A late-night meeting between leaders of the ruling NCP and Opposition NCP (SP) at the Maharashtra Chief Minister's residence has sparked intense speculation about shifting political dynamics in the state. This comes as the BJP reportedly seeks support for the 131st Constitution Amendment Bill, which proposes to increase Lok Sabha seats and initiate delimitation, a move criticised by Congress leader P Chidambaram for potentially disadvantaging states that controlled population growth.
The Nationalist Congress Party in Maharashtra has swiftly distanced itself from MLA Sana Malik's controversial statements on talaq and polygamy, reiterating its firm commitment to women's rights and constitutional principles.
Dissident Trinamool Congress MPs have announced their merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party and met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to request a separate seating arrangement, claiming two-thirds of TMC's Lok Sabha members support the move. The Mamata Banerjee-led faction, however, argues against recognising any separate group, citing anti-defection laws.
Vande Mataram, the national song that has stirred passions and political controversies for more than a century, received legal protection on Thursday with Parliament passing a bill making any insult to it a punishable offence, rekindling the long-running debate over its place in India's history and identity.
Nationalist Congress Party national working president Praful Patel has dismissed claims of a rift within the party, specifically addressing a legal challenge to Sunetra Pawar's election as party president. A national secretary, Sachchidanand Singh, alleged the election was unconstitutional, but Patel stated the letter carries no weight and senior leaders support Sunetra Pawar. The dispute highlights internal dynamics following the demise of Ajit Pawar.
The NDA's parliamentary party meetings will now be known as 'Mangal Milan', with the first under this new name scheduled for July 21. This change was informally discussed in the Union cabinet. Additionally, the newly formed Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), comprising 20 MPs who defected from the TMC, is seeking formal recognition and parliamentary facilities, including a party office and designated floor leaders.
Amid cross-voting from both ruling and Opposition ranks, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Mahayuti on Monday swept 16 of the 17 Maharashtra Legislative Council seats from local authorities' constituencies even as Nashik delivered a surprise defeat to the governing bloc.
'Our leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, are in touch with all Opposition parties, including the DMK and the AAP.'
Maharashtra BJP has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission regarding illegal hoardings allegedly put up by the NCP and other parties in Pune ahead of the civic body polls.
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.
An education baron from Jalgaon district in Maharashtra, associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party, has been arrested in connection with the alleged Shalarth ID scam, which involves creating fake identities of teachers on a government portal and withdrawing salaries in their names.
Shiv Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde have been directed by a Thane magistrate's court to appear in connection with a 17-year-old defamation complaint. The case, filed by late NCP leader Vasant Davkhare, relates to a controversial video screened during the 2009 Lok Sabha elections.
The Nationalist Citizens Party of India's campaign posters carry the message: 'To save your rights, reject political turncoats. Support social workers, not political personalities,' and urges voters to press the symbol of a pen nib.
Sharad Pawar objected to comparing PM Modi with Jawaharlal Nehru, highlighting Nehru's sacrifices and nation-building contributions.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday trounced the opposition including the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party and Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar by winning decisive mandates in Pune and neighbouring Pimpri Chinchwad in the civic polls, retaining power in both municipal corporations.
BJP candidate Arun Lakhani, contesting the Maharashtra legislative council elections, addresses the unique situation of his son's marriage to Supriya Sule's daughter, emphasising the separation of politics and family ties.
Pawar was addressing an election campaign rally in Pimpri-Chinchwad and announced the development.
A rebel faction of the Trinamool Congress, led by Ritabrata Banerjee, has taken control of the party's organisational headquarters in Kolkata. This move follows their claim to the party's name and symbol before the Election Commission, intensifying the power struggle with the Mamata Banerjee-led faction. Both sides are now preparing submissions for the Election Commission regarding the party's control.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde mocked the Shiv Sena (UBT) in the assembly following the defection of six of its Lok Sabha MPs to his faction. Shinde stated that the opposition had lost its mental balance and predicted more "shocks" for them. The jibe came after opposition MLAs, including Aaditya Thackeray, walked out over procedural objections during the monsoon session.
Amid renewed speculation about political realignments and a potential merger, senior leaders from two Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) factions met Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule clarified her party's position on the proposed Delimitation Bill, stating that while a uniform 50 per cent increase in seats across states would be hard to oppose, any final decision would be made after discussions within the INDIA bloc.
Opposition leaders across party lines have condemned the forced removal of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk from the Jantar Mantar protest site in Delhi, accusing the BJP-led central government of undermining democratic freedoms, curbing dissent, and choosing force over dialogue.
The DMK has been charting an independent course from the Congress-led Opposition bloc on contentious issues during the Monsoon Session, including not joining a walkout over the anti-paper leak bill and participating in a debate on the National Honour Bill, signalling growing fault lines within the Opposition.
NCP (SP) leader Eknath Khadse has firmly stated his disinterest in rejoining the BJP, despite being called by Amit Shah, and affirmed his commitment to Sharad Pawar, dismissing recent speculation about his political future.
Maharashtra's Shiv Sena minister Sanjay Shirsat sparked a political storm with his controversial comments regarding a fatal tree fall incident in Mumbai, which killed an 11-year-old boy and injured four others, initially suggesting such incidents are 'not in human hands' before clarifying his stance.
Lok Sabha MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay's closed-door meeting with West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, just before NCPI MPs were to attend an NDA meeting, has ignited speculation about the Nationalist Citizens Party of India's political future and its potential alignment with the BJP-led alliance. The NCPI comprises 20 rebel TMC MPs who broke away after the West Bengal Assembly election.
Leaders of the opposition INDIA bloc met in New Delhi on Monday and decided to write to the chief justice of India on the Special Intesive Revision exercise and "vote loot", besides demanding the immediate resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET-CBSE row.
Rebel Trinamool Congress MP Arup Chakraborty on Monday said the breakaway faction is trying to "rectify" the party, and would fight for the control of its election symbol, even as the Mamata Banerjee-led outfit termed the move illegal under the anti-defection law.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) remains optimistic that Osmanabad (Dharashiv) MP Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar, one of six dissident parliamentarians, will not abandon the Uddhav Thackeray-led party, despite his recent statement about deciding his political future after consulting his constituents.
NCP leader Rupali Chakankar has resigned from her position as the party's Maharashtra women's wing chief following controversy surrounding her association with Ashok Kharat, who has been accused of rape.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has entered into post-poll alliances with rivals Congress and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen in some municipal councils in Maharashtra, even as Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday rejected the tie-ups and warned of action against party leaders involved.
Maharashtra minister Yogesh Kadam refuted allegations of delay or laxity in registering an FIR related to the air crash involving former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, following claims by NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar.
NCP's Parth Pawar flew in an aircraft belonging to VSR Aviation, a company targeted by his family after a plane crash killed his father, leading to controversy and clarification.
Sunetra Pawar, who is not a member of either house of the Maharashtra legislature, will be elected as leader of the legislature wing of the Nationalist Congress Party at a meeting in Mumbai on Saturday, after which she is likely to take oath as deputy CM.
The Indian government and opposition are preparing for a contentious Monsoon Session of Parliament, with key issues including the Constitution Amendment Bill on delimitation and women's reservation, the alleged NEET paper leak, and a row over Ram temple donations set to spark heated debates.
In an apparent reference to the buzz of six rebel Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray MPs switching sides, Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday said this is just a trailer and the movie is yet to come, indicating more defections could be in offing in the rival faction.
Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray Lok Sabha MP Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar, one of the six dissidents, on Sunday said he will decide his political course only after consulting the people of his constituency, even as the Uddhav Thackeray-led party hopes he will not defect.
Leaders from several opposition parties within the INDIA bloc convened in New Delhi, stressing the critical need for unity to safeguard democratic values and address pressing issues like people's livelihoods, despite recent internal differences and electoral setbacks.
Senior TMC leader Firhad Hakim has resigned as the mayor of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), citing an inability to function properly. His resignation, approved by Mamata Banerjee, comes amidst significant political turbulence within the TMC following recent election defeats and a wave of councillor resignations, raising questions about the party's urban political structure.
A Joint Committee of Parliament has deferred the adoption of a draft report on a bill proposing the suspension, not permanent removal, of the prime minister, Union ministers, and chief ministers if detained for 30 days on serious criminal charges, opting for more consultations.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has approved the merger of six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and allowed separate seating for 20 rebel TMC lawmakers who joined the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), ahead of the Monsoon session.
