Sharad Pawar-Ajit Pawar, Bal Thackeray-Raj Thackeray, Gopinath Munde-Dhananjay Munde. Troubled uncle-nephew relationships have rocked the boat of more than one party trying to steer its way through Maharashtra's troubled political waters with the crisis in the Nationalist Congress Party only the latest in the series.
Showing that he was in full control of the party, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said that dissidents were free to leave; while senior party leader Manohar Joshi, who had criticised his leadership style recently, apologised.
Blaming Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil for the deteriorating law and order situation in the state, the opposition on Friday demanded his resignation in the wake of the brutal gang rape of a 23-year-old photojournalist in Mumbai.
'There are legions of unemployed degree holders across rural and semi-urban belts in Maharashtra. Now, they aren't finding brides.' 'This issue has now snowballed into a social crisis. In 2014 and 2019, they had voted for the BJP.'
Why did NaMo skip the celebrations?
'The biggest loser is Raj Thackeray's MNS. The MNS may inspire fear, but fear doesn't fetch votes.'
The Bharatiya Janata Party will not contest the November 3 bypoll to Andheri East assembly seat in Mumbai, Maharashtra party chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule said on Monday.
On Monday, political leaders from across the spectrum put aside their differences and congregated in Mumbai to bid adieu to Congress stalwart Murli Deora, who died after suffering from cancer.
The 29-year-old next-gen Thackeray, whom his party wants to be the deputy chief minister in the BJP-Sena alliance government, won with a thumping majority from Mumbai's Worli constituency.
Hazare began his fast on January 30 at his native Ralegan Siddhi village in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra, demanding appointment of anti-corruption watchdogs at the Centre and in Maharashtra and resolution of farmers' issues.
At a time when elections, both Parliament and assembly, are round the corner, die-hard Shiv Sainiks believe that Uddhav Thackeray needs to reconcile with some important leaders, because they can make or break the party's performance, says Neeta Kolhatkar.
Maharashtra and Haryana voted in assembly elections on Monday. Several prominent personalities also exercised their franchise.
Ameya Khopkar, MNS chief Raj Thackeray's close friend, defending his stance, says, "When our soldiers are being killed on the borders by Pakistan, why should we host their actors here?"
Take a look at star arrivals.
The Dahi Handi ritual, part of the Janmashtami festival that marks the birth of Lord Krishna, saw enthusiastic participation by revellers in the metropolis, its adjoining areas and other parts of Maharashtra. The festival was celebrated with traditional fervour and gaiety in Mumbai and other parts of the state.
'Devendra Fadnavis' brokering the deal between the MNS and the makers of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil raises questions about the chief minister's effectiveness,' says Neeta Kolhatkar.
'If the Maha Vikas Aghadi thinks that they have won 30 (Lok Sabha) seats and that would translate to winning 180 assembly seats they would be living in a fool's paradise.'
Ending weeks of acrimonious spats and mudslinging, the BJP and its ruling ally Shiv Sena have finally worked out the modalities for running the KDMC.
As the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiv Sena refused to blink, the opposition, the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party are keen to take the benefit, reports Sanjay Jog.
Senior army officials and veterans were "upset" over the force being dragged into "politics" over films after the MNS demanded that producers of movies employing Pakistani actors pay Rs 5 crore to an army welfare fund.
As Uddhav Thackeray consolidates his hold over the Shiv Sena, conflict within the ranks seems inevitable, says Neeta Kolhatkar.
There is no provision for the state government to either install or remove loudspeakers, Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil said on Monday after an all-party meeting on the issue.
'Uddhav has told the cops to crack down hard on the MNS agitation if MNS activists try to vitiate the communal harmony in the state.'
As his statement made during an event on Friday evening kicked up a row with political parties objecting to it, the Governor on Saturday said his comments were 'misconstrued', and also made it clear that he had 'no intention of belittling the hard work of the Marathi-speaking people in the progress and development of Maharashtra'.
By the next election, the Shiv Sena too may end up like Raj Thackeray's MNS.
Bharatiya Janata Party prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi got more than 33 per cent coverage on national TV channels during prime time in March and April, beating the likes of Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal and Congress' Rahul Gandhi.
Maharashtra CM Fadnavis was among those who paid their last respects to the cartoonist
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Phadnavis on Sunday faced flak for "brokering the deal" with Maharashtra Navnirman Sena instead of enforcing law and order, amid the row around the release of Karan Johar's "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil".
Pawar also disapproves Modi's criticism of Nehru during Parliament debate.
PeeCee parites with her friends from the industry.
Walse Patil said MNS chief Raj Thackeray will also be invited for the meeting.
The Sena received a boost on Friday with 3 Independent corporators joining the party, raising its total tally in the BMC to 87.
Five workers of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena were arrested on Thursday for allegedly assaulting a north-Indian fruit seller in suburban Ghatkopar after a video of the incident went viral on social media.
'If someone fiddles us on our religion then we will pay back five times more to that person. We have proved that time and again.'
Raj Thackeray-led MNS said that they will not oppose film's release.
'The timing of the current episode involving Ajit Pawar is important. The episode has elements of deceit, betrayal and falsehood intertwined'
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party for hobnobbing with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena in Maharashtra saying the people of Bihar will reject the party's collusive politics of communalism and regional chauvinism.
While the PM is trying to hardsell his developmental agenda, his rivals are targeting him in the run-up to the assembly election
'I am trying to make the political system more answerable to the people.'
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