Disha Salian, former manager of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput, died on June 8, 2020, after falling off the 14th floor of a residential building in Mumbai's Malad area, six days before Rajput allegedly committed suicide in his apartment in Bandra.
Film folk and politicians spent Monday evening rubbing shoulders at the grand wedding reception of Vedant Birla, son of industrialist Yashovardhan (Yash) and Avanti Birla, and Tejal Kulkarni, Supriya and Sanjeev Kulkarni's daughter, at the luxurious St Regis hotel in central Mumbai.
The nearly 13-minute speech, with a booming voice resembling that of Bal Thackeray, began with his trademark opening line Jamlelya majhya tamam Hindu bandhavanu, baghinino ani matano (greetings to my Hindu brothers, sisters and mothers who have gathered here).
Shiv Sena minister Dada Bhuse claims that despite being Deputy CM, Eknath Shinde is still considered the Chief Minister in the hearts of the people and predicts he will lead the state again.
Congress leader Varsha Gaikwad announced the party's intention to contest the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections independently, signaling a potential strain within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance.
Data from the State Election Commission reveals that over 11 lakh voters in Mumbai have duplicate enrolments in the electoral roll. The SEC has extended the deadline for submitting objections, and opposition leaders have alleged irregularities in the voter list revision.
Salian visited the office of the joint commissioner of police (crime) in south Mumbai accompanied by his lawyer, days after he moved the Bombay high court seeking a fresh probe into the circumstances surrounding the death of his daughter and former manager of actor Sushant Rajput in June 2020.
He said that ruling party MLAs Manda Mhatre (BJP) and Sanjay Gaikwad (Shiv Sena) have also spoken about the duplication of voters and irregularities in the electoral rolls.
Maharashtra is set to hold local body elections on December 2 for municipal councils and nagar panchayats. The polls are seen as a test of the ruling coalition's strength after their recent assembly election victory.
The Sindhudurg police on Saturday registered an FIR against Nilesh Rane, an MLA of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, for "trespassing" into a BJP supporter's house. The Shiv Sena leader had 'raided' the BJP supporter's home and claimed to have found bags of cash meant for distribution to voters ahead of civic polls.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Saturday said officials responsible for registering documents should have refused to process agreements that were not permissible under the law and clearly informed the parties concerned about such limitations.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray criticized the BJP over the arrest of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and accused the party of corruption and divisive politics during his Dussehra rally.
Tensions between Shelar and Raj Thackeray escalated after the latter, in a public speech, used the term khokebahaddar for some MLAs.
Maharashtra BJP's chief spokesperson Keshav Upadhye has called on Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray to cancel his party's annual Dussehra rally and instead use the funds to provide relief to flood victims in the Marathwada region. Upadhye criticized Thackeray's past performance as chief minister and suggested that canceling the rally would demonstrate genuine concern for the affected population.
'In Independent India's politics you will not find any leader of a political party who has not contested elections or not held a powerful post.' 'It was only Balasaheb who never contested elections or held a post.' On the occasion of Balasaheb Thackeray's 99th birth anniversary, close aide Subhash Desai recalls vignettes about the Shiv Sena founder.
Maharashtra is set to hold local body elections for municipal councils and nagar panchayats, marking the first phase of a Supreme Court-mandated process. The elections are seen as a key indicator of political sentiment following the BJP-led Mahayuti's victory in the assembly elections.
Targeting Aaditya Thackeray on Thursday, Bharatiya Janata Party minister Nitesh Rane said as per the Supreme Court's past decisions, if a person is facing allegations of rape, he must be arrested.
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.
'...but in a time when we bid for the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, and when we invite investors too, to India, it is shameful to have such a pathetic mentality in the government.'
Most Shiv Sena ministers in Maharashtra's BJP-led government were absent from a cabinet meeting, signaling tensions over defections between the parties. Only Deputy CM Eknath Shinde attended. Sena ministers later met with the Chief Minister to express their displeasure.
'If all of us (all the 57 Shiv Sena MLAs) stand together we can change the dynamic. We are not afraid of anyone.'
An editorial in the Sena-UBT mouthpiece Saamana also claimed the possibility of rapprochement between Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray has rattled "Maharashtra baiters".
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.
Mumbai BJP president Ameet Satam stated that his party would not allow any "Khan" to become the mayor of Mumbai, later clarifying that he was referring to an "anti-national mentality" and not a specific community. He cited concerns about radical elements and appeasement politics.
The Opposition in Maharashtra boycotted the government's customary tea party on the eve of the Winter session, citing its failure to appoint leaders of the opposition (LoPs) in both houses of the state legislature.
Nurses at a Mumbai hospital allegedly threw books critical of religion at an official who gifted them, claiming the books hurt their religious sentiments. A video of the incident has gone viral.
"Religion should remain within the four walls of your home. A Hindu identifies as a Hindu only when Muslims take to the streets or during riots; otherwise, Hindus are divided by caste," he said.
A delegation of Opposition leaders in Maharashtra, including Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, and Raj Thackeray, met with the state's chief electoral officer to raise concerns about alleged irregularities in the poll process, particularly regarding the voters' list, ahead of local body elections.
'Every film had its challenges, but Mr India, Sadak and Gandhi were the toughest.' 'Mr India needed imagination, Sadak needed sensitivity and Gandhi demanded historical authenticity.'
A screening of Anurag Kashyap's crime thriller Nishaanchi starring Aaishvary Thackeray, Monika Panwar and Vedika Pinto was held on Thursday night.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met MNS head Raj Thackeray at the latter's residence in Mumbai on Monday. The purpose of the meeting was not immediately known. BJP MLC Prasad Lad confirmed the meeting, stating that Thackeray had invited Fadnavis to his residence. The meeting comes after Thackeray had criticized the ruling BJP in the past, raising questions about their actions and the outcome of the Maharashtra assembly elections.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has criticized the State Election Commission's decision to postpone some local body elections, calling it unfair to candidates. The decision follows petitions and sub judice matters, which Fadnavis argues should not halt the election process. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde also expressed disappointment, while tensions rise between BJP and Shiv Sena in Sindhudurg ahead of local polls.
The Congress party extends best wishes to the newly-elected Vice President of India, C P Radhakrishnan, while recalling the words of the first Vice President, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, on the importance of free criticism in a democracy.
'I have more time in Bengaluru to write, away from the film industry in Mumbai that always pulls me down and makes me frustrated.'
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued stop-work notices to 53 construction sites for contributing to air pollution in Mumbai. The civic body has also directed strict adherence to air pollution guidelines, including the use of AQI monitoring sensors. The Bombay High Court has also addressed the issue of air pollution in the city.
Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray chief Uddhav Thackeray and his cousin Raj Thackeray, who heads the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, came together at the wedding of the latter's nephew in Mumbai on Sunday.
Shiv Sena leader Shahajibapu Patil accuses the BJP of undermining him politically by supporting his rival in Sangola during the Maharashtra assembly elections. He claims the BJP helped PWP candidate Babasaheb Deshmukh despite his support for the BJP in the Lok Sabha election.
Shiv Sena-UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray visited MNS president Raj Thackeray on Ganesh Chaturthi, further fueling speculation of a potential alliance between the two parties ahead of local body elections.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) has demanded the Bharat Ratna for Shiv Sena founder late Bal Thackeray, calling for the highest civilian honor to be bestowed upon the late leader on the occasion of his 99th birth anniversary. Party leader Sanjay Raut criticized the BJP-led government for awarding the Bharat Ratna to individuals he deemed undeserving and argued that Thackeray, who he described as the "sower of Hindutva seeds," deserves the honor. Raut also emphasized the significance of Thackeray's upcoming birth centenary, asserting that awarding him the Bharat Ratna before the centenary would also be an honor for Veer Savarkar.
Following a defeat in the Bihar elections, opposition parties in India are calling for introspection and course correction, with some criticizing the concentration of power within their ranks.