Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis dismisses the alliance between Uddhav and Raj Thackeray's parties as a move for political survival, asserting it won't significantly impact Mumbai's political landscape. BJP leader Ashish Shelar questions the motives behind the reunion, highlighting past criticisms and the Thackerays' changing stances.
Maharashtra minister's announcement regarding the disbursement of financial aid under the Ladki Bahin Yojana before Makar Sankranti has triggered a controversy, with the Opposition alleging a violation of the Model Code of Conduct ahead of municipal elections. The State Election Commission has sought a report on the matter.
Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office, Prithviraj Chavan, considered close to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, was selected as the new Maharashtra chief minister on Wednesday morning.
Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com brings you the latest drama surrounding government formation in Maharashtra.
Parties in Maharashtra are engaged in intense negotiations to finalize seat sharing arrangements for the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections scheduled for January 15.
"Let those who want to align with the Congress do so. We won't stop them," Fadnavis said, in an apparent reference to reports that the Shiv Sena was toying with the idea of roping in the Congress to bag the Mumbai mayor's post.
Industrialist Anil Ambani met Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan in the backdrop of reports that the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) was mulling a coastal road from Worli to Haji Ali and from Haji Ali to Nariman Point.
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.
The Shiv Sena has moved its newly elected corporators to a luxury hotel as the race to pick the next Mumbai mayor intensifies. The move comes amid political maneuvering and strategic positioning following recent civic poll results.
A video of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar recounting a tense helicopter ride with Devendra Fadnavis in July 2024 has resurfaced after Pawar's death in a plane crash. Pawar humorously described his fear during the flight due to bad weather, while Fadnavis remained calm.
Two passengers travelling on the same United States-bound Air India aircraft from Mumbai as Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis have come out in his support, saying he did not delay the flight even as he has threatened legal action once he returns to India.
Most Shiv Sena ministers in Maharashtra's BJP-led government were absent from a cabinet meeting, signaling tensions over defections between the parties. Only Deputy CM Eknath Shinde attended. Sena ministers later met with the Chief Minister to express their displeasure.
As the race for Maharashtra chief minister enters the last lap, Hemant Waje looks at several scenarios which can play out.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has urged Mumbai citizens to take precautions as the city experiences heavy rainfall and anticipates high tides. Waterlogging has been reported in several areas, and officials are taking measures to ensure public safety and minimize disruptions.
Deshmukh is on an eight-day tour of the United States to promote Maharashtra as a preferred investment destination in India.
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.
After West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee stated that the truth would not emerge through existing mechanisms and called for a probe, several opposition leaders including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge backed her demand.
Maharashtra Industries Minister Ashok Chavan will be the next chief minister of the state.The decision comes after long deliberations by the Congress high command, which on Wednesday had asked Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh to resign, following the terror attack in Mumbai last week. Chavan has been nominated the leader of the state Congress Legislature Party by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters on Friday.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced a cash reward of Rs 11 crore for the Indian cricket team following their T20 World Cup win.
Elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and 28 other civic bodies in the state were held on January 15.
He also told Shah that avoidable disruptions could potentially hinder the Mahayuti alliance's winning momentum and give undue advantage to the Opposition, they said.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis addressed concerns about discriminatory fund allocation and reports of a rift with Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, dismissing both as unfounded.
The incident took place at 4pm and the deceased are from Pimpalgaon Baswant in Niphad taluka, the official added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched his Bihar assembly poll campaign, asserting that the NDA under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will break all previous electoral records. He criticized the INDIA bloc and highlighted the NDA's cohesiveness and development efforts in Bihar.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, his deputy Eknath Shinde and other legislators of the ruling BJP and Shiv Sena visited the memorial of RSS founder K B Hedgewar in Nagpur. NCP legislators, including Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, skipped the visit.
Maharashtra BJP president Ravindra Chavan criticized Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's allegations of corruption in the Pimpri Chinchwad civic body, suggesting they are politically motivated ahead of upcoming elections.
'I don't think there is any problem,' Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told Rediff.com about the ongoing slugfest between Minister of State for Revenue Sanjay Rathod and his boss in the ministry, Eknath Khadse.
Bommai alleged that in the name of providing insurance to the people on Karnataka's side of the border, the Maharashtra government is taking declaration letters from them stating that they belong to Maharashtra. "This is condemnable."
'The writing is on the wall for both Shinde and Ajit Pawar.'
Heavy rains lashed several parts of Maharashtra, including Mumbai, on Monday, resulting in one death and the rescue of 48 people from inundated areas. The state received widespread rainfall, with Pune, Satara, Solapur, Raigad, and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) experiencing significant precipitation. Mumbai recorded 135.4 mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours, leading to waterlogging and power outages in some areas. The India Meteorological Department has predicted more rain in Mumbai over the next 24 hours, accompanied by thunderstorms and strong winds.
Police in Maharashtra's Amravati district arrested a pastor from Kerala and seven others on charges of hurting religious sentiments after allegations of offering money for conversion to Christianity. Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan criticized the arrests.
It seems that the Maharashtra unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party is leaving no stone unturned to make grand the October 31 oath-taking ceremony of its first chief minister, Devendra Fadnavis, at the Wankhede stadium in South Mumbai.
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.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) are expected to announce an alliance for the upcoming Mumbai civic elections. The announcement is expected to be made at a press conference on Wednesday.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh's resignation has been accepted, says Congress leader A K Antony.
Nationalist Congress Party minister Manikrao Kokate has resigned from the Maharashtra Cabinet after a court upheld his conviction and two-year jail term in a 1995 cheating and forgery case. This marks the second NCP minister to resign this year.
The CM-elect would have to strive to regain the state's past glory, as its earlier eminence has been challenged by Gujarat, Karnataka, and many other states. Besides, the burgeoning debt burden, which has already crossed Rs 1,70,000 crore, rising fiscal and revenue deficits had put increasing pressure on the administration to avoid overdrafts.
The Congress leader was Union Home Minister from 2004 to 2008 and the 10th Speaker of the Lok Sabha from 1991 to 1996. He was the Governor of Punjab and also served as Administrator of the Union Territory of Chandigarh from 2010 to 2015.
Chavan, who took the train from Karad on Saturday evening to visit a medical college in Jalgaon in north Maharashtra, was travelling in a two tier air-conditioned compartment.
Shinde said he had "good and positive" discussions with Amit Shah and J P Nadda.
