Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday laid the foundation stone of a grand memorial to Babasaheb Ambedkar at the Indu Mills compound in the heart of Mumbai, a function boycotted by Shiv Sena after its chief Uddhav Thackeray was not invited.
Maharashtra Bharatiya Janata P president Sudhir Mungantiwar said on Wednesday that the 25-year-old alliance with Shiv Sena would not be snapped although Bal Thackeray's party had extended support to Pranab Mukherjee for presidential polls.
She was unhappy at the reinstatement of some party workers in Uttar Pradesh who had "misbehaved" and "threatened" her during her press conference in Mathura a few days ago.
Maharashtra BJP's chief spokesperson Keshav Upadhye has called on Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray to cancel his party's annual Dussehra rally and instead use the funds to provide relief to flood victims in the Marathwada region. Upadhye criticized Thackeray's past performance as chief minister and suggested that canceling the rally would demonstrate genuine concern for the affected population.
Shiv Sena Chief Bal Thackeray has equated nephew Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena with a carbon copy of the outfit he founded in 1966.
We stand by our decision to oppose the proposed car shed at Aarey Colony, said Uddhav.
Shiv Sena's alliance partner, the Republican Party on Wednesday extended its support to the saffron party on renaming Shivaji Park as 'Shiv Tirth'.
Taking the Shiv Sena and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena head-on, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh on Sunday said that it has asked its volunteers to protect north Indians in Maharashtra and prevent the spread of anti-Hindi feelings. "The Sangh Parivar has asked its volunteers in Maharashtra to try and prevent the spread of anti-north Indian and anti-Hindi feelings," said RSS leader Ram Madhav.He said the RSS was opposed to discrimination on the basis of language.
The Shiv Sena, the party that champions the cause of Maharashtrians, has turned this year's stock market boom, which saw the Sensex rise some 700 points, into a political opportunity.
Maharashtra is set to hold local body elections on December 2 for municipal councils and nagar panchayats. The polls are seen as a test of the ruling coalition's strength after their recent assembly election victory.
Mahim is a mix of predominantly upper-class Maharashtrians, a sizeable cosmopolitan population and minority voters.
The simmering tension between Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party came to a boil on Sunday as Sena MP Anil Desai failed to take oath as union minister amid talk that Uddhav Thackeray will pull the party out of the government at the Centre and play opposition in Maharashtra.
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.
Pakistani ghazal singer Ghulam Ali's concert in the city on Friday was on Wednesday cancelled after Shiv Sena threatened to disrupt it.
Sena leader Sanjay Raut said he will meet Mukherjee next week, insisting he has proved to be "best President" and that nobody can doubt his capabilities.
Raut, the Executive Editor of Sena mouthpiece Saamana, was arrested from his residence at suburban Bhandup after the Centre directed the state government to deal sternly with those involved in the attack, sources said. Around 500 Shiv Sena workers had vandalised the lobby and kitchen of Lalit Group's Intercontinental Hotel to protest against sacking of 21 employees by the management on January 21.
Kunal Kamra has accepted money from Uddhav Thackeray and is targeting Eknath Shinde, Mhaske alleged.
Congress party sources claimed the three, "...are scheduled to join the party on Friday."
The party's executive president Uddhav Thackeray made this clear on the opening day of the two-day conclave of Sena office-bearers in Aurangabad.
Hours after the Bharatiya Janata Party gave it an ultimatum to take a final call on the seat-sharing pact for the Maharashtra assembly elections, Shiv Sena said on Thursday night that it would not be dictated by anybody.
Rane also questioned Uddhav Thackeray's right to comment on the match, accusing his party of staying silent when pro-Pakistan slogans were allegedly raised at a rally by one of its MPs.
With most exit polls projecting Bharatiya Janata Party's emergence as the single-largest party in Maharashtra but falling short of a majority, the Shiv Sena hinted at a possible reconciliation with its former saffron ally, saying there should be "no bitterness any more".
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.
After five decades of existence, the Shiv Sena's support base seems to be shifting towards the rural electorate but there it has to contend with the network of Sharad Pawar and the BJP.
Shah on Wednesday met Thackeray as a party of BJP's Sampark for Samarthan campaign.
Shinde had retained most of the sitting MLAs, who chose to be with him when he led the rebellion two years ago. They delivered for him on Saturday when votes for the state polls were counted.
Senior Shiv Sena leader and former minister Pramod Navalkar died on Tuesday following a heart attack, party sources said.
'...but in a time when we bid for the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, and when we invite investors too, to India, it is shameful to have such a pathetic mentality in the government.'
Shiv Sena-UBT leaders do not maintain any contact with those who left, said Raut whose party is part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance along with NCP-SP and Congress.
Raj Thackeray meets Bal Thackeray in what looks like an attempt to smooth out the recent crisis in the party.
Unfazed by Shiv Sena's attack on him, Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan had a dig at the party and stuck to his stand of pitching for inclusion of Pakistani cricketers in Indian Premier League.
Kejriwal called Thackeray on Sunday to apprised him about the situation in the national capital.
MNS chief Raj Thackeray has voiced strong opposition to the cutting of trees for the construction of a 'Sadhu Gram' in Nashik ahead of the Kumbh Mela, urging the government to reconsider the decision. Actor Sayaji Shinde has also joined the protest, threatening opposition if the government proceeds with the tree removal.
He said he will not join any political party.
Congress MLC Pradnya Satav joined the BJP in Maharashtra, prompting accusations of undemocratic practices and political maneuvering ahead of local elections.
Mohan Rawale, a five-time former MP from Mumbai south central, was expelled from the Shiv Sena on Monday, days after his meeting with Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, in an apparent clamp down on dissidence.
The removal of a bust of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj from the premises of a government office in Pune triggered protests by various organisations, prompting the administration to reinstall the structure at its original spot.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances