The last rites of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who died in a plane crash, were held with full state honors in Baramati. Prominent leaders and thousands of mourners attended the funeral.
The last rites of Vidip Jadhav, the Personal Security Officer to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who died in the Baramati plane crash, were performed in Satara district.
'I don't know if she is doing it willingly or not, but she is respecting the sentiments of the party.'
Maharashtra legislative council's privileges committee has summoned comedian Kunal Kamra and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare for a hearing over alleged insulting remarks against Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The hearing has been rescheduled to February 17 after both expressed their inability to attend the initial date.
Besides Bhujbal, who is currently the food and civil supplies minister, his son Pankaj, nephew Sameer, former MP Sanjay Kakade, were among the 46 individuals and entities who were cleared from the case by the court.
Ajit Pawar granted Rediff an interview in Baramati at 6 am. Why? 'To be a successful politician one needs to sleep less, and I never sleep for more than 4 hours' Ajit Pawar told Syed Firdaus Ashraf as Hitesh Harisinghani/Rediff captured the encounter on his camera.
Maharashtra minister's announcement regarding the disbursement of financial aid under the Ladki Bahin Yojana before Makar Sankranti has triggered a controversy, with the Opposition alleging a violation of the Model Code of Conduct ahead of municipal elections. The State Election Commission has sought a report on the matter.
Police have arrested sub-inspector Gopal Badane in connection with the alleged suicide of a woman government doctor in Maharashtra's Satara district, officials said.
A dispute has erupted between MVA allies Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress after the Sena (UBT) supported the BJP in the Chandrapur mayoral elections, leading to a BJP victory despite Congress being the single largest party.
The death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has created a leadership crisis within the NCP, raising questions about the party's future and potential reunification with the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP).
The Maharashtra government, led by CM Devendra Fadnavis, will petition the central government to rename IIT Bombay as IIT Mumbai, following controversy over a Union minister's remarks on the institute's name. The move comes amid political tensions and concerns about the city's identity.
The Bombay High Court on Thursday lashed out at the Maharashtra government over the threat given by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena about displaying the Marathi signboard on the shops and establishments in the metropolis.The division bench, consisting of Justices J N Patel and K K Tated, while hearing the petition, asked the state government to provide details of the preventive action the state has taken in response to the MNS deadline for Marathi signboards, which ended today.
Naming an airport after Guru Ravidas is not just about a name, it shows that Dalit communities want respect, equal treatment, and freedom from unfair caste rules in religion and society.
Elections for municipal councils and nagar panchayats in Maharashtra are scheduled for December 2, according to the State Election Commissioner. The schedule for other local bodies will be announced later.
The Supreme Court has directed the Maharashtra government and its state election commission to conduct local body elections, clarifying that the results will be subject to the court's final verdict, especially concerning the 50% quota limit. The court will hear pleas regarding OBC reservation in local bodies in January 2026.
HC raps Maharashtra government again over MNS violence. "Why no chargesheets have been filed against any of the offenders?" division bench of Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice S A Bobde asked. "Keep the senior officer in charge of the probe present in the court next Wednesday (December 10)," ordered the high court.
The BJP protesters, carrying placards and raising slogans, slammed the Congress and its leader, Rahul Gandhi, calling them "traitors" for allegedly tarnishing the nation's image.
Residents of Ahmedabad recall the Air India crash of June 2025 after news of the Baramati plane crash involving Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar. The earlier tragedy, which killed hundreds, remains a painful memory for those who witnessed it and lost loved ones.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others were killed after their aircraft crashed in Baramati on January 28, 2026. Here are 11 other prominent Indians who died in air crashes.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused the Congress of handing over Assam's land to infiltrators for votes during its rule in the northeastern state.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her ninth consecutive Union Budget, focusing on investments and growth. The speech was marked by its business-like approach and lack of cultural references, while opposition members raised concerns about regional representation.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleges 'vote chori' amid controversy over the quality of indelible ink used in Maharashtra civic polls. The Election Commission has launched a probe into the matter.
'If the BJP had contested all 227 seats, I believe they would have managed to secure a majority on their own.'
Shiv Sena and NCP form an alliance with an independent member to stake claim to rule the Ambernath Municipal Council, keeping the BJP away from power.
Three migrant workers from West Bengal were allegedly assaulted in Maharashtra after being suspected of being 'Bangladeshis' for speaking Bengali. The workers claim they were confronted, assaulted, and had their identity questioned despite showing Aadhaar cards.
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.
'The writing is on the wall for both Shinde and Ajit Pawar.'
Despite forging an alliance with the faction led by his uncle, Nationalist Congress Party chief and Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday failed to protect the party's traditional bastions of Pune and neighbouring Pimpri-Chinchwad, as the Bharatiya Janata Party decimated both the NCPs in the municipal corporation elections.
Twelve newly-elected councillors in the Ambernath Municipal Council, suspended by the Congress for joining a post-poll front led by the BJP, have formally joined the saffron party. The Congress criticized the BJP, highlighting the hypocrisy of welcoming defectors despite the Chief Minister's disapproval of the alliance.
Uddhav Thackeray asserts that his alliance with MNS chief Raj Thackeray is permanent, dismissing speculation about their unity ahead of civic elections.
The Supreme Court has asked the filmmakera and Whistling Woods to vacate 14.5 acre of land immediately.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat cast his vote in the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) polls and commented on the NOTA option, stating it indirectly helps promote an unwanted candidate.
'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 Bombay High Court has refused to grant an interim stay on the Maharashtra government's decision to issue Kunbi caste certificates to Maratha community members with OBC antecedents. Petitions challenging the decision were filed by OBC individuals, but the court declined immediate relief, pending a response from the government.
'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.
Whichever combination finally emerges, Malegaon could set a record for being a town run neither by Maharashtra's ruling Mahayuti, nor by the Opposition MVA, but by a combination of two or three Muslim parties.
Ajit Pawar, who was the finance and planning minister, would have tabled his budget for 2026-27 next month when the state legislature's budget session begins in Mumbai on February 23.
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.
'Now there is no fight between us (Thackerays); now the fight is with them.'
The Supreme Court has suggested that the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) consider establishing gaushalas (cowsheds) under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to care for stray animals entering highways. The court also expressed dissatisfaction with several states' efforts to manage stray dog populations and suggested developing an app to report stray animal sightings.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances