The first phase of polling for municipal councils and nagar panchayats in Maharashtra was disrupted by violence and allegations of bogus voting. Clashes occurred between supporters of ruling allies BJP, NCP, and Shiv Sena. The Bombay High Court directed the SEC to postpone the counting of votes.
Ahead of the Mumbai municipal election on January 15, Shiv Sena-UBT leader Aditya Uddhav Thackeray launched a blistering attack on his political rivals in a hard-hitting interview with Rediff.
Uddhav and Raj Thackeray, along with their families, reunited at a Diwali event in Mumbai, fueling speculation about a potential political alliance between Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS ahead of local body polls.
The stakes are high. While targeting Muslims for its political game plan, the Sena needs to check its own political path. Else it will face the same debacle as that of MNS and lose its identity completely, says Neeta Kohlatkar.
Slamming the 'sari and shawl' diplomacy with Pakistan, ruling National Democratic Alliance constituent Shiv Sena on Tuesday said the government should have no talks with the country and give it a "befitting" reply after the killing of a jawan in shelling at the Line of Control.
Recent BJP organisational moves and Rajya Sabha nominations have sparked speculation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi may soon undertake a ministerial reshuffle.
Qwik Supply, the third largest donor to political parities using electoral bonds, bought Rs 410 crore bonds between 2021-22 and 2023-24, and gave all but Rs 25 crore to the BJP.
The compulsions of the Hindutva vote bank over 25 years in Maharashtra have made the two parties the oldest ideological partners and it is unrealistic to believe the situation has changed, reports Sunil Gatade.
'Imagine, for the last 12 years the prime minister belongs to the BJP, the home minister belongs to the BJP... If that is the case, you have waited for 12 years to remove infiltrators. Which means you and your central government has failed India on stopping infiltration.' The Rediff Podcast Featuring Shiv Sena-UBT leader Aditya Thackeray.
The trigger is the state government's recent approval for a floor space index of 1.33 for Mumbai city and an FSI of one for the suburbs.
Rupali Chakankar, chairperson of the Maharashtra State Commission for Women, has resigned following criticism over her association with rape-accused 'godman' Ashok Kharat. The resignation comes after opposition parties highlighted Chakankar's links with Kharat, who is accused of sexual assault and fraud.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh on Monday night said it will extend its support to Bharatiya Janata Party veteran Lal Kishenchand Advani, who was projected as party's prime ministerial candidate, while National Democratic Alliance allies like Janata Dal-United and Shiv Sena reserved their comment.
Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik has mandated that all commercial passenger vehicle drivers in the state must possess a working knowledge of Marathi, warning of strict action against those who refuse to comply.
Kunal Kamra has accepted money from Uddhav Thackeray and is targeting Eknath Shinde, Mhaske alleged.
Congress leader Varsha Gaikwad announced the party's intention to contest the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections independently, signaling a potential strain within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance.
'Talks are on between Uddhav Thackeray and other party leaders (about whether to go solo) for the BMC polls. Workers want the party to contest the polls solo'
Police in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar used a clever ruse to arrest Nida Khan, accused in a sexual harassment and conversion case at TCS Nashik. Khan was arrested after police put an AIMIM corporator under surveillance and discovered he was providing her shelter.
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.
Breaking the nearly three-decade-old dominance of the undivided Shiv Sena, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday emerged as the single largest party in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, and also triumphed in Pune, where it made mincemeat of the alliance of Nationalist Congress Party factions led by Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar.
Accusing Owaisi brothers of Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen's of "poisoning" the minds of Muslims, Shiv Sena today said the Hyderabad-based outfit would be defeated in the Aurangabad municipal polls the same way it was routed in the recently-held Bandra bypoll.
Following Raut's statement, the MNS, however, said the party's stand is decided by its chief.
Azmi has slammed the Maharashtra government for atrocities against minorities.
What do you think of the Shiv Sena's argument? Do girls dress provocatively? Tell us.
AIMIM leader Imtiaz Jaleel supports colleague Sahar Shaikh's controversial statement about turning Mumbra green, claiming the party intends to do the same across Maharashtra. This follows Shaikh's victory in Thane civic polls and subsequent backlash over her remarks.
RPI leader Ramsad Athavale said the party could consider such an alliance only if the Sena adopted a secular approach.
An irate woman confronted Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan during a BJP demonstration in Mumbai, blaming him for the traffic chaos caused by the protest over the women's reservation bill. The incident, captured on video, has sparked criticism of the BJP's protest tactics.
A labourer has been arrested in Thane for allegedly raping a seven-year-old girl at a construction site, sparking outrage and demands for stricter verification of migrant workers.
Omar Abdullah has so far laboured hard to make best of a bad bargain. Even so, the ground reality is anything but reassuring. The Opposition parties, including notably the PDP, appear to be gaining ground, though more by default. Public patience with Omar's government has nearly run out, notes Mohammad Sayeed Malik, the distinguished commentator on Kashmir affairs.
Uddhav Thackeray claimed the new Narendra Modi government at the Centre, which was sworn in on June 9, will collapse and will be replaced by an INDIA bloc dispensation.
A newly-elected AIMIM corporator's victory speech, vowing to 'paint Mumbra green,' has sparked controversy, with rivals questioning its religious overtones. The corporator has since clarified her remarks.
"Proper procedure of law is followed in Maharashtra. Police can take action against anyone if they have evidence. The state government hasn't acted out of revenge," Raut told reporters when asked about Goswami's arrest.
'This will split the Marathi and Shiv Sena vote.' 'The BJP has conducted 3 surveys indicating they shall secure 109 seats in the BMC.' 'They do not wish for the Shinde Sena to demonstrate excessive strength in the BMC.' 'If the Thackerays secure 60-70 seats, that will affect Shinde's seats.'
Maharashtra minister Sanjay Shirsat denies allegations that a bag seen in a viral video contained money, claiming it only held clothes. The video surfaced amid scrutiny over a significant increase in his declared assets.
Though the city's systems are willing to go to work as usual, participating political parties will try their best to ensure a '100 per cent successful' closure on Thursday. Vrushali Lad reports
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to investigate the rape and murder of a four-year-old girl in the Pune district of Maharashtra, following widespread outrage over the heinous crime.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has denied reports of a secret meeting with Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray, dismissing the claims as false news.
Maharashtra minister Sanjay Shirsat has called for a police investigation into the alleged involvement of AIMIM and its ex-MP Imtiaz Jaleel in the Nashik TCS case, following the arrest of accused Nida Khan. Shirsat alleges AIMIM is encouraging religious conversions and that Khan is part of a larger network.
The Bombay high court has granted interim bail to Shiv Sena leader Jaywant Parab till June 20, when the court will hear his application challenging a two-month imprisonment awarded to him for delivering hate speeches during the December 1992 communal riots in the city.
'If all of us (all the 57 Shiv Sena MLAs) stand together we can change the dynamic. We are not afraid of anyone.'
Flanked by his party MP Sanjay Raut, Uddhav received his cousin at the entrance of the Matoshree bungalow, one of the most recognised landmarks in Mumbai.
