The opposition Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) conceded defeat in the elections to municipal councils and nagar panchayats, accusing the election commission of 'facilitating' the victory of the ruling Mahayuti alliance.
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.
A native of Mandangad in coastal Ratnagiri district, the Songhare family had moved to Mumbai for work and shifted to Dombivli two years ago.
Maharashtra Minister Nitesh Rane has sparked outrage with his controversial remarks calling for Hindus to ask the religion of shopkeepers before buying from them, following the Pahalgam terror attack. Rane's comments, delivered at a gathering in Dapoli town, have been widely condemned as divisive and inflammatory. His call for Hindu organizations to demand such a practice has raised concerns about potential communal tensions and prejudice. Rane's remarks also referenced Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and urged Hindus to only buy from other Hindus, further fueling anxieties about communal harmony.
Maharashtra has witnessed 823 incidents of communal unrest since January this year, with demands for the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb and the spread of distorted facts on social media fomenting fresh trouble. Districts like Nandurbar, Pune (Rural), Ratnagiri, Sangli, Beed, and Satara have seen communal unrest in recent days due to right-wing organizations' demands for the demolition of the Mughal emperor's tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The state witnessed 4,836 Hindu-Muslim related communal crimes in 2024, with 170 incidents classified as cognisable and 3,106 as non-cognisable cases. The violence in Nagpur, triggered by protests demanding the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb, highlights the role of social media in spreading inflammatory content and instigating people. While the state has taken measures to curb the spread of misinformation, concerns remain over the impact on communities and the need for promoting peace and understanding.
'When we reached there only a small portion of the boat was above water and people were desperately clinging on to it.'
'Those seeking short-term benefits are joining the Shinde-led Sena and the ones looking at long-term benefits are joining the BJP.'
The Maharashtra Assembly elections witnessed the continued influence of political dynasties, with prominent families retaining their strongholds across the state. The Thackareys and the Ranes emerged as dominant forces, securing victories in various regions. The Rane brothers, Nilesh and Nitesh, won in Sindhudurg, while Uday and Kiran Samant secured victories in Ratnagiri. In Mumbai, Aaditya Thackeray retained his Worli seat, while his cousin Varun Sardesai won in Vandre East. The results underscore the enduring power of family connections in Indian politics.
'Women and children were crying desperately for help.' 'We had to save them first.'
Their lists show that a significant number of contenders are closely related to the current ministers, legislators or MPs, including their sons or daughters, wives and brothers or sisters.
Heavy rains lashed Mumbai and its suburbs on Thursday, causing waterlogging on roads in some areas that led to traffic snarls and also delayed local train operations.
Local train services came to a halt between Badlapur and Ambarnath section in Maharashtra's Thane district adjoining Mumbai due to water-logging on railway tracks after heavy rains, officials said.
The name of the successful bidder was not disclosed.
Sharad Pawar on Wednesday said the Maharashtra government should hold a dialogue with local villagers who are opposing a refinery project in the coastal Ratnagiri district.
A section of residents in and around Barsu have been opposing the proposed refinery as they fear the mega project will adversely affect the fragile biodiversity of the coastal Konkan region and also hit their livelihood.
'Today we know of many X, Y, and Z persons as urban Naxals but can we call these people as such?' 'No, we cannot because we don't have a legal framework for doing that.'
"If the Union government can send probe (agency) officials to the houses of (former Jharkhand CM) Soren and (Delhi CM) Kejriwal,?"
The ex-CM said he had the honesty to face the protesters. He said the government should hold a dialogue with locals before coming up with any project.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut admitted on Wednesday that Uddhav Thackeray, as the chief minister of Maharashtra, had suggested an alternative site at Barsu in coastal Ratnagiri district for a refinery project, but if locals oppose it then his party will back them.
The police on Friday detained Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Vinayak Raut at Barsu village in Maharashtra's Ratnagiri district after he joined a section of local people in their protest against the proposed oil refinery project there, triggering chaos at the site for some time, officials said.
Date, a 1990 Indian Police Service officer of the Maharashtra cadre who once sold newspapers in Pune to financially support his family, was honoured with the President's Police medal for gallantry for his role in what has come to be known as the 26/11 attack.
The Customs department suspects that the contraband, which originated from Afghanistan and Pakistan, had either fallen or was dumped by foreign vessels for the purpose of smuggling, he said.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said that some leaders often seen at agitations are a part of the Barsu refinery protests and they have inputs that a group trying to create disruptions in the state is also playing a role there to defame the state government.
'When you take up a religion or religious issue in an election, it creates a different type of environment and it is not a good thing'
The Mumbai Police on Tuesday registered a first information report (FIR) against Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray MLC and former Maharashtra minister Anil Parab and four others for allegedly assaulting and threatening a civic engineer, an official said.
The accident took place at 4.45 am near Repoli village in Raigad, located more than 130 km from Mumbai. The victims, all relatives, were going in the van to Guhagar town in Ratnagiri district, Superintendent of Police Somnath Gharge said.
Amid protests against a proposed oil refinery in Maharashtra's Ratnagiri district, state industries minister Uday Samant on Tuesday said the current site for the mega project was suggested by then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, while the Opposition urged the government to stop soil survey work and be sensitive in handling the situation arising out of the agitation.
Officials hint the visit could finally see a formal defence industrial road map being adopted by both nations.
Rediff readers tell us how they are celebrating Ganeshotsav this year.
"When BJP was untouchable in politics, Balasaheb Thackeray stood by that party," Uddhav said.
He was not given any ministerial post when the Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi was in power (from November 2019 to June 2022) and was apparently sulking.
Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Monday sacked senior leader Ramdas Kadam and former MP Anandrao Adsul for indulging in 'anti-party' activities.
South African umpire Allahudien Paleker is having a fine Test debut in the ongoing second match of the series against India at the Wanderers in Johannesburg, but very few know that his family has its roots in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra.
More than 100 women were among the protesters who tried to block a road in Barsu and Solgaon areas of the district, around 400km from Mumbai, by lying on the ground to stop government vehicles from entering the proposed site of the refinery, he said.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday said the proposed refinery project at Barsu village in Ratnagiri district will not be implemented without the local people's consent, and appealed for calm in the area.
The agency also recovered an electronic circuit used in making explosives from the rented flat of the terror suspects in Pune's Kondhwa area along with 500 GB data from the devices, he said.
While Narvekar represents Colaba assembly constituency in Mumbai, Salvi is the MLA from Rajapur segment in Ratnagiri district.
He said the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance of three parties -- Sena-UBT, Congress and Nationalist Congress Party -- was formed to protect democracy and it was necessary to work unitedly for it.
Sachin Tendulkar's timely help has helped Dipti Vishvasrao from Maharashtra's Ratnagiri district pursue her dreams of becoming a doctor.
Parts of Raigad, Ratnagiri districts in the coastal Konkan region and Kolhapur district in western Maharashtra, have been worst affected by the floods. Besides that, heavy rains have been pounding parts of Satara district.
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