Even before the first votes are counted in Maharashtra, fissures have emerged within the ruling Mahayuti and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on who will head the next government. Both camps are claiming the chief minister's post, with constituents in both camps laying claim over the chief minister's post. The MVA, consisting of the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP), and the Mahayuti, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP, have expressed confidence that their respective alliance will form the next government after votes are counted on Saturday. While a majority of exit polls have predicted that Mahayuti will retain power, a few have favored the MVA.
Fadnavis had a series of very productive meetings with American CEOs
Barring a few, such as Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu (74), Union Minister C R Patil (69) and Uttar Pradesh Finance Minister Suresh Khanna (71), most other ministers attending the WEF represent the next generation of India's politicians.
Former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh on Sunday confirmed that the sensational letter to Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray was sent from his email-id.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan visited late additional collector Yashwant Sonawane's family to offer his condolences.Talking to reporters after meeting the family, Sonawane said, "We have arrested the accused in this case and the investigations are going on. This cannot happen in Maharashtra, we will stop this." Chavan had earlier announced a compensation of Rs.25 lakh for the Sonawane family.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday said the state assembly polls are expected to be held in the second week of November and seat-sharing among the ruling allies would be finalised in the next 8 to 10 days.
"I feel no one can reject the contribution of Maharashtra and Marathi people in the history and present of the country. If someone is rejecting it, then I feel it is wrong," Fadnavis said.
The US Consulate in Mumbai apologised for having asked invitees to President Barack Obama's functions to submit personal details like PAN numbers after it drew angry reaction from senior Maharashtra ministers and officials and blamed "clerical error" for the queries.
Chennai-based Grandmaster Gukesh on Thursday became the youngest world chess champion at 18 years after beating title-holder Ding Liren of China
'Our party has formed governments independently in all neighbouring states except West Bengal; now it's Bihar's turn.'
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said the incident of Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad slapping an employee of a canteen at the MLAs' hostel in Mumbai sends out a wrong message about all legislators that they indulge in misuse of power.
Activist Manoj Jarange's hunger strike demanding Maratha quota continues for the third day in Mumbai, following a meeting with a government delegation. The protest has caused traffic disruptions and highlights the ongoing debate over reservation policies in Maharashtra.
'Often people outside paint a wrong picture of us of Kashmiris. We are not like that. We are cool and bindaas,' said the lady, a teacher, caressing my cheeks in the pressing crowds.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh would be making a strong pitch for attracting foreign investment during a presentation at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Inviting global business leaders to invest in Maharashtra, Deshmukh would be making a presentation at the four-day WEF meet in Switzerland beginning on January 23, official sources said.
The reconstructed Carnac Road Over Bridge in Mumbai has been renamed 'Sindoor Bridge' as a tribute to the Indian military's 'Operation Sindoor'. The bridge, rebuilt after being declared unsafe, aims to ease traffic congestion in south Mumbai.
The leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha is preparing his excuses for future defeats in the upcoming assembly elections, including Bihar, Fadnavis said in his articles published in the Indian Express and Marathi daily Loksatta.
The Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital in Pune, India, has stopped taking deposits from patients at the emergency department after a pregnant woman died after being turned away for non-payment. The hospital faced intense criticism following the incident, which involved the wife of a BJP MLC's personal secretary. The woman was shifted to another hospital where she died after delivering twins.
Let there be no doubt that Modi in these 24 years so far has reshaped politics and governance considerably, if not completely, asserts Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, author, Narendra Modi: The Man, The Times.
A day after the Congress' defeat in the Haryana polls, Modi called the Opposition party irresponsible and a factory to "spread hatred".
Fadnavis, seen as a front runner for the chief minister's post, will meet the top party leaders.
The checking of bags of leaders, a practice of the poll authorities to enforce the model code of conduct, came to the fore in the state's election campaign after Shiv Sena-UBT leader Uddhav Thackeray was subjected to it in Yavatmal.
The meeting, scheduled for late afternoon, will also be attended senior armed forces officers.
Ahead of assembly polls, Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasahev Thackeray president Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday declared he will support any chief ministerial candidate announced by allies Congress or Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar to 'save' Maharashtra, repeating a demand for the second time since August.
The Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court has issued a notice to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in a poll petition challenging his 2014 victory from the Nagpur South West assembly seat. The petition was filed by Congress candidate Prafulla Vinodrao Gudadhe, who alleges procedural lapses and corrupt practices during the election.
An irate mob vandalized properties and indulged in arson in Yavat, Pune, following an objectionable social media post. Police used teargas to control the situation, and peace has been restored with heavy police presence.
After the felicitation, to chants of 'Rohit! Rohit!' inside the Vidhan Bhavan, addressing the legislators, the captain thanked the CM for his gesture and said 'It was our dream to win this World Cup. I am grateful to my team-mates because this was a team effort. I was also lucky that every player put his hand up in every match and got us victories.'
Rane, who resigned from the Congress party about two weeks ago after a long-drawn tussle with its state leadership, had claimed three days back that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had invited him to join the NDA.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Tuesday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and briefed him about the violence in Mumbai following protests against Assam riots. Chavan met the prime minister at his office in Parliament to explain the steps taken by his government to control the violence that broke out in Mumbai after a rally on Saturday to protest the killings of Muslims in Assam.
The Jain community, for whom feeding pigeons is a sacred tradition, have fiercely opposed the closure, with demonstrations in Mumbai highlighting the cultural significance and the distress of pigeons dying on streets.
Dharashiv, earlier Osmanabad, is among the eight districts that comprise the state's Marathwada region, where activist Manoj Jarange has led an agitation demanding reservation for Marathas in education and government jobs.
Shivakumar said, "Mahayuti leaders should visit my state to see how Congress' welfare guarantees are benefiting people."
The Maharashtra government has declared a day of mourning in the state on Thursday to pay tributes to industrialist Ratan Tata, the Chief Minister's Office said.
MPs, state legislators and government employees will not receive the benefit of loan waiver.
Devendra Fadnavis, BJP legislature party leader, will be sworn-in as the new chief minister of Maharashtra on Thursday evening at a grand ceremony in Mumbai. NCP head Ajit Pawar and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde are also expected to take oath as deputy chief ministers. This is for the third time that Fadnavis will be sworn-in as the CM of Maharashtra. The swearing-in ceremony will be held at the Azad Maidan in south Mumbai, where elaborate security arrangements have been made. The formation of the government under Fadnavis comes after two weeks of intense negotiations following the November 20 state assembly polls. Fadnavis, joined by Shinde and Pawar, met with state Governor CP Radhakrishnan to formally stake claim to form the government. Following this meeting, the governor extended an invitation for Fadnavis to lead the new government. The swearing-in ceremony will be a grand affair with nearly 42,000 attendees, including PM Modi, several Union ministers, and chief ministers and deputy CMs of various states.
A video of Lonikar's controversial remarks surfaced on social media on Thursday and invited strong criticism from the opposition.
Maharashtra Bharatiya Janata Party Legislature Party will meet on Tuesday to elect their leader, paving the way for him to meet Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao and stake claim to form the government.
The incident occurred between Diva and Kopar railway stations when the overcrowded train was going towards Kasara, an official said.
Amid indications that his continuance in office may be untenable, Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan has been summoned to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi on Saturday.
The Maharashtra Assembly elections witnessed the continued influence of political dynasties, with prominent families retaining their strongholds across the state. The Thackareys and the Ranes emerged as dominant forces, securing victories in various regions. The Rane brothers, Nilesh and Nitesh, won in Sindhudurg, while Uday and Kiran Samant secured victories in Ratnagiri. In Mumbai, Aaditya Thackeray retained his Worli seat, while his cousin Varun Sardesai won in Vandre East. The results underscore the enduring power of family connections in Indian politics.
Amid intense discussions among Mahayuti allies over the distribution of portfolios and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena's insistence on the home ministry, the clarity on the composition of the council of ministers is expected by Sunday, sources said.