Latest Updates on Devendra Fadnavis

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday appealed to the people to turn out in large numbers to vote in the civic polls, saying widespread participation was key to building better cities. Speaking to reporters after exercising his franchise in the Nagpur Municipal Corporation polls, Fadnavis said not voting amounts to a dereliction of responsibility. Voting was underway on Thursday for 29 municipal corporations in the state, including Mumbai and Nagpur. "I appeal to everyone to come out and vote to create better cities," he said. Fadnavis slammed the Opposition for casting doubts on institutions like the State Election Commission. "They should write a new script and stop practising what they will speak tomorrow after defeat. Our win is sure in all the 29 corporations," the senior BJP leader said. Fadnavis also said that the Opposition's criticism of the Printing Auxiliary Display (PAD) units during the civic elections was unnecessary, and asserted that the machine

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said his government will not release the January instalment under the 'Ladki Bahin Yojana' for eligible women in advance in compliance with a directive from the State Election Commission (SEC). Practice so far has been to give an advance instalment during major festivals to poorer women under the Ladki Bahin Yojana, but monthly stipend under the scheme (Rs 1,500) will now be credited in their accounts after January 16, the day when votes polled in 29 civic corporations are counted, he told reporters in Pune. The SEC on Monday barred the government from releasing the January instalment under the scheme (Rs 1,500) in advance, citing the enforcement of the model code of conduct for the January 15 elections to 29 municipal corporations in the state. The SEC's clarification came after it received several complaints following media reports claiming that beneficiaries of the scheme would receive Rs 3,000 - covering the December and ..

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said the state government will request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to lay the foundation stone of the Dharavi slum redevelopment project in Mumbai. Talking to reporters here on Saturday evening, Fadnavis said his government was committed to the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP) and all eligible persons will get homes of 350 sq ft. "We will request PM Modi to lay the foundation stone of the Dharavi Redevelopment Project," he said. The project last year released its first eligibility list, with over 75 per cent of tenement holders qualifying for new homes under the ambitious slum redevelopment scheme. All bona fide residents who settled in Dharavi before January 1, 2000, are eligible for a 350 sq ft flat within Dharavi. All such residents will qualify for the resettlement unless they do not provide documents, according to data released by the DRP. Those who settled between January 1, 2000, and January 1, 2011, may receive 300 sq ft

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday took a veiled dig at his deputy Ajit Pawar by claiming opponents were venting out their frustration and anger due to the development work done by the BJP. They are trying to divert focus from development to issues that create unnecessary debate and disputes since they have nothing to show by way of work, Fadnavis said at a rally in Pimpri Chinchwad, where polls are scheduled for January 15. Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party is part of the BJP-led Mahayuti but the two parties are fighting the Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad civic polls separately. In a series of press conferences, the Deputy CM has claimed that irregularities and corruption had curtailed the development of Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad. The BJP ruled the two civic bodies between 2017 and 2022 before the state government appointed administrators. BJP's Bhosari MLA Mahesh Landge had hit back at Pawar, leading to a war of words between the two Mahayuti allies. Pacifying .

Former Maharashtra Director General of Police (DGP) Rashmi Shukla had recommended registration of an FIR against Sanjay Pandey, a former top cop, and two others over an alleged conspiracy to implicate Devendra Fadnavis and Eknath Shinde in a false case in 2016, sources said on Saturday. Reacting to the reports, BJP leaders demanded a thorough investigation to find out at whose instance Pandey, who was director general of police during the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government, was acting. Before she retired on January 3, Shukla submitted a report in this regard to the home department based on an inquiry conducted by a Special Investigation Team (SIT), sources said. The report suggested that then DGP Sanjay Pandey, Deputy Commissioner of Police Laxmikant Patil and Assistant Commissioner of Police Sardar Patil were involved in a conspiracy to implicate Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis (who was then Leader of Opposition in the assembly) as well as current deputy CM Shinde

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has shared a comprehensive action plan for Thane and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), pledging to ease traffic congestion and complete key Metro projects within five years. Speaking at a chat show here on Wednesday night as part of the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) campaign for the Thane Municipal Corporation polls scheduled on January 15, Fadnavis outlined a future defined by seamless connectivity and sustainable infrastructure. Fadnavis expressed his government's commitment to resolving the traffic congestion that plagues the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). He said the government aims to complete all major Metro works by 2030. There are plans to link the Coastal Road into a "ring" to divert heavy traffic outside the city limits, he said. To address the bottleneck on Thane's arterial Ghodbunder Road, the CM announced the development of a "growth hub" at Kolshet-Diva, which will feature water taxi services. Addressing one of th

BJP has entered post-poll alliances with Congress and AIMIM in some Maharashtra civic bodies, triggering political backlash. Chief Minister Fadnavis denied approving such tie-ups and warned of action

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday urged the State Election Commission to cancel results in 68 civic wards where ruling Mahayuti nominees were declared winners unopposed, saying uncontested victories effectively rob 'Gen Z' and first-time voters of their voting right. Sharing the stage with MNS chief Raj Thackeray to unveil their joint manifesto for the upcoming polls to the Mumbai civic body, Uddhav warned that democracy must not be overrun by "mobocracy. Referring to the uncontested victories in the run-up to the January 15 elections, Uddhav said, "If the SEC has courage, it should cancel elections where candidates were chosen unopposed and initiate the poll process again in those civic wards. The unopposed election of candidates is akin to denying voters, especially the 'GenZ' electorate, the chance to exercise their franchise, he added. The former chief minister launched a scathing attack on the Mahayuti government, saying that since his government was dislodged a

HRAWI has sought a limited extension for excise-licensed hotels and restaurants to serve till 5 am on December 24, 25 and 31, seeking clarity for planning and crowd management

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said the BJP has set a record in local body polls with 48 per cent of councillors winning on the party symbol, and its candidates elected as presidents in 129 municipal councils. He attributed the Mahayuti alliance's success in the municipal council and nagar panchayat elections to the BJP organisation and development agenda of the government. Counting of votes for elections to the posts of president and members in 286 municipal councils and nagar panchayats held in two phases began in the morning. Fadnavis said the BJP has once again emerged as the single largest party. "48 per cent councillors have been elected on the BJP symbol, which is a record. The BJP has created another record with 3,300 councillors being elected from the party. "BJP candidates have been elected as presidents in 129 municipal councils. In 75 per cent of the local bodies, Mahayuti nominees have been elected as municipal presidents," he said. Fadnavis .

Maharashtra minister Ashish Shelar on Saturday told the legislative council that the state government was "not happy" with Union minister Jitendra Singh's remark made last month on not changing IIT Bombay's name to IIT Mumbai. The state government is not just unhappy, but it has written a letter to the Centre expressing its opinion on it, Shelar, who is Minister of Cultural Affairs, said. Shelar, who belongs to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was replying to a query raised by Shiv Sena (UBT) member Anil Parab about the government's stand on Singh's statement. Addressing a function in the last week of November, Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Science and Technology, said, "As far as IIT Bombay is concerned, thank God it still is this name. You have not changed it to Mumbai. So that's another compliment to you. And also true for Madras. It remains IIT Madras." The remark invited a sharp reaction from Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, who said it shows the

Maharashtra BJP president Ravindra Chavan on Friday said that senior leaders of their party have directed that an alliance must be forged at any cost ahead of the major municipal corporation elections which are to be held before January 31. We have been clearly told by the seniors that there should be an alliance at any cost before the civic polls, Chavan said, adding that the matter has been discussed at length by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, who also heads the Shiv Sena. Chavan said elections to 29 municipal corporations, including the Mumbai civic body, are likely to be held in January, while the Zilla Parishad polls may get delayed as the matter is currently before the high court. He said Fadnavis had asked him to hold another round of discussions, following which he met Shinde at the latter's residence on Thursday night. We have created some committees in municipal corporations. But in Mumbai or Thane, seniors have already decided to have an ...

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said asset manager Brookfield Properties is set to invest over USD 1 billion to create a global capability centre (GCC) facility in the state. Fadnavis said he held discussions with key Brookfield executives, and they've zeroed in on creating a 2 million sq ft GCC facility, which will be the largest in Asia, and perhaps the world as well. The facility will create over 15,000 direct jobs and support another 30,000 jobs indirectly, Fadnavis said. "It (investment) will be more than USD 1 billion. One single project will create 45,000 jobs," Fadnavis told reporters on the sidelines of an event here. A formal agreement between the government and the asset manager will be filed in due course, he added. In May this year, Brookfield Asset Management aims to more than triple its assets under management in India to USD 100 billion over the next five years. Overall, the firm's AUM in India, where it has been present for 15 years, is around USD 30 .

The original Lokayukta Bill was passed by the Assembly on 28 December 2022 and by the Legislative Council on 15 December 2023, before being sent to the President for assent

Fadnavis issued the instructions while reviewing works of the Ports Development Department at a meeting held in the ministerial council hall of Vidhan Bhavan in Nagpur

Veteran socialist leader and prominent activist Dr Baba Adhav, a towering figure in Maharashtra's labour and social justice movements, passed away in Pune on Monday evening at the age of 95

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis described the incident as "extremely tragic" and announced financial assistance of 5 lakh rupees to the devotees' next of kin

The upcoming Coastal Road tunnel between Orange Gate and Marine Drive in south Mumbai will save thousands of hours for thousands of people, said Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday. The tunnel, with both ducts together spanning 9.25 km, will be an engineering feat. It will run beneath the Central Railway and Western Railway tracks, and even 50 metres below the underground Metro 3 line, he said. Thousands of hours for thousands of people will be saved, Fadnavis said at the site, where the tunnel boring machine (TBM) for the project was launched in the morning. The tunnel will be constructed under 700 structures, including many heritage properties, said the CM. As per the current plan, the Orange Gate-Marine Drive underground tunnel is expected to be completed by 2028, but they are striving to finish the project six months before the deadline, said Fadnavis. The tunnel will provide an alternative route to the residents of south Mumbai and those living in the ..

Maharashtra is looking to undertake a phased equity listing of state-owned energy utilities starting with the transmission company in 2026, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Tuesday. He said it is essential to undertake the process to make the entities more efficient and agile. "It is the right time to start the listing process for government entities and corporations. We have decided that we will certainly list the electricity transmission company at first," Fadnavis said at an event here. Later, he shared that the government expects the listing of Maharashtra State Electricity Transmission Company in 2026. The transmission company's listing will be followed with generation company's listing in second phase and the distribution company's in the next, the chief minister said without giving a timeline.

With tensions simmering between allies BJP and Shiv Sena in Sindhudurg ahead of the local bodies polls, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said he supports everyone who "behaves well". Speaking to reporters, Fadnavis said the ongoing episode between brothers, Nilesh Rane of the Shiv Sena and BJP Minister Nitesh Rane, is "not good" and the parties will have to introspect about this after the elections. 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. His brother and BJP minister Nitesh Rane later rejected the allegations, arguing that many political workers had legitimate business income and keeping cash at home should not be construed otherwise. He also said that Shiv Sena workers campaigning for a rival Shiv