Despite forging an alliance with the faction led by his uncle, Nationalist Congress Party chief and Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday failed to protect the party's traditional bastions of Pune and neighbouring Pimpri-Chinchwad, as the Bharatiya Janata Party decimated both the NCPs in the municipal corporation elections.
Shinde also emphasised that Mumbai will have a Mahayuti mayor, dismissing reports of new political equations after the results of the civic polls were declared last week.
Amid the race for mayoral posts across civic bodies in Maharashtra, a new political equation emerged in the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation on Wednesday with five corporators of Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena offering support to Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, which is in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Counting of votes has begun in the Maharashtra municipal corporation elections, with a focus on the Mumbai battle between the BJP-led alliance and the Thackeray factions.
Polling for 2,869 seats spread across 893 wards in these municipal corporations began amid tight security at 7.30 am and will conclude at 5.30 pm. A total of 3.48 crore voters are eligible to decide the fate of 15,931 candidates.
The Congress party experienced a significant decline in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, winning a mere 15 seats out of 227. Analysts attribute the poor performance to strategic missteps, infighting, and a failure to connect with voters amidst linguistic and religious polarization.
Owaisi argued that such inclusivity is not offered in Pakistan's constitution, which restricts people of other religions from holding top posts.
Himanta Biswa pointed out that it was 'too early' for surveys to accurately capture the electoral mood, as several key developments vis-a-vis seat-sharing arrangements among NDA partners are yet to be finalised.
The Nationalist Congress Party, led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, and the Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar, headed by his uncle Sharad Pawar, on Saturday released a joint manifesto for the upcoming elections to the Pune municipal corporation.
Expelled BJP leader Suresh Rathore appeared before the SIT probing the Ankita Bhandari murder case and was questioned for over six hours. He denies allegations and claims they are baseless.
Exit polls predict a clear victory for the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, while forecasting a defeat for the Shiv Sena (UBT)-Maharashtra Navnirman Sena alliance. Polls also predict results for Pune and Thane.
Nitin Nabin has been formally declared as the BJP national president, succeeding J P Nadda. The leadership transition was witnessed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior ministers.
The BJP-Shiv Sena alliance has made significant progress in challenging the Thackeray family's control over Mumbai's Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) after nearly 25 years. The results mark a potential shift in Mumbai's civic politics, with the BJP emerging as a central force.
'If the BJP had contested all 227 seats, I believe they would have managed to secure a majority on their own.'
Stepping up political pressure ahead of the assembly elections, the Congress-led Opposition bloc in Assam has lodged an FIR against state Bharatiya Janata Party President Dilip Saikia, accusing him of directing BJP MLAs to delete Opposition voters during the ongoing Special Revision of electoral rolls.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday charged the Trinamool Congress government with 'playing with national security by protecting infiltrators' for vote-bank politics, and said ending the ruling party's 'maha jungle raj' was vital to restore law and order, development and investor confidence in the state.
RJD president Lalu Prasad's daughter Rohini Acharya criticised her family members for allegedly destroying a legacy, hinting at internal conflicts within the party.
The BJP has launched a fresh attack on the Congress, alleging that Jawaharlal Nehru harbored hatred towards Lord Somnath and engaged in appeasement politics.
Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta has ordered a forensic probe into a video allegedly showing Leader of Opposition Atishi insulting Guru Tegh Bahadur. The BJP has accused Atishi of making insensitive remarks, while Atishi denies the charges and accuses the BJP of manipulating the video.
The BJP withdrew Pooja More-Jadhav's candidature in the Pune civic polls after old videos surfaced showing her making remarks against Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his wife.
XLII additional chief judicial magistrate K N Shivakumar discharged H D Revanna from the case registered in Holenaraseepur town police station, Hassan district.
Multi-cornered contests, deep divisions within the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, reflected in the Congress and Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray fighting separately and lack of a robust plan among its rivals helped the Bharatiya Janata Party in Mumbai polls as it looks poised to rule India's richest civic body for the first time.
'Marathi-speaking people of Mumbai have now emerged as a consolidated vote bank standing firmly behind the Thackerays.'
A Delhi court has ordered the framing of charges against RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, his family, and others in the alleged land-for-job scam, accusing Yadav of using his railway ministry position for personal gain.
'JP opened up about all the betrayals, the betrayal of the Jan Sangh and the RSS, how they ganged up with Sanjay Gandhi and pulled down the Morarji Desai government, how they destroyed the Janata Party.'
The BJP has criticized West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee following Supreme Court observations regarding obstructions during ED raids at I-PAC premises, alleging abuse of power and shielding of those accused of corruption.
Campaigning for the elections to 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra has ended, with the battle for Mumbai's BMC taking center stage. Key political players are vying for control, with a focus on Marathi and Hindu voters.
A farmer in Uttarakhand allegedly committed suicide after being defrauded of Rs 4 crore in a fake land deal. He posted a video online before his death, naming the accused. The Congress party has criticized the BJP government over the incident.
UPCC chief Ajai Rai clarifies Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's role in Uttar Pradesh Congress campaigns, emphasizing her national leadership while confirming her continued prominence in the state.
Among major engagements in 2026 is the visit of the European Union leadership, chief guests at the Republic Day parade.
Maharashtra minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Chandrashekhar Bawankule has said that Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar should refrain from criticising the saffron outfit and not force it to open 'pages from the past'.
In a culture where children take up the profession of their father, her becoming a politician was seen as natural and acceptable.
The PMK leader said that he came into the NDA fold to defeat the "anti-people" ruling DMK.
Breaking the nearly three-decade-old dominance of the undivided Shiv Sena, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday emerged victorious in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, and also vanquished the alliance of Nationalist Congress Party factions led by Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar in the Pune civic body.
Maharashtra heads to the polls for 29 municipal corporations, with Mumbai's BMC election taking center stage as the BJP-led Mahayuti faces off against the Thackeray front. Key issues include promises for women, pollution control, and the city's financial health.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah dismisses speculation of a power struggle within the Congress party and addresses concerns regarding the Hate Speech Bill.
While the DMK depends on a 'silver sieve' of welfare schemes to stay in power, its support is slowly draining away under the weight of poor governance, corruption, and voters who are no longer satisfied with benefits alone and now want basic administration to work, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday said it held a formal meeting with a Chinese delegation openly, given the "improved" relations between New Delhi and Beijing, unlike the Congress which, it alleged, "secretly" signed a memorandum of understanding with the neighbouring country's ruling party.
A case has been registered against YouTuber Anvesh for allegedly making derogatory and provocative statements against Hindu society, religious beliefs, and deities, following a complaint by BJP leader Karate Kalyani.
The real surprise in these results came from Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM. Of the 29 Muslim candidates who got elected to the 227-strong BMC, the Congress and the AIMIM between them bagged 22.
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