Page 59 - Maharashtra

Assembly polls: Maha elections likely in 2nd week of Nov, says CM Shinde

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday said the state assembly polls are expected to be held in the second week of November and seat-sharing among the ruling allies would be finalised in the next 8 to 10 days. A two-phase poll would be preferable for the 288-member state assembly, Shinde said in an informal chat with mediapersons at his official residence 'Varsha' in Mumbai. The Mahayuti government, comprising the Shiv Sena led by Shinde, BJP and the Ajit Pawar-headed NCP, was focusing on development and welfare measures and was getting good response from people, he said. "Elections are likely in the second week of November. A two-phase election would be preferable. Merit and good strike rate will the criteria for seat-sharing among the Mahayuti allies," the CM said. The seat-sharing will be finalised in 8 to 10 days, he added. Shinde said he can see support for the government among women and asserted his was a government of the common man. "We have struck a balance

Cong attacks Mahayuti govt over Adani's win to supply power to Maharashtra

With the Adani Group winning a bid to supply 6,600 MW of bundled renewable and thermal power to Maharashtra, the Congress on Sunday alleged that it was a "rigged deal" facilitated by the Mahayuti government, which it claimed was "tottering towards a landslide defeat" in the upcoming assembly polls. The opposition party's attack came after the Adani Group won a bid to supply 6,600 MW of bundled renewable and thermal power to Maharashtra for the long term after its quote of Rs 4.08 per unit beat the likes of JSW Energy and Torrent Power. Reacting to the development, Congress general secretary in-charge Jairam Ramesh said, "Even as the Mahayuti Government in Maharashtra totters towards a landslide defeat, this is what they choose to do with their last few days in power. Yet another Modani enterprise undoubtedly!" "Shocking details of this rigged deal will soon start tumbling out," Ramesh said in X. Supplies are to start in 48 months from the date of award of the letter of intent. Lat

With a bigger mandate, we'll double 'Ladki Bahin' aid to Rs 3,000: Shinde

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday said if people give a "bigger mandate" to the ruling Mahayuti in the upcoming state polls, the government would double the 'Ladki Bahin' scheme's monthly financial assistance amount to Rs 3,000. At present, the government pays Rs 1,500 per month to the beneficiaries of the 'Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana', the Mahayuti government's flagship financial assistance scheme for women in the state. The Shinde dispensation introduced the scheme in this year's budget and rolled it out last month. Speaking at a public event in Paranda tehsil in Dharashiv district, Shinde said, "We started the Ladki Bahin scheme, offering Rs 1,500 to eligible women every month. If you increase our strength, we will raise the monthly amount to Rs 2,000. If you give a bigger mandate, we will increase it to Rs 3,000. We will not hesitate to take up this amount further." "The opposition criticises us, saying the state government would later close the ...

Signs of colonialism need to be eradicated: Fadnavis on Port Blair renaming

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government for renaming Port Blair as 'Sri Vijaya Puram' and said that the signs of colonialism need to be eradicated."The signs of colonialism need to be eradicated. I thank the Modi government for doing this," Fadnavis told reporters on Saturday.Earlier on Friday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced the renaming through a post on X, calling it a move inspired by PM Modi's vision to free the nation from the colonial imprints.Shah also highlighted the historic importance of the UT and said that it has an "unparalleled place" in freedom struggle and history."While the earlier name had a colonial legacy, Sri Vijaya Puram symbolises the victory achieved in our freedom struggle and the A & N Islands' unique role in the same," Shah wrote in his post."The island territory that once served as the naval base of the Chola Empire is today poised to be the critical base for our ...

Maharashtra, Haryana poll results will impact Modi govt's stability: Chavan

Senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan has said that Haryana and Maharashtra will see a change of government after assembly elections, and it will have consequences for the stability of the BJP-led coalition government at the Centre too. In an exclusive interview to PTI on Thursday, Chavan also claimed that women in Maharashtra will not vote for the BJP merely because of the 'Ladki Bahin' scheme. On 'tensions' in the Opposition's Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance over the Chief Ministerial face, he said the formula so far has been that the party with the highest number of seats gets the post. While BJP-ruled Haryana will go to polls next month, elections are yet to be announced in Maharashtra where the 'Mahayuti' coalition of BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP is in power. "A change in government in these two states will have a direct impact on the stability of (Narendra) Modi's coalition government which rests on the support of Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar. In both states there will b

Here's how India's elite homeowners have now become slumdog millionaires

The arc of the bankruptcy law in India bends toward power, not justice, and here, there is a power vacuum

MSRTC reports profit of Rs 16 crore in August, first time in 9 years

The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has for the first time in nine years reported a profit after facing difficulties for the past five to six years, in the process achieving a significant financial turnaround, officials said on Thursday. The state owned MSRTC's recorded a profit of Rs 16.86 crore in August, the said. A total of 20 out of 31 divisions have reported profits, an MSRTC release said, adding the turnaround came about from discontinuing bus services on loss-making routes and diverting them to routes with high passenger demand, which optimized operations. "Additionally, the percentage of non-operational buses has been reduced by half, from 12 per cent to 6 per cent, compared to the previous year. Regular training sessions for drivers and mechanics have also resulted in a 0.52 km increase in diesel efficiency, leading to significant fuel savings. These concerted efforts culminated in the MSRTC reporting a profit of Rs 16.86 crore in August," the release

Over 38,000 idols immersed in Mumbai on 5th day of Ganesh Chaturthi

More than 38,000 Ganesh idols have been immersed in Mumbai on the fifth day of the Ganpati festival, civic officials said on Thursday. No untoward incident was reported anywhere during the immersion, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said. The 10-day festival began with the Ganesh Chaturthi on September 7. Of the 38,717 idols immersed in the sea and artificial ponds in the city from Wednesday till 6 am on Thursday, 37,569 were from households and 1,095 belonged to sarvajanik mandals' (community groups), BMC officials said. During the 10-day Ganpati festival, devotees usually bid farewell to idols of the elephant-headed God after one-and-a-half days, five days and seven days. The final immersion process is held on the last day (Anant Chaturdashi). Of the Ganesh idols immersed on the fifth day, 14880, including 14,555 household idols and 338 public idols, were put in artificial ponds, set up to avoid pollution of natural water bodies. As many as 53 'Hartalika' idols were

Audi hit-run case: Maharashtra BJP chief's son did not eat beef, say cops

Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule's son Sanket, who is in eye of a storm after his luxury car hit several vehicles in Nagpur, did not consume beef at a city-based bar before the accident involving his vehicle, police said on Wednesday. But he consumed liquor along with some mutton and chicken dishes there, the police said. The police gave this information in the wake of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut's allegation made earlier in the day that Sanket consumed beef at the bar. The Audi car owned by Sanket hit several vehicles in Ramdaspeth area in Nagpur in the early hours of Monday, leaving two persons injured. Although Sanket was present in the car, he was not at the wheel at the time of the crash, the police have earlier said. The person driving the high-end car, Arjun Hawre, was arrested on Monday night and later released on bail (at the local police station). Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-II) Rahul Madne denied that beef was served to Bawankule and his ...

Bawankule denies reports on 'friendly fight' proposal; BJP to back allies

Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Tuesday said the party will throw more weight behind its Mahayuti allies, the Ajit Pawar-led NCP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, in the state elections. Bawankule was replying to a question about a news report claiming that BJP had proposed friendly contest in 25 constituencies where there is a tussle for contesting the seat among the ruling alliance partners. "These reports are baseless. The BJP will throw more weight behind the candidates of NCP and Shiv Sena," he said. Asked about the accident involving the Audi car belonging to his son in Nagpur, he said the matter was under investigation. "Let there be an investigation in the case. Be it my son or anybody's son, whatever rules are there, they should be applied. It is a matter for the police to investigate, I am thankful to God that no one was injured," he said. Asked about a social media post by NCP (SP) leader Rohit Pawar where he cited a survey predicting 65 to 70 seats

Maha CM Shinde launches campaign to raise awareness on 10 govt schemes

Ahead of the Maharashtra assembly polls, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has launched a campaign to create awareness on 10 schemes of his Mahayuti government catering to the youth, women, farmers and elderly people. Under the 'Ladki Bahin Kutumb Bhet Abhiyaan' launched on Monday, Shinde's party Shiv Sena aims to reach out to more than one crore families in the state. The move comes amid cracks in the ruling alliance over the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana', with a Shiv Sena minister raising objection against ally NCP and its president Ajit Pawar for omitting Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's name from advertisements and promotional material of the government's flagship scheme. The state assembly polls are likely to be held in November. The CM, who launched the campaign on Monday, said his party workers will try to increase the awareness of 10 government schemes like the Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin Yojana, which provides Rs 1,500 every month to eligible women in the state, the ...

Audi car crash: Raut slams Fadnavis, says ineligible to head home dept

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday said Devendra Fadnavis was not eligible to head the Maharashtra home department, an attack coming a day after the accident involving a luxury car owned by state BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule's son. Speaking to reporters here, Raut claimed evidence has been removed in the case and that till BJP leader Fadnavis remains the home minister, there will not be any fair probe in any case in the state. The Audi car owned by Bawankule's son Sanket hit several vehicles in Ramdaspeth area of Nagpur in the early hours of Monday, after which the driver and one more occupant were apprehended by police. The occupants of the luxury car were returning from a beer bar in Dharampeth area when the incident took place, a police official on Monday said adding the medical examination will include blood tests for alcohol detection. "A case of rash driving and other offences was registered. No action has been taken so far against Sanket Bawankule and the other

Police arrest driver of Audi car owned by BJP leader's son after crash

Police have arrested the driver of a luxury car, owned by Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule's son, after it hit several vehicles in Nagpur city, an official said on Tuesday. The person driving the car, Arjun Hawre, was arrested on Monday night and later released on bail (at the local police station), a senior police official told PTI. Further investigation is on, the police said. The Audi car owned by Bawankule's son Sanket hit several vehicles in Ramdaspeth area here in the early hours of Monday, after which Hawre and one more occupant - Ronit Chittamwar - were apprehended by police. An official from Sitabuldi police station on Monday said the Audi car first collided with complainant Jitendra Sonkamble's car and then with a moped, leaving two youth riding it injured. "The Audi car struck some more vehicles moving towards Mankapur area. At T-Point there, the vehicle hit a Polo car. Its occupants chased the Audi and stopped it near Mankapur bridge. Two occupants, ...

Bid to arrest me at Fadnavis' behest, claims ex-minister Anil Deshmukh

Former Maharashtra home minister and NCP (SP) leader Anil Deshmukh on Tuesday claimed that state Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was trying to get him arrested with the help of central agencies. In a post on X, Deshmukh also claimed an FIR has been filed against him by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at the behest of BJP leader Fadnavis in a four-year-old incident. "It has been alleged that four years back, when I was the home minister of Maharashtra, I pressured a Jalgaon police officer to take action against BJP leader Girish Mahajan," he said. "As per my information, Devendra Fadnavis is trying to get a raid conducted on me and get me arrested. I want to tell Devendra Fadnavis, who with the help of Delhi (Centre) and ED-CBI has brought Maharashtra politics to a very low level, ' Devendra Fadnavis, I am waiting for my arrest," Deshmukh said. The CBI has registered an FIR against Deshmukh, the then special public prosecutor Pravin Pandit Chavan, and two police ..

Maharashtra CM, other leaders welcome Lord Ganesh as 10-day festival begins

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday welcomed Lord Ganesh at his official residence in south Mumbai as the 10-day festival dedicated to the elephant-headed god began with pomp. Shinde along with his wife and MP son Shrikant Shinde conducted a 'puja' at Varsha, the CM's official residence. Talking to reporters later, the chief minister said he prayed to Lord Ganesh, known as the god of wisdom and prosperity, for the well-being of the state. He said the state has received good rains this year and hoped it will bring prosperity to the farmers. "In some parts, there has been excess rainfall and led to crop loss," Shinde said, stressing that the government will firmly stand behind the farmers. Shinde listed out his government's various schemes aimed at the welfare of women and farmers in the state. Maharashtra ranks first in the state in terms of foreign direct investment (FDI) and has 52 per cent share, he added. State Governor C P Radhakrishnan performed 'aarti' of

Apologise to all for statue collapse, note-ban, anti-farm laws: Rahul to PM

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should apologise not only for the collapse of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's statue in Sindhudurg district, but also for demonetisation, anti-farmer bills and GST. Modi should say sorry to each and every citizen of Maharashtra for the insult caused to the legendary 17th century warrior king when the statue at Rajkot fort collapsed on August 26, he added. The Congress leader was speaking at a public meeting here after inaugurating a life-size statue of late party leader Patangrao Kadam. With the BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP government in Maharashtra coming under fire over the collapse of the Shivaji Maharaj statue, the prime minister during his subsequent visit to the state said he apologised to the iconic king, his "deity", and also the people whose sentiments were hurt. "I want to ask the prime minister what he is sorry for, is it because the contract to make the Shivaji statue was given to an RSS

Maharashtra leads FDI with Rs 70,795 cr in Q1FY25, Karnataka a distant 2nd

Maharashtra has held the top spot in foreign direct investment (FDI) for the past two years. Karnataka followed at a distant second, with FDI totalling Rs 19,059 crore

Cracks in Mahayuti as Sena protests NCP dropping CM's name from scheme ads

Fissures have emerged in Maharashtra's ruling Mahayuti over the 'Ladki Bahin Yojana' with a Shiv Sena minister raising objection against ally NCP and its president Ajit Pawar for "omitting" Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's name from advertisements and promotional material of the scheme. Speaking to reporters here on Friday, state Excise Minister Shambhuraj Desai, who belongs to the Shiv Sena led by CM Shinde, expressed disappointment over the Deputy CM Pawar virtually "hijacking" the 'Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin' scheme, which offers a financial assistance of Rs 1,500 per month to eligible women in the state. He said not using the full name of the scheme during his (Pawar's) public outreach programmes was not as per the protocol. "The scheme has 'Chief Minister' in its name, and removing it from the scheme is inappropriate. It should not have been done," Desai alleged. "It is a state government scheme and he (Pawar) should have taken everyone along," the Excise Minister said. Ahe

Maharashtra approves $ 10 bn semiconductor fab unit by Adani, Israeli firm

The project will have capacity to produce 80,000 wafers monthly and it will create 5,000, says Devendra Fadnavis

Ganesh Chaturthi 2024: Dates, timings, importance, rituals, and more

Ganesh Chaturthi is the festival of Lord Ganesha's birthday and this year it will be celebrated on Sept 7. The 10-day festival is marked Visarjan grand procession, community celebrations, and worship