Sharad Pawar's party discusses merger with Ajit Pawar faction in key meet
The meeting also focused on preparations for the upcoming local body elections, a key battleground for the party to strengthen its grassroots presence. In a significant move, NCP (SP) decided to empower local party units with the authority to decide on alliances for these polls.There will be no absolute direction from the central leadership, sources said, indicating a decentralised approach to coalition-building tailored to regional dynamics.advertisementAnother critical agenda was the party's stance on a caste census, which has emerged as a potent political issue in Maharashtra. The NCP (SP) leadership emphasised its commitment to advocating for a comprehensive caste census, aligning with broader demands for social justice and equitable representation.The meeting also addressed the controversial Urban Naxal Bill, with discussions centering on formulating a robust strategy to counter its implications.The bill, which has sparked heated debates, is seen as a potential flashpoint in Maharashtra's political landscape, and NCP (SP) aims to position itself strategically on this issue.While merger talks dominated the narrative, the meeting showcased NCP (SP)'s resolve to balance immediate electoral priorities with long-term ideological goals.By empowering local units, pushing for a caste census, and addressing contentious legislation, the party is signaling its intent to remain a formidable force in Maharashtra politics, regardless of the outcome of the reunion talks.As speculation continues, all eyes are on Sharad Pawar, whose next move could reshape the NCP's future and alter the state's political equations. For now, the party is keeping its cards close, focusing on unity and strategy as it prepares for the challenges ahead.Must Watch
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Business Standard
21 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Rahul Gandhi to visit Patna, join protests against electoral rolls revision
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will be in Patna on Wednesday for a "chakka jam" against the new labour code and special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar Press Trust of India Patna Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will be in Patna on Wednesday for a "chakka jam" against the new labour code and special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, leaders of the INDIA bloc said. The announcement was made on Monday at a press conference, which was attended by Leader of the Opposition in the assembly Tejashwi Yadav, state Congress president Rajesh Kumar, AICC in charge for Bihar Krishna Allavaru, and leaders of Left parties. Kumar said Gandhi, the leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha, will join the protesters in the state capital, where a march has been proposed to the office of the Election Commission. Yadav said, "We will be with Gandhi in Patna, but the stir will be held across Bihar. We are extending support to the chakka jam against the labour code which is as much an assault on democracy as the revision of electoral rolls." He also alleged that the special intensive revision, which will be complete in less than a month from now, has so far been mired in "confusion" and accused the EC of trying to help the ruling BJP-led NDA through the exercise. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Mint
38 minutes ago
- Mint
With sanctions lifted, Syria looks to solar power as more than a patchwork fix to its energy crisis
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Abdulrazak al-Jenan swept the dust off his solar panel on his apartment roof overlooking Damascus. Syria's largest city was mostly pitch-black, the few speckles of light coming from the other households able to afford solar panels, batteries, or private generators. Al-Jenan went thousands of dollars in debt to buy his solar panel in 2019. It was an expensive coping mechanism at the time, but without it, he couldn't charge his phone and run the refrigerator. Syria has not had more than four hours of state electricity per day for years, as a result of the nearly 14-year civil war that ended with the ouster of former President Bashar Assad in December. Syria's new leaders are hoping renewable energy will now become more than a patchwork solution. Investment is beginning to return to the country with the lifting of U.S. sanctions, and major energy projects are planned, including an industrial-scale solar farm that would secure about a tenth of the country's energy needs. 'The solution to the problem isn't putting solar panels on roofs,' Syria's interim Energy Minister Mohammad al-Bashir told The Associated Press. 'It's securing enough power for the families through our networks in Syria. This is what we're trying to do.' Some of the efforts focus on simply repairing infrastructure destroyed in the war. The World Bank recently announced a $146 million grant to help Syria repair damaged transmission lines and transformer substations. Al-Bashir said Syria's infrastructure that has been repaired can provide 5,000 megawatts, about half the country's needs, but fuel and gas shortages have hampered generation. With the sanctions lifted, that supply could come in soon. More significantly, Syria recently signed a $7 billion energy deal with a consortium of Qatari, Turkish, and American companies. The program over the next three and a half years would develop four combined-cycle gas turbines with a total generating capacity estimated at approximately 4,000 megawatts and a 1,000-megawatt solar farm. This would 'broadly secure the needs' of Syrians, said Al-Bashir. While Syria is initially focusing on fixing its existing fossil fuel infrastructure to improve quality of life, help make businesses functional again, and entice investors, the U.N. Development Program said in May that a renewable energy plan will be developed in the next year for the country. The plan will look at Syria's projected energy demand and determine how much of it can come from renewable sources. 'Given the critical role of energy in Syria's recovery, we have to rapidly address energy poverty and progressively accelerate the access to renewable energy,' Sudipto Mukerjee, UNDP's resident representative in Syria, said in a statement announcing the plan. While the war caused significant damage to Syria's infrastructure, crippling Washington-led sanctions imposed during the Assad dynasty's decades of draconian rule made it impossible for Syria to secure fuel and spare parts to generate power. 'Many companies over the past period would tell us the sanctions impact matters like imports, implementing projects, transferring funds and so on,' al-Bashir said. During a visit to Turkey in May, the minister said Syria could only secure about 1700 megawatts, a little less than 20%, of its energy needs. A series of executive orders by U.S. President Donald Trump lifted many sanctions on Syria, aiming to end the country's isolation from the global banking system so that it can become viable again and rebuild itself. The United Nations estimates the civil war caused hundreds of billions of dollars in damages and economic losses across the country. Some 90% of Syrians live in poverty. Buying solar panels, private generators or other means of producing their own energy has been out of reach for most of the population. 'Any kind of economic recovery needs a functional energy sector,' said Joseph Daher, Syrian-Swiss economist and researcher, who said that stop-gap measures like solar panels and private generators were luxuries only available to a few who could afford it. 'There is also a need to diminish the cost of electricity in Syria, which is one of the most expensive in the region.' Prices for electricity in recent years surged as the country under its former rulers struggled with currency inflation and rolling back on subsidies. The new officials who inherited the situation say that lifting sanctions will help them rectify the country's financial and economic woes, and provide sufficient and affordable electricity as soon as they can. 'The executive order lifts most of the obstacles for political and economic investment with Syria," said Qutaiba Idlibi, who leads the Americas section of the Foreign Ministry. Syria has been under Washington-led sanctions for decades, but designations intensified during the war that started in 2011. Even with some waivers for humanitarian programs, it was difficult to bring in resources and materials to fix Syria's critical infrastructure — especially electricity — further compounding the woes of the vast majority of Syrians, who live in poverty. The removal of sanctions signals to U.S. businesses that Trump is serious in his support for Syria's recovery, Idlibi said. 'Right now, we have a partnership with the United States as any normal country would do," he said. Meanwhile, Al-Jenan is able to turn on both his fans on a hot summer day while he watches the afternoon news on TV, as the temperature rises to 35 degrees Celsius (95 F). He doesn't want to let go of his solar panel but hopes the lifting of sanctions will eventually bring sustainable state electricity across the country. 'We can at least know what's going on in the country and watch on TV,' he said. 'We really were cut off from the entire world.' Chehayeb reported from Beirut.
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Business Standard
44 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Bihar electoral list row: Opposition cries foul, CEC says process fair
Amid rising concerns from opposition parties in poll-bound Bihar, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar has defended the Election Commission's (EC) decision to carry out a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls. Talking to reporters in Firozabad on Sunday, Kumar said, 'Nearly every political party complained about issues in the authenticity of the voter list, and demanded updations... More than 100,000 booth-level officers are working on it with the support of all political parties.' #WATCH | Firozabad, UP: On allegations of Congress on discrepancies in Bihar's voter list, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar says, "As part of law, before every election, the voter list needs to be updated... A detailed investigation of the voter list and all details of… — ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2025 However, several INDIA bloc members, including the Congress, have already raised questions over the timing and possible misuse of the revision process. They allege that the EC's move could lead to the 'willful exclusion' of voters using state machinery. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge described the revision as a 'conspiracy by BJP-RSS to snatch away the voting rights of Dalits and other deprived sections', while Bihar Congress chief Rajesh Kumar accused the EC of incompetence and claimed the process raises suspicions of biased intent. भाजपा ने चुनाव आयोग के सहयोग से, बिहार में करोड़ों लोगों का वोटिंग का अधिकार छीनने का जो मास्टर प्लॉन बनाया था, उसमें अब भाजपा खुद फँसती नज़र आ रही है। पहले दिन से ही, कांग्रेस पार्टी Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls (SIR) के ख़िलाफ़ आवाज़ उठा रही है। जो लोग… — Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) July 6, 2025 Tejashwi Yadav, Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, questioned why such a revision was being conducted solely in Bihar and not nationwide, as was done in 2003. However, the BJP-led NDA has defended the voter list update as a necessary step, accusing the opposition of attempting to find 'excuses' ahead of a 'certain defeat'. EC clarifies no change in instructions In response to the backlash, the EC issued a statement on Sunday clarifying that the SIR is progressing 'smoothly at the ground level' in Bihar and that there has been 'no change in instructions' since the order was issued on June 24. The EC said that voters are allowed to submit their documents 'anytime before July 25, 2025' and will have another opportunity during the 'Claims & Objections' period. It urged the public to 'beware of statements being made by a few persons... attempting to confuse the public with their incorrect and misleading statements.' Revision based on demographic changes According to the EC, the special revision exercise is essential to ensure accuracy in the voters' list due to multiple factors — rapid urbanisation, high migration, a surge in first-time voters, non-reporting of deaths, and inclusion of foreign illegal immigrants. The last similar exercise in Bihar was conducted in 2003. The Commission added that the names of existing electors who submit enumeration forms will be included in the draft electoral rolls to be released on August 1, 2025. Additional time will be provided for document submission, reinforcing that the process is in line with its order dated June 24. SC to hear petitions on July 10 The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear petitions challenging the EC's decision to conduct the revision. A partial working day Bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi took up submissions from senior advocates including Kapil Sibal, Abhishek Singhvi, and Gopal Sankaranarayanan. Sibal, appearing for RJD MP Manoj Jha, argued that the EC's timeline was unfeasible, given that elections are likely in November. Singhvi pointed out that approximately 40 million of Bihar's 80 million voters will need to submit documents by July 25. Sankaranarayanan added that even Aadhaar and voter ID cards were not being accepted during the process. While the Bench agreed to list the matter for July 10, Justice Dhulia noted that the current timeline 'does not have sanctity' since elections are yet to be officially notified. [With PTI inputs]
