Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced the formation of a committee of women legislators to amend laws and ensure effective implementation against harassment and religious conversion in the corporate sector. This decision follows an incident at a TCS unit in Nashik involving alleged exploitation and forced conversion, which is currently under SIT investigation. Probes have also been ordered into similar complaints at a Spanish multinational in Pune and a government ITI in Solapur, highlighting a broader issue of workplace misconduct.
The Election Commission of India has told the Supreme Court it passed a "well-reasoned" order recognising the Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led faction as the real Shiv Sena and allotting to it the original 'bow and arrow' symbol in its quasi-judicial capacity.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar also ruled out any alliance with the Sena.
According to the final tally, the BJP won 1,425 out of a total 2,869 seats, Shiv Sena 399, Congress 324, NCP 167, Shiv Sena-UBT 155, NCP-SP 36, MNS 13, BSP 6, parties registered with the SEC 129, unrecognised parties 196, and 19 independents.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered probes into multiple allegations of sexual harassment and forced religious conversion at a Spanish multinational in Pune, a government-run ITI in Solapur, and a TCS unit in Nashik. The CM highlighted a pattern of such incidents in corporate firms and suggested forming a panel of women legislators to review existing laws and recommend improvements.
'If we have to join the government we will have to first decide upon the CMP.' 'Nothing can be decided without having a CMP first.'
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has nominated corporator Ritu Tawade for the Mumbai mayor election, while its ally Shiv Sena declared Sanjay Ghadi as its candidate for the deputy mayor's post.
'I don't think there will be many problems after the assembly election results.'
The ruling Shiv Sena on Wednesday announced the candidature of Sachin Ahir and Aamshya Padvi for the upcoming Maharashtra legislative council polls as it decided against renominating senior leader and state minister Subhash Desai and another party veteran Diwakar Raote for the election to the upper house of the state legislature.
The Congress party has announced its support for Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar as the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Maharashtra.
Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday said senior Nationalist Congress Party leader Chhagan Bhujbal would have become the chief minister of Maharashtra had he not quit the Sena.
The BJP and Shiv Sena are leading in the early trends of the Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti polls in Maharashtra. Counting began on Monday morning for elections to 12 Zilla Parishads and 125 Panchayat Samitis.
A team of tax department officials is undertaking the raids against Jadhav, also the chairman of the BMC standing committee, since early morning, they said.
The strategic move will also bolster the BJP's push to decimate Uddhav Thakceray-led party by depriving it of its pet Hindutva and ethnic sub-nationalism plank.
Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra appeared before the Maharashtra legislative council's privileges committee regarding alleged remarks against Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The hearing was rescheduled to March 10 due to the absence of the main complainant.
BJP candidate Arun Lakhani, contesting the Maharashtra legislative council elections, addresses the unique situation of his son's marriage to Supriya Sule's daughter, emphasising the separation of politics and family ties.
'We formed the government without the Shiv Sena and it will remain stable.'
Opposing the demand for a separate state of Vidarbha, Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said Maharashtra should get Marathi-speaking areas of Belgaum and adjoining areas in Karnataka. "The government should remove the injustice done to Maharashtra by giving it Belgaum-Karwar areas where the Marathi-speaking populace is being oppressed," Uddhav said in a statement. "As long as the Shiv Sena is there, no one will be allowed to divide Maharashtra," he said
After former Shiv Sena MP Pradeep Jaiswal, ex-MLA of BJP from Latur, Shivaji Patil Kavekar, has resigned from the party with his supporters. Similar revolts had been reported from Nanded, Beed and Hingoli districts also.
The dramatic development marked the culmination of a revolt that began with allegations of forged signatures on a letter proposing a Leader of Opposition and snowballed into an open challenge to the party leadership following the TMC's defeat at the hands of the BJP in the assembly elections.
'We have not decided yet if we will be joining hands with the BJP and, if so, what kind of ministries will be distributed among the rebel MLAs'
Shiv Sena is confident that Prime Minister Narendra Modi won't join hands with a "Naturally Corrupt Party". Prasanna D Zore reports
The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction on Tuesday claimed the Bharatiya Jantea Party candidate Murji Patel withdrew from the Andheri East Assembly bypoll contest after realising that his defeat was imminent.
After Uddhav Thackeray hit out at All-India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, his party Shiv Sena on Tuesday stepped up attack on the Hyderabad-based outfit, accusing it of poisoning the minds of minority community and demanded that Maharashtra government take strict action against it.
A Shiv Sena MLA's controversial statement comparing Marathi people to a mother and North Indians to an aunt has triggered widespread criticism and protests in Maharashtra, leading to an apology and reigniting the Marathi vs. Hindi debate.
The Election Commission is learnt to have given the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena 15 more days to submit documents in support of its claim on the party's election symbol.
The Shiv Sena on Sunday claimed that its activists will hold protests at Jaipur and Mohali and not allow the Pakistani cricket team to play in the ongoing Champions Trophy.
Seven candidates are in the fray for six Upper House seats from Maharashtra that will go to polls.
MNS chief Raj Thackeray met Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray to finalize seat-sharing arrangements for the upcoming civic polls. The meeting occurred as the deadline for filing nominations ended. The alliance aims to challenge the BJP and Shinde-led Shiv Sena in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections.
Large number of Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena workers clashed on Thursday outside the Old Custom House in South Mumbai when respective party candidates Arvind Sawant and Aditya Shirodkar reached there to file their nominations.
Even though MLAs are required to show their ballot to respective party whips before casting their vote, all parties have ensured their MLAs are housed in five star hotels closer to the Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha where voting will take place on June 10.
Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray was on Thursday admitted to a hospital in Mumbai after he complained of fever, hospital sources said. The 82-year-old Sena patriarch was admitted to Lilavati Hospital in suburban Bandra at 2 pm, they said. All the necessary tests are being conducted, the sources said.
The Nashik unit of the Shiv Sena on Monday demanded resignation of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar over his insensitive remarks over drought, which has ravaged over a dozen districts in the state.
Security arrangements were on Monday tightened in the luxury hotel near Guwahati where rebel Maharashtra MLAs led by Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde are camping as advocates, senior police and government officials were seen entering there.
The Supreme Court said on Thursday that once a government is democratically elected in accordance with law, there is a presumption that it enjoys the confidence of the house and there must exist some objective material to dislodge this presumption.
Kamlakar Jamsandikar, represented the Mohili Village-Ghatkopar Asalpha ward in the Corporation.
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.
Prakash Mahajan, brother of late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan, has been appointed Shiv Sena spokesperson and a deputy leader.
The Maharashtra legislature witnessed widespread protests as Opposition legislators accused the government of failing to prevent examination paper leaks, including the recent Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) and NEET. Senior leaders alleged links between those behind the leaks and the BJP, demanding a comprehensive investigation into the examination process and government accountability.
Commenting on Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde's statement that coal block allocation scam would be soon forgotten, Shiv Sena on Sunday said he articulated 'attitude' of the United Progressive Alliance government.