Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray's 2nd death anniversary on Monday saw BJP reaching out to Sena with a promise to construct a memorial befitting the leader's stature as it brought together the squabbling claimants to his legacy-son and successor Uddhav and nephew Raj of MNS.
'Kangana Ranaut is not only the Sena's issue, but also of those who love Mumbai and Maharashtra'
'We don't feel that the law and order situation will turn bad because of our agitation.'
'Our fight is against his political masters, the BJP and Devendra Fadnavis.'
When a university allows a small group of students to prevent classes being held; when the professor selected to hold those classes gives up and goes back to his hometown; what conclusion can be drawn, asks Jyoti Punwani.
'We are the real Shiv Sena and we will remain in the Sena.'
Thackeray, 59, became the third Sena leader after Manohar Joshi and Narayan Rane to occupy the top post.
Former Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and three others were on Sunday inducted into the Union Cabinet as Prime Minister Narendra Modi expanded his Council of Ministers, bringing in 21 new ministers as Shiv Sena kept away from the exercise.
Congress had last month issued a show-cause notice to the magazine's editor Nirupam.
Rediff.com's Prasanna D Zore and Satish Bodas capture the most moving moments at Shivaji Park.
'Badle ki bhavna (revengeful politics) was never seen in Maharashtra and Indian politics, but now we are witnessing all that today.'
The first sign of Make In India's success, Uddhav Thackeray felt, would emerge when Maharashtra halted the outflow of Mumbaikars to foreign countries, by building schools, colleges and universities of repute.
Similar flags were also unfurled at about 24 other places across the Vidarbha region.
There's no telling how long this government will last or how cordial the relations between the alliance partners will be, but it tells us that while constancy and fealty pay, timing is everything, points out Aditi Phadnis.
However, the Sena's demand for elevation of the existing ministers of state to the Cabinet rank was turned down by the chief minister.
On Uddhav's leadership style, Joshi said, "He is always ready to reply to any question. I found he is open-minded."
'Every man in the hot seat needs trusted cops to grind their axe with political opponents.' 'And that's what explains Waze's importance; him investigating the fake TRP scandal, his arrest of TV journalist Arnab Goswami, and heading the investigation into the Antilia bomb scare case.'
'One can understand this prejudice in the minds of policemen against Muslims, without accepting it. But what tilts the balance disproportionately is the police's blind eye to offences committed in the name of the majority.' says Jyoti Punwani.
The vicious politicisation of the police and a media that is biased due to management interference has started a dangerous trend. Society as a whole is left vulnerable, says N Suresh.
Kulkarni said that he has accepted Kasuri's invitation to join the launch of his book 'Neither a Hawk nor a Dove' in Karachi on November 2.
'What of Modi? They are willing to take their chances. Maharashtra's Muslims recall how the Congress scared them with the Bal Thackeray bogey for decades, yet, when it came to using all the might of the State to protect them from Shiv Sena goons, be it in 1970, 1984 or 1992-1993, it did nothing. For them, the Congress's secularism is a cruel joke.' 'This argument that we ('seculars') must vote for the 'winning secular candidate' has one more implication: Those who are against Hindutva must forever be stuck with the same corrupt, cynical and tired old parties, who are not even secular,' says Jyoti Punwani.
Chhagan Bhujbal, son of a vegetable vendor, rose through the political ranks by hard work, determination and political opportunism. Now past ghosts have come to haunt him.
The court allowed Raut's plea for home food and medicines, but refused to pass an order on his prayer for bedding.
Shiv Sena activists threw ink at me and smeared my face. They abused me, Kulkarni alleged.
"We realised that we don't have the required numbers to form the government and we don't want to indulge in horse-trading," Fadnavis told reporters after announcing his decision.
The septuagenarian politician, once the right hand man of Bal Thackeray, is now battling irrelevance in a Balasaheb-less Shiv Sena
The Shiv Sena has been holding protests against frequent load-shedding in most parts of Maharashtra, which is going through a severe power crisis.\n
Will Uddhav Thackeray manage to hold the Shiv Sena together without his charismatic father? And what will his maverick cousin Raj do?
'The bonhomie that once characterised the Shiv Sena and BJP was clearly missing this time. Is there a deeper divide than what was apparent?'
It was not very easy to leave the family which I built for 20 years but then I got a very warm welcome from the Thackeray family.
The inexperienced Uddhav is forced to match up against 24x7 political pros Amit Shah and Narendra Modi who have the added advantage of wielding power at the Centre, asserts Virendra Kapoor.
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday launched a frontal attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party, charging it with pursuing "politics of strife" and questioning its alliance with Shiv Sena even as he rubbished Narendra Modi's claims of development in Gujarat.
Police personnel in civil clothes will be deployed. Additionally, drones and CCTV cameras will be used to monitor crowd.
When an accused gets attacked on the way to court, and again within the court premises, with no intervention by a judicial officer, which space is safe, asks Jyoti Punwani.
A rebellion by NCP leaders in Sindhudurg may scuttle Congress MP Nilesh Rane's chances of regaining the seat. Neeta Kolhatkar explains the politics behind the turmoil in Maharashtra's Konkan region.
General secretary and spokesperson of Shiv Sena Gurugram wing Ritu Raj said that they had served notices to every meat and chicken shop.
'The Pakistani defence minister talks of throwing a nuclear bomb on India. And if someone throws ink on your face, you call it violence?'
The politician who has come a long way, from being a one-time vegetable vendor to one of the most powerful politicians in the state, is in big trouble today, says Neeta Kolhatkar.
Intensifying its protests against Shah Rukh Khan for speaking in favour of Pakistani cricket players, Shiv Sena activists on Sunday held a demonstration outside the actor's residence Mannat in suburban Bandra. "Shah Rukh should go to Pakistan if he wants to speak in favour of Pakistani players," said Shiv Sena leader and Member of Legislative Council Anil Parab, who led the protest. Sainiks displayed a travel ticket from Mumbai to Pakistan.
'It is time the Sena realises that voters can see through its divisive actions. It needs to have a wider vision before the party is reduced to a slapstick political comedy.'
