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) complained against Shiv Sena (UBT faction) that Shiv Sena (UBT faction) withdrew Rs 50 crores from party fund even after the Election Commission declared Shinde faction as the real Shiv Sena. EOW has also written to the Income Tax Department seeking information regarding who is paying the tax of the UBT faction,” the Mumbai Police said. The Election Commission of India (ECI) on February 17, 2023, recognised Eknath Shinde’s faction as the “real” Shiv Sena, nearly eight months after his rebellion split the parent party into two factions.
The poll body had also announced that Shinde’s team will get the ‘bow-and-arrow’ symbol, the original party symbol. After the coup, the poll body had frozen the bow-and-arrow symbol and allotted the ‘two swords and shield’ symbol to the Shinde, and the ‘flaming torch’ symbol to the Uddhav Thackeray camp. The two factions had staked claim to both the party symbol and the party name and knocked on the doors of courts and the poll body.
Dying cancer cells release particles post-chemotherapy that can turn healthy cells cancerous: Study 18
Astudy by the Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) in Mumbai has suggested that dying cancer cells release cell-free chromatin particles after chemotherapy and radiotherapy that can turn healthy cells into cancerous ones.
The study by TMC’s Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education (ACTREC) also suggests that cancer treatment protocols may need to include drugs/agents that deactivate, destroy cell-free chromatin particles released by treated, dying cancer cells.
According to the study, dying cancer cells release cell-free chromatin particles (cfChPs, or fragments of chromosomes) which can turn healthy cells into cancerous ones. Some of the cfChPs may fuse with healthy chromosomes and cause new tumours.
The recent study examined whether chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or surgery, which generate dying cancer cells, could contribute to the cancer’s metastatic spread.
Researchers led by Prof Indraneel Mittra from the Translational Research Laboratory, TMC, ACTREC, grafted human breast cancer cells in immune-deficient mice to generate tumours.
The mice then received treatment in the form of chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery; half of them also received agents that deactivate or destroy cfChPs.
The researchers not only found the presence of human DNA (cfChPs) and cancer proteins in the mice brains, but observed that these had increased markedly after treatment, especially after chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
However, the mice that received compounds to deactivate or destroy cfChPs had minimal human cfChPs or cancer proteins in their brains.
Based on these findings, the researchers speculated that cfChPs, which may contain cancer-causing genes, and which have the ability to migrate through the bloodstream to enter healthy cells in other organs, may cause the metastatic spread of cancer.
Most importantly, the administration of cfChP-deactivating/destroying agents prevented their invasion into healthy cells thereby potentially preventing metastatic spread.
The TMC said although many patients are cured of cancer, this study uncovered a potential risk involved in current treatment practices of the dreaded disease.
While chemotherapy and radiotherapy may kill the primary tumour cells, they lead to the release of cfChPs from the dying cells, which can then enter healthy cells elsewhere in the body via the bloodstream and cause cancer there, said the study.
”These findings have important implications for cancer treatment policies. First, clinicians need to consider cfChPs as a potential cause of metastatic cancer spread, rather than metastasis being caused by migrating cancer cells. Secondly, cancer treatment protocols may need to include drugs/agents that deactivate/destroy cfChPs,” it noted.
Further, adding cfChP-deactivating/destroying regimens could mitigate this problem and improve outcomes for patients, the study said.
Samajwadi Party Chief Whip Manoj Pandey resigns, fears of cross voting in Rajya Sabha polls loom 20
Amid speculation of cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha election, Samajwadi Party MLA and leader Manoj Kumar Pandey resigned from the post of Samajwadi Party Chief Whip. “I have requested the party chief to accept my resignation from the post of Chief Whip,” said SP MLA Manoj Kumar Pandey when he was going to meet Uttar Pradesh Transport Minister Dayashankar Singh.
After his meeting with the SP MLA the UP Transport Minister Dayashankar Singh said that the SP MLA was a supporter of Sanatan Dharma. “Many public representatives are joining the BJP due to being influenced by PM Modi’s policies and the development that is happening in the country. Manoj Pandey ji has always been a supporter of Sanatan Dharma, he has been giving equal statements on this issue inside and outside the House. That’s why he was unhappy there and when the proposal came for the darshan of Ram ji, he wanted everyone to go for darshan,” Dayashankar Singh said.
Earlier, another Samajwadi Party MLA Rakesh Pratap Singh indicated he would vote against the party saying that he is not angry with his party but will listen to the voice of his inner soul before casting his vote. ” I’m not angry with anyone, I will vote according to the voice of inner soul…” said Samajwadi Party MLA Rakesh Pratap Singh.
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath left the polling station in Lucknow after casting his vote for the Rajya Sabha elections. UP CM Yogi Adityanath was showing victory sign after casting his vote. Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav also cast his vote for the election.
Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief Om Prakash Rajbhar claimed that there will be cross-voting and eight candidates from the BJP will win eight seats in the Rajya Sabha election. “The 8 candidates from the BJP are going to win. Raja Bhaiya and all our allies are in support of BJP. Samajwadi Party leaders are openly agreeing to vote for BJP. There will be cross-voting from the Samajwadi Party. They will support NDA, 100% there will be cross-voting..” said Om Prakash Rajbhar.
Earlier, Samajwadi Party Cheif Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday claimed that the SP expected to win three seats, where the party has put up candidates, in the Rajya Sabha election. “We hope all three candidates of Samajwadi Party will win…BJP can use all the tactics to win elections. BJP will do everything possible for victory. Some of our leaders who want personal gains can go to the BJP…” said Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.
“Our MLAs who are in contact with the Bharatiya Janata Party and those who want to take advantage of it will go with the Bharatiya Janata Party. They are being lured by the Bharatiya Janata Party camp,” added SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav. In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP has put up eight Rajya Sabha candidates and the Samajwadi Party 3 for the 10 seats at stake. As per the numbers in the Legislative Assembly, the BJP is guaranteed to win 7 seats while the SP should win 3 seats. However, there are reports that several MLAs could cross-vote.
On Monday, some legislators of the SP went missing from a dinner hosted by SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav. Reports suggest at least 8 MLAs were missing from the dinner and now the fear is these legislators could abstain from the vote or corss vote, either of which will result in BJP winning its eighth seat in the state. The BJP, however, is confident in getting the numbers to win all the eights seats where they have put up candidates.
UP Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak said, ” MLAs support and blessings are with BJP’s candidates. The results will be in favour of BJP…all candidates of BJP will win” The seven candidates fielded by the BJP are former Union Minister RPN Singh, former MP Chaudhary Tejveer Singh, general secretary of the party’s Uttar Pradesh unit Amarpal Maurya, former state minister Sangeeta Balwant (Bind), party spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi, former MLA Sadhna Singh and former Agra mayor Naveen Jain.
But with the BJP fielding Sanjay Seth as its eighth candidate, a keen contest is on the cards in one of the seats. The SP has fielded actor MP Jaya Bachchan, retired IAS officer Alok Ranjan, and Ramji Lal Suman.
To get elected to the Rajya Sabha from UP, a candidate needs nearly 37 first preference votes. Voting for the 10 Rajya Sabha seats will be held on Tuesday and the results will be announced the same day. While the NDA and SP-Congress were negotiating with other parties on Monday in an attempt to gather the necessary support for their candidates, the BJP gained momentum when Raja Bhaiyya’s Jansatta Dal-Loktantrik promised to extend the support of its two MLAs to the party.
Following his grandfather Chaudhary Charan Singh being honoured with the Bharat Ratna earlier this month, Jayant Chaudhary had already declared RLD’s support for the BJP. RLD’s nine MLAs met with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and attended a strategy session at Lok Bhawan with NDA partners. The term for Rajya Sabha MPs is six years, and elections are held after every two years for 33 per cent of the seats. Currently, the Rajya Sabha has a strength of 245 members.
Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls in the country, the outcome of the polls to the Rajya Sabha is likely to have an impact in the politically crucial state.
