The Maharashtra State Election Commission on Friday announced that Thursday, January 15, will be a public holiday in areas falling under the 29 municipal corporations where polling for civic elections will be held, an official said.
The Maharashtra Highway Traffic Police have advised motorists to avoid the Mumbai-Pune Expressway until regular traffic movement is restored.
The Shiv Sena has shifted its 29 members to a hotel in Mumbai, ostensibly for an orientation workshop to make them aware of the functioning of the country's richest civic body, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.
Polling for 2,869 seats spread across 893 wards in these municipal corporations began amid tight security at 7.30 am and will conclude at 5.30 pm. A total of 3.48 crore voters are eligible to decide the fate of 15,931 candidates.
Counting of votes has begun in the Maharashtra municipal corporation elections, with a focus on the Mumbai battle between the BJP-led alliance and the Thackeray factions.
A 19-year-old student in Thane, Maharashtra, allegedly committed suicide after being assaulted on a train for not speaking Marathi. Police are investigating the incident.
Elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and 28 other civic bodies in the state were held on January 15.
Breaking the nearly three-decade-old dominance of the undivided Shiv Sena, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday emerged victorious in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, and also vanquished the alliance of Nationalist Congress Party factions led by Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar in the Pune civic body.
Shinde also emphasised that Mumbai will have a Mahayuti mayor, dismissing reports of new political equations after the results of the civic polls were declared last week.
Parties in Maharashtra are engaged in intense negotiations to finalize seat sharing arrangements for the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections scheduled for January 15.
A BMC spokesperson said the average voter turnout stood at 29.96 per cent till 1.30 pm in the metropolis, which has more than 1 crore eligible electors.
'Marathi-speaking people of Mumbai have now emerged as a consolidated vote bank standing firmly behind the Thackerays.'
The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has ordered the shutdown of 19 ready mix concrete plants in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region for violating environmental guidelines and contributing to deteriorating air quality levels.
The incident occurred between Diva and Kopar railway stations when the overcrowded train was going towards Kasara, an official said.
'It would have polarised the Marathi-non Marathi divide further. 'Fadnavis had a very clear strategy: Let all Marathi people campaign for us (the BJP), and whatever results we get will be delivered by Marathi people only.'
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced plans for a vast underground tunnel network in Mumbai to ease traffic congestion, describing it as a 'Paatal Lok,' a parallel road system. The tunnel grid will cover the city in multiple directions, complementing existing arterial routes and Metro corridors. Several tunnel projects are under construction, including Thane-Borivali and Mulund-Goregaon, to improve east-west connectivity. An integrated Mumbai One app has been launched to enable a common ticket for various modes of transport.
Film stars arrived at polling booths in Mumbai to cast their votes in the ongoing Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. The elections are seen as crucial for major cities such as Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Nashik, and Pimpri-Chinchwad.
A Bangladeshi national, Shariful Islam Shehzad Mohammad Rohilla Amin Fakir (30), has been arrested for stabbing Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan at his residence in Mumbai. The Mumbai police apprehended the accused after a two-day manhunt with the help of a labour contractor who provided crucial information. The attacker was tracked down to a labour camp in Thane. Khan, who underwent emergency surgery, is recovering and may be discharged soon.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) are expected to announce an alliance for the upcoming Mumbai civic elections. The announcement is expected to be made at a press conference on Wednesday.
A Rapido bike taxi rider was arrested in Kalyan, Thane, for allegedly molesting a 26-year-old woman passenger and stealing Rs 1000 from her. The incident has also raised concerns about unauthorized bike taxi services and violations of transport regulations.
Most Shiv Sena ministers in Maharashtra's BJP-led government were absent from a cabinet meeting, signaling tensions over defections between the parties. Only Deputy CM Eknath Shinde attended. Sena ministers later met with the Chief Minister to express their displeasure.
A video surfaced showing an MNS office-bearer slapping a woman who allegedly made derogatory remarks about the Marathi language at Kalwa railway station in Thane. Police confirmed no complaint was filed as the matter was settled between the parties.
According to the police, the survivor, a resident of Mumbai's western suburbs, communicated in sign language during a video call with her friends and colleagues, who were part of a WhatsApp group, that the accused had drugged and raped her when she was a minor.
The Maharashtra government has requested information regarding the utilization of funds by the Vasantdada Sugar Institute (VSI), led by Sharad Pawar, prompting criticism from the NCP (SP). The government insists it's a routine process, while the opposition alleges political targeting.
Most CNG pumps, including those operated by Mahanagar Gas Limited (MGL), saw long queues from early morning, particularly of black-yellow taxis and autorickshaws, with several drivers reporting wait times of three to four hours, compared to the usual 15 to 30 minutes.
A court in Ahmedabad in Gujarat has directed the Congress and four of its leaders to remove a deep fake video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and industrialist Gautam Adani from social media platforms.
Following the car blast in Delhi, Maharashtra Police will re-examine major accidental fires, explosions, and blasts from the past three years to investigate potential anti-national or terrorist involvement.
'The stamina and junoon you see in him, for acting, singing, dancing, working out, just about everything, makes age just a number as far as Salman Khan is concerned.'
A Thane court acquitted a woman and her paramour accused of murdering her husband in 2018, citing insufficient evidence and failure by the prosecution to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt.
Votes will be counted on January 16 and the outcome will be keenly watched as the BJP-led Mahayuti will seek to stamp its supremacy in urban landscape, especially in Mumbai, while the Opposition parties will try to redeem themselves after last year's rout in assembly polls.
A massive traffic jam on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad National Highway in Maharashtra's Palghar district stranded more than 500 students and commuters for nearly 12 hours.
Israel's government has approved a proposal to bring all the remaining 5,800 Jews from India's north-east, commonly referred to as Bnei Menashe, over the next five years.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a 'red alert', warning of extremely heavy rainfall in Mumbai, Thane, Raigad and Palghar districts on Sunday, extending the wet patch in the region.
Two people died and three were injured after being hit by a suburban train near Sandhurst Road railway station in Mumbai. The incident occurred shortly after train services were disrupted due to a strike over an FIR against engineers in connection with a previous accident.
Maharashtra BJP MLA Gopichand Padalkar's alleged derogatory remarks about NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil and his parents sparked discontent among members of the opposition party, leading to protests and Sharad Pawar expressing his disapproval to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
A Central Railway probe concluded that a commuter's protruding backpack caused a train accident in Thane district in June, leading to the death of five people. The probe ruled out other causes such as technical fault or sabotage.
Maharashtra is set to hold local body elections for municipal councils and nagar panchayats, marking the first phase of a Supreme Court-mandated process. The elections are seen as a key indicator of political sentiment following the BJP-led Mahayuti's victory in the assembly elections.
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.
Diwali celebrations in Maharashtra would be incomplete without the making of the killa, a playful ritual rooted in tradition and creativity, where children and adults come together to craft miniature forts made using mud, sand and clay.
Dahi Handi celebrations in Mumbai were marked by fervor, injuries, and political campaigning ahead of local elections. One participant died, and several others were injured during the event.
