Enthused by the strong showing in Delhi Assembly polls, the Aam Aadmi Party has decided to concentrate on the ensuing Lok Sabha and assembly elections in Mumbai and the rest of Maharashtra.
After being checkmated by the Rashtriya Janata Dal-Janata Dal-United-Congress alliance in the Bihar bypoll, Bharatiya Janata Party ally Shiv Sena on Tuesday said that the 'Mahayuti' needs to pull up its socks and refrain from gloating over the 'Modi wave' to fight the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections.
In an important decision ahead of the assembly polls, the Maharashtra government on Monday announced closure of 44 toll plazas, a move that comes in the backdrop of protests over levy of road tax in the state.
The Sena appeared firm on its demand that the chief minister's post should be shared by the two allies for two-and-a-half years each.
'What the interview with Modi told me was that now he is open to granting interviews.' 'And in this connection let me offer our credentials for being considered in this election season,' says Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
Sena MP Sanjay Raut, however, said his party was firm on a written assurance from the senior alliance partner over power sharing, including rotating CM's post for 2.5 years.
'When Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse called Hema Malini to Mantralaya and handed over a plot to set up a dance academy I felt there is some problem in it.'
The Shiv Sena on Thursday hit out at the Congress for describing Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat as 'Hitler' for his controversial 'Hindu nation' remarks saying it is the same party which appeased Muslims to derive political mileage while ignoring Hindus.
Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday termed as "unfortunate" Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan's decision to boycott Prime Minister Narendra Modi's programme in Nagpur and said Congress should introspect why people are "unhappy" with the state leadership.
Shiv Sena, a constituent of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance, on Monday defended Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's "Hindu nationalist" remark, saying the Janata Dal-United's decision to snap ties with the party was "wrong".
Taking potshots at senior Maharashtra Bharatiya Janata Party leader Gopinath Munde, the Shiv Sena on Monday said it will be Narendra Modi who will have the final word on the issue of chief ministerial candidate in the assembly polls.
BJP-Shiv Sena ties on Friday hit a new low with Uddhav Thackeray threatening to pull out of NDA if BJP "continues with its arrogance" even as one of his party ministers in Maharashtra government offered to quit, but it was dismissed as "drama" by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
A bench of Justices N V Ramana, Ashok Bhushan and Sanjiv Khanna also issued notices to the Centre and Maharashtra government on a petition filed by the Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress combine against the Maharashtra governor's decision to swear in Fadnavis as chief minister.
Shah said that no one objected when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and he publicly said that Devendra Fadnavis would be the chief minister if the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance wins the assembly polls in Maharashtra.
The Congress will only survive if it can transform into something more like the BJP used to be: A coalition of strong state leaders held together by shared ideology or personal loyalty, suggests Mihir S Sharma.
The comedian claimed that he had been paying Rs 15 crore as income tax for the past five years, but still had to pay Rs 5 lakh as a bribe to the Mumbai civic body - the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.
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.
'Whatever happens, we have decided to go alone.' 'This is the Shiv Sena's word and we will never go back on it.'
Pawar, who at 30 became the youngest chief minister of Maharashtra in 1978, will have to do a lot of heavy-lifting in the Maharashtra assembly polls, due by October, after severe setbacks in the Lok Sabha polls, reports Sunil Gatade.
Amit Shah is likely to be made poll in-charge in Congress-Nationalist Congress Party ruled-Maharashtra to repeat Uttar Pradesh's 'success'. Sanjay Jog reports
A pre-poll survey on Thursday projected Naredra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party sweeping Gujarat, Rajasthan and Karnataka and the party-led National Democratic Alliance giving a big jolt to ruling Congress-Nationalist Congress Party alliance in Maharashtra in the Lok Sabha elections.
Former BJP chief Nitin Gadkari on Monday met Raj Thackeray in Mumbai, triggering speculation that the saffron party is trying to win over the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief into the National Democratic Alliance for the upcoming elections even as he said there is no reason for Shiv Sena to be annoyed by his meeting with Raj.
BJP president Amit Shah's influence in the Narendra Modi cabinet revamp was evident from the inclusion of Jagat Prakash Nadda, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.
Riding on the Narendra Modi wave, the Bharatiya Janata Party has crossed the century mark in the state assembly polls in Maharashtra, a feat achieved last by the Congress party in 1990.
Sena chief has now put ball in BJP's court indicating that Shiv Sena's tiger is back to roar. Sanjay Jog reports
Modi and his corporate sector supporters have identified Maharashtra as a key state where the BJP-Shiv Sena can pick up more seats. In fact, it is estimated that if the Thackeray cousins join hands, the NDA partners can improve their tally from the present 23 seats by adding another eight to 10 Lok Sabha seats, reports Anita Katyal.
"If we had the numbers, we wouldn't have waited for anyone. The Congress and the NCP didn't cross the 100 mark...we will work as a responsible opposition," Pawar said.
There are limitations to milking national security, says Sanjeev Nayyar.
The Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena alliance looked set to return to power in Maharashtra while Haryana could be a cliffhanger with no clear majority for the BJP or the Congress, Election Commission trends indicated.
In the second phase on April 18, 97 seats,spread across 13 states and one Union Territory, will go to the polls.
With the BJP backing off from the race, the onus to form government now rests with the Sena, which has indicated that it might rope in the Congress and the NCP to prop up a government.
Lok Sabha elections result of 2019 tells us the Modi wave has only consolidated, instead of waning.
'Muslims have been observing namaaz for so many years.' 'The BJP wants to divide Hindus and Muslims for political gains.' 'This is happening in Haryana even though Muslims are only present in one district of Haryana.'
'When people in the Opposition join a ruling party, their intentions will always be looked down with suspicion.' 'The people who have been loyal to the party and have helped it strike roots feel wronged against when such instances happen.' 'They feel sidelined and neglected despite their loyalty to the party.'
Six persons allegedly involved in vandalising a cathedral premises and a Catholic school, where people had gathered for a religious convention, were arrested in the wee hours on Monday.
The Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena's much-awaited entry into the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party-Republican Party of India combine to forge a grand alliance in Maharashtra won't be a reality.
It's possible that to counter the onslaught of the saffron aggression in the upcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra, both Congress and NCP will checkmate Narendra Modi by pitting Sharad Pawar as the chief ministerial candidate. However, the Congress wants the NCP to merge first, and only then it will be ready to nominate Pawar. Sheela Bhatt reports.
Syed Firdaus Ashraf lists 10 ways in his life has improved under the first Modi Sarkar.
'Modi underestimated Pawar.'
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.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances