Overview

• Sharad Pawar said he wished Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his 75th birthday and called for keeping personal milestones above political rancor.
• He noted the RSS has walked back remarks cited on a 75-year retirement idea and wryly referred to a U-turn in that debate.
• Pawar pressed the Maharashtra government to expedite crop loss surveys and compensation after heavy rains damaged soyabean and farmland.
• He warned that hostility between Maratha and OBC communities is growing in districts such as Parbhani, Beed and Dharashiv and questioned single-caste panels on these issues.
• He signaled a flexible Maha Vikas Aghadi seat plan for local polls and criticized the Election Commission, citing a march by nearly 300 MPs and echoing calls to rebuild credibility.