Maharashtra

BMC polls: Uddhav Thackeray releases booklet on Covid-19 track record

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has released a booklet highlighting the work he did during the COVID-19 pandemic when he was helming the Maharashtra government, a strategic move ahead of the civic polls. The booklet, released on Sunday, lists measures Thackeray took as chief minister to contain the pandemic in areas such as Dharavi and other parts of Mumbai during the Maha Vikas Aghadi's rule between 2019 and 2022. The Sena (UBT) last week announced an alliance with Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) for the Mumbai civic polls, but the parties haven't yet declared their lists of candidates. Elections to 29 civic bodies, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, will be held on January 15. The counting of votes will take place the next day. The election to the BMC can be viewed as a high-stakes battle for Uddhav Thackeray, as he attempts to reclaim control of the country's richest civic body, which has been under the undivided Shiv Sena from 1997 to 20

Ajit Pawar announces NCP reunion with Sharad Pawar faction for civic polls

Ajit Pawar announced that the NCP and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) will contest the Pimpri-Chinchwad civic polls together, calling it a moment of family unity; seat-sharing details will be announced late

Chequered year: Mass surrender of Naxalites offers hope, crime tests police

From mass surrender of Naxalites to developments linked to the brutal murder of a sarpanch in Beed, from attack on Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan by a Bangladeshi man to high-profile fraud cases, including the Pune land deal, Maharashtra witnessed a chequered year in terms of crime and security in 2025. The previous year had ended on a tragic note with the brutal murder of Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed. The barbarity of the killing shook the conscience of not only the state but the entire nation. Its repercussions continued to reverberate this year. In January this year, the prime accused in the case, Walmik Karad, a close aide of NCP leader Dhananjay Munde, was booked under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) and sent to judicial custody. In March, Munde, who was a minister at that time, had to step down due to mounting political pressure. In October this year, major success was scored in the anti-Naxal operation after key

Maharashtra 2025: Thackeray cousins unite, Mahayuti gains in local polls

The ruling alliance bagged 207 posts of municipal presidents and 4,422 seats in the municipal council and nagar panchayat polls held in December

Civic polls: Urban growth, strained services key voter issues in Mumbai

Nine of the 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra going to polls on January 15 are from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), where urban challenges, centred on pollution, housing, water, sanitation and public transport, are expected to influence voter behaviour. Amid identity politics over caste, language, religion and the Marathi Manoos' narrative, candidates and political parties are recalibrating their platforms to address core civic issues. In the recent session of the state legislature, the state government announced an amnesty scheme to regularise over 20,000 buildings in MMR that lack occupancy certificates. A new regulatory framework has been announced to redevelop Mumbai's pagdi' buildings (tenancy rental model where the tenant is a part-owner of a house). In the nine civic corporations of Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli, Vasai-Virar, Bhiwandi, Mira-Bhayandar, Ulhasnagar and Panvel, local socio-economic and infrastructure issues are taking centre stage in ..

Let bars be open till 5 am during year-end: Hotels body to Maha govt

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

What split the Thackerays? Inside the feud that broke the Shiv Sena

Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray have reunited ahead of the January 15 BMC polls, ending a long feud over leadership and succession that split the Shiv Sena nearly two decades ago

Maharashtra civic polls: BJP dominates 5 divisions, wins over 2,400 seats

The ruling BJP has emerged as the most dominant force in the recently-held municipal council and nagar panchayat elections in Maharashtra, securing the highest number of seats in five out of the state's six administrative divisions, accounting for 30 to 50 per cent of the seats in most regions. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 2,431 seats, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena 1,025, and Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) 966, according to the data released by the State Election Commission (SEC). The three parties are part of the ruling Mahayuti alliance. Among the opposition parties, the Congress won 824 seats, while its Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies - NCP (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT), won 256 and 244 seats, respectively. The only exception was the Konkan division, where the Shiv Sena, led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, outperformed the BJP. Of the 647 seats decided in Konkan, the Shinde-led Sena won 229 seats, or about 35.4 per cent, while the BJP followed with 192 ...

No official proposal for alliance with Ajit Pawar camp yet: Supriya Sule

There has been no official proposal of an alliance between her party and the faction led by Ajit Pawar for the civic elections in Pune, NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule said on Tuesday, even as veteran leader Ankush Kakade stated that they have in principle decided to join hands. A meeting of the NCP and NCP (SP) took place here earlier in the day, said Kakade, who belongs to the Sharad Pawar-led party. "Three leaders from each side including me took part in the meeting. (City NCP(SP) chief) Prashant Jagtap was not there as he has gone to Mumbai for some work. A detailed discussion took place and it was in principle decided that we will jointly contest the civic polls in Pune, but we will be talking to our other colleagues in the evening," he told reporters. They will speak to Maha Vikas Aghadi allies Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress about taking along the Ajit Pawar-led NCP (which is part of the BJP-led ruling coalition in Maharashtra), Kakade said, adding that they were keen on

Shapoorji Pallonji enters plotted development with ₹600 cr project in Pune

Shapoorji Pallonji Real Estate has launched Treetopia, a 105-acre plotted development in Pune with 483 residential plots and an estimated revenue potential of Rs 600 crore

Grassroots outreach, development vision helped BJP win local polls: Chavan

Maharashtra BJP president Ravindra Chavan said the saffron party's grassroots outreach across the state and development-oriented vision helped it emerge victorious in the local bodies elections. The Mahayuti alliance of the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP on Sunday swept the elections to 288 municipal councils and nagar panchayats, winning 207 posts of presidents in the local bodies. The Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi was restricted to a collective tally of 44. The BJP won 117 posts of municipal presidents, Shiv Sena won 53, and the NCP won 37 posts. The Congress bagged 28, the NCP (SP) seven, and Shiv Sena (UBT) nine. Addressing a party meeting in Kalyan town of Thane district on Sunday night, Chavan said, "Once the elections were announced, BJP workers went door to door, informing citizens about the welfare schemes of the Central and state governments. They earned people's trust, and this dedication has resulted in a decisive victory." People endorsed the development-oriented vision of Pri

BJP scores record local body poll win, says Fadnavis; Oppn cries foul

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 .

How a Maharashtra village of 1,500 logged 27,398 births in just 3 months

Authorities in Maharashtra's Yavatmal district are probing a massive birth registration scam after a village of just 1,500 people recorded over 27,000 delayed births in three months, raising fears of

Centre to decide on sugar exports, higher ethanol quota next month and half

Maharashtra's sugarcane arrears stood at ₹2,000 crore till November 30, 2025

Pigeon feeding under fire: Why bans are spreading across Indian states

As authorities cite health risks from pigeon droppings, cities like Mumbai and Bangalore move to restrict feeding, even as communities push back

Maharashtra FDA cancels 13 licences, suspends 32 medical stores in Nanded

The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cancelled the licences of 13 medical stores and suspended those of 32 in Nanded district over alleged sale of intoxicant tablets, officials have said. As part of a drive, the FDA had issued show-cause notices to 48 medical stores for selling intoxicant tablets without a doctor's prescription and for violating the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, Assistant Commissioner (Drugs) AT Rathod said in a release on Wednesday. After the explanations submitted were found unsatisfactory, the licences of 32 medical stores were suspended, while the licences of 13 stores were permanently cancelled. Action has been proposed against the remaining three medical stores, it said. In some cases, the FDA said, the medical stores have secured stay orders at the government level, and proceedings against them are currently pending before higher authorities.

Maharashtra civic polls in January: 29 bodies, 2,869 seats at stake

In September, the Supreme Court asked the SEC to conduct local body elections, including of the municipal corporations, by January 31

Haffkine procurements leave ₹2,226 cr Advance Contingent bills pending: CAG

The Maharashtra government routed routine procurement of medicines and medical equipment through the state-run Haffkine institute using Advance Contingent bills, leaving 559 bills worth Rs 2,226.32 crore pending for adjustment at the end of 2024-25, CAG has said. Advance Contingent (AC) bills are a type of government bill used to draw money in advance for urgent or unforeseen expenses, when it is not practical to wait for detailed bills or vouchers. According to a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), tabled on the last day of the winter session of the state legislature on Sunday, pending AC bills accounted for 63.03 per cent of the total AC bills, in violation of Rule 282(2) of the Maharashtra Treasury Rules, which bars withdrawal of funds unless required for immediate disbursement. The report identified the Medical Education and Drugs Department as the biggest defaulter with Rs 2,212 crore of Detailed Contingent (DC) bills pending, followed by the Public Health ...

Offline e-crop survey registration open till Jan 15 for farmers: Bawankule

Farmers across Maharashtra who missed e-crop survey registration will be allowed to register through an offline process till January 15 to help them sell their produce at government procurement centres, said Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Saturday. He made the announcement in the legislative assembly while replying to a calling attention motion, a procedure that allows a member to bring an urgent public matter to a minister's notice. The online e-crop survey portal has been closed and cannot be reopened due to technical constraints, but the government has decided to open an offline window so that genuine farmers do not suffer losses, said Bawankule. Maharashtra's e-crop survey, known as E-Pik Pahani', allows farmers to self-report their crop details via a mobile application. Bawankule said farmers who failed to complete the e-crop survey registration due to technical issues or other reasons can submit offline applications to the concerned authorities till January 15.

Last rites of former minister Shivraj Patil performed with state honours

The last rites of veteran Congress leader and former Union minister Shivraj Patil were performed with full state honours in his home district Latur in Maharashtra on Saturday, with many top leaders in attendance. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Union Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan and Karnataka Minister Eshwar Khandre were among those present. A prominent member of the Lingayat community, Patil was buried in his farm at Varvanti village, six km from Latur, in a seated, meditative posture. This Lingayat ritual stems from their belief that the soul of the deceased immediately unites with Shiva and is not subject to the cycle of rebirth, thus making the cremation rites to release the soul from the body unnecessary. Birla laid a wreath on Patil's mortal remains. Maharashtra Congress President Harshwardhan Sapkal and Lok Sabha member from Latur, Shivaji Kolge were present. Before the last ...