The talks about the reunification had already started when Ajit Pawar was alive. In fact, the two parties even contested the civic polls in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad together.
NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar was admitted to a private hospital in Pune after experiencing cough and breathing difficulties. Doctors are evaluating his condition.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday trounced the opposition including the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party and Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar by winning decisive mandates in Pune and neighbouring Pimpri Chinchwad in the civic polls, retaining power in both municipal corporations.
With Ajit Pawar's passing, the 40 MLAs who remain will now have to decide whether they want to continue in Mahayuti in the company of the BJP and Shiv Sena -- or return to the Sharad Pawar fold.
Post-monsoon rains continued to lash Pune and most parts of western Maharashtra on Wednesday, affecting normal life and damaging crops. The city recorded 75 mm rains till Tuesday night, accompanied by strong winds, Medha Khole, director of Meteorological office, said. According to the Directorate of Agriculture, heavy downpour in Kolhapur, Sangli and Satara districts have adversely affected crops like grapes and cotton.Vehicular traffic was badly affected in the city.
'No, India and China were not about to go to all-out war over a few rocks of Galwan.' 'The full picture of what went on at the highest level between two heads of State will not be known for a very, very long time and rightly so,' points out Colonel Anil A Athale, former head of the history division, ministry of defence.
Over 20,000 people were evacuated to safer places in these three districts. State capital Mumbai too witnessed water-logging in many areas after overnight rains on Thursday.
India's electric passenger vehicle (ePV) market has expanded sharply over the past five years, with registrations rising from just 3,252 units in 2020 to about 170,000 in 2025. Throughout this scale-up, southern states have remained the bedrock of adoption, consistently contributing around one-third of national electric vehicle (EV) registrations - emphasising the region's role as the structural backbone of India's EV transition.
The Maharashtra government plans to introduce a stringent anti-conversion law in the winter session of the legislature, with provisions stricter than those in other states.
The Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana has joined the saffron alliance in Maharashtra. Will the votes it brings to the table loosen the political hold of the entrenched Maratha-dominated sugar barons of the NCP-Congress in western Maharashtra?
Developed to meet the growing transportation needs of modern India, the fully AC Vande Bharat sleeper train would offer passengers an "airline-like travel experience at economical fares," a statement issued by the PMO stated.
Mumbai recorded its strongest housing market performance in 14 years in 2025, with property registrations rising to 150,254, amid a sustained end-user demand and supportive supply-side ecosystem, according to Knight Frank India.
'You've got to understand it is not easy to die by suicide.' 'People commit suicide only when they lose everything and find no other way to live.'
Screenings of the Marathi film 'Manache Shlok' were disrupted in Maharashtra due to objections to the title. The director, Mrunmayee Deshpande, expressed disappointment, and the film will be re-released with a new title. Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant criticized the protests.
Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS release a joint manifesto for Mumbai civic polls, promising free power, allowances for domestic helps, and property tax waivers.
'From every point of view, they have faced an extremely difficult couple of years, and the setback they have suffered is irreversible.' 'This reality has begun to set in even amongst the top-level cadres. That is why, in recent times, we have witnessed a huge number of senior-level cadres emerging from the jungle and deciding to renounce violence and join the mainstream.'
Mumbai police have arrested Mohammed Salim Mohammed Suhail Shaikh, a key accused in a Rs 252-crore mephedrone seizure case, after his deportation from Dubai. Shaikh, known as 'Lavish,' is a member of an international drug syndicate and managed the supply and distribution chain from Dubai.
Relatives of a woman doctor who committed suicide in Maharashtra are demanding capital punishment for the men she accused of rape and harassment in a note. The case involves a police officer and allegations of political pressure to alter medical reports.
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.
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.
The winters could be cooler in the plains due to the prevailing La Nina conditions though it does not have a direct relationship and also due to influence of the polar vortex.
The ruling Mahayuti alliance bagged 53 of the 70 assembly seats in the region.
'These Marathas are farmers and they only do farming. They have no other business other than farming. Now, they want reservations because farming is no longer a profitable business.'In this interview, veteran farmers' rights advocate and founding member of the Shetkari Sanghatna, Vijay Jawandhia, with Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff unpacks the historical and structural roots of the agitation.
However, these are understood to be exploratory talks, with an agreement unlikely to be formalised during the current visit.
'Tourists from long-haul markets such as the US, UK, and Western Europe are especially sensitive to such news, and short-term cancellations or postponements of planned trips can be expected.'
The Bihar chief minister had a point to prove in the latest assembly elections, which were held amid speculations of a fatigue factor, if not downright anti-incumbency, made worse by rumours of his indifferent health.
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.
Ten women died and 30 others were injured after a pick-up van carrying them to a temple fell into a gorge in Pune district. The accident occurred due to the vehicle's failure to climb an incline, possibly due to overloading. PM Modi and CM Fadnavis announced compensation for the victims' families.
Maharashtra Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar has directed the MMRDA to scrap the proposed Bollywood theme park project under a Metro rail corridor following opposition from citizens groups. The funds will be diverted to other priority development projects.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Phase 1 of the 19,650 crore (196.50 billion) Navi Mumbai International Airport, marking a major milestone in India's aviation infrastructure. Conceived as the country's largest greenfield airport project, the facility has been developed under the public-private partnership model and will function as the second international airport for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, easing pressure on the congested Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. The new airport is expected to significantly improve air connectivity for Mumbai and its adjoining regions, catalyse economic growth in Navi Mumbai and Raigad districts, and serve as a key hub for passenger and cargo traffic in western India.
But selectively, with regulatory scrutiny and special approval, points out Tamal Bandyopadhyay.
The GR says that shops and commercial establishments may remain open on all days of the week, provided that every employee is allowed a continuous rest period of at least 24 hours in a week.
In his applications filed before the National Human Rights Commission as well as Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission on Friday, Abdul Wahid Shaikh also requested support for rehabilitation.
'Nawaz's character was created around Vikram Betaal.' 'Betaal was a little more gimmicky, funny; he would laugh at you, tease you.' 'That's why I made Nawaz very quirky.'
Incessant rains and water-logging slowed down traffic in Mumbai, with the IMD issuing a 'red alert', predicting very heavy showers in the city and neighbouring areas. Commuters faced water accumulation on tracks and delays in local train services.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts above-normal rainfall for India in September, following a monsoon season marked by heavy downpours and related disasters in various regions. The forecast indicates normal to above-normal rainfall for most areas, with some exceptions in the northeast, east, extreme south peninsular India, and parts of northwest India.
'What must the Indian Air Force pilots -- who destroyed terror bases in Pakistan using BrahMos missiles' -- be thinking?'
The Army unit deployed in Ashti successfully evacuated 40 people with the help of an NDRF team and other agencies.
IMD data shows in the 24 hours between September 1 and 2, Haryana received 806 per cent more rainfall than normal, Punjab 759 per cent, Himachal Pradesh 510 per cent, Delhi 740 per cent, Chandigarh a staggering 1,638 per cent, and Rajasthan 193 per cent.
'The BJP will win comfortably if the Congress and AAP fight separately -- though not with 162 seats.' 'But if they form an alliance, it will become a major problem for the BJP. That's precisely why this expansion is happening now.'
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances