Page 72 - Maharashtra

After losing LS elections, Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra enters RS poll fray

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra on Thursday filed nomination papers as the NCP candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections, days after she lost the Lok Sabha polls from Baramati. Incidentally, barring leaders from the NCP, no politician from the Ajit Pawar-led party's allies in the ruling Mahayuti -- the BJP and the Shiv Sena -- was present when Sunetra Pawar filed her nomination at the Vidhan Bhavan in south Mumbai. Senior NCP leaders like Rajya Sabha member Praful Patel, Maharashtra cabinet minister Chhagan Bhujbal, party's state unit president and Lok Sabha MP-elect Sunil Tatkare and legislative assembly deputy speaker Narhari Zirwal were present at the filing of the nomination. Bhujbal said though he was keen on contesting the Rajya Sabha polls, he was not upset with Sunetra Pawar's nomination, which he described as a "collective decision" of the party. In the just-concluded Lok Sabha elections, Sunetra Pawar lost from the Baramati constituency

Mercedes Benz to invest Rs 3,000 crore in Maharashtra: Minister Samant

German car-maker Mercedes Benz will make an investment of Rs 3,000 crore in Maharashtra, state Industries Minister Uday Samant said on Thursday. In a post on X, Samant said while on a tour of Germany, he met top executives of Mercedes Benz on Thursday and discussed investment opportunities in the state. "Mercedes Benz will invest Rs 3,000 crore in Maharashtra this year. This will help create employment opportunities in the state," he said. The development could give a shot in the arm, ahead of assembly elections, to the Shiv Sena-BJP-NCP government which has been battling charges from the opposition that Maharashtra is losing big-ticket industrial projects to other states including Gujarat.

ED raids Fairplay's premises for involvement in 2024 poll results betting

The Enforcement Directorate Thursday said it has conducted raids in Mumbai and Pune as part of a money laundering investigation against a website that allegedly indulged in online betting on 2024 Lok Sabha election results and illegal broadcast of IPL cricket matches. The searches were launched on Wednesday at 19 locations in the two cities of Maharashtra of the portal 'Fairplay'--https://thefairplay.io, the federal agency said in a statement. Cash, bank funds, demat account holdings and luxury watches to the tune of Rs 8 crore were seized or frozen apart from various other incriminating documents and digital devices, it said. The portal was involved in "illegal broadcasting of cricket/IPL matches and various online betting activities including results of Lok Sabha Elections 2024, the agency said. The Lok Sabha poll results were declared on June 4. The money laundering case stems from an FIR of the Mumbai Police cyber cell which was filed on the complaint of Viacom18 Media Pvt Lim

Taking control of Maha my endeavour; NCP (SP) must win state polls: Pawar

NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday said it would be his endeavour to take control of Maharashtra, for which his party must win the state assembly polls scheduled later this year. The Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) helmed by him put up an impressive show by winning eight out of ten Lok Sabha seats it contested in Maharashtra in the recently-concluded general elections. Pawar's daughter and NCP (SP) candidate Supriya Sule won the high-stake family battle for the Baramati seat for the fourth straight term, defeating her cousin Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra Pawar. Following the Lok Sabha poll results, Pawar has been meeting people in Baramati and making preparations for the state assembly polls. Addressing people from Shirsuphal village in Baramati, the former Union minister said the people of Baramati constituency remained silent during the election period. "Our party functionaries used to tell me that people are silent and they are not speaking openly. I asked ...

Woman gives 'supari' to get father-in-law killed for Rs 300 crore property

A woman in Nagpur, Archana Puttewar, who served as a senior bureaucrat, has been arrested by the police for plotting the murder of her father-in-law for his property worth crores

Oppn takes potshots at Eknath Shinde, Ajit Pawar over ministerial berths

Leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi opposition alliance on Monday took potshots at CM Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar over their share in the new Union ministry led by PM Narendra Modi. At the swearing in ceremony on Sunday, Prataprao Jadhav of the Shinde-led Shiv Sena was sworn in as MoS with independent charge, while the Ajit Pawar-led NCP declined a minister of state berth, insisting on a cabinet post. Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sanjay Raut on Monday said the minuscule representation to the two parties in the Modi cabinet has proved that the BJP has shown them their place. This is what you get when you decide to be someone's slaves, Raut told reporters. Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar said if the Ajit Pawar-led NCP doesn't accept the MoS post, they should forget any cabinet berth in future. Ajit Pawar must have realised albeit late that the BJP has a use and throw policy for its allies, said Wadettiwar, the Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly. Baramati Lok

Onion prices rise 30-50% in 14 days due to high demand ahead of Bakri Eid

Traders have started hoarding stocks in anticipation that the government may relax its measures to control prices

Mumbai Cricket body head Amol Kale dies of cardiac arrest in New York

Mumbai Cricket Association president Amol Kale has died of a cardiac arrest in New York after attending the T20 World Cup match between India and Pakistan. On Sunday, Kale was present at the Nassau County Cricket Stadium to watch the game between the arch-rivals along with other MCA officials including secretary Ajinkya Naik and apex council member Suraj Samat. The 47-year-old Kale had become the MCA president after defeating former India and Mumbai cricketer Sandip Patil in the elections held in October 2022. During his tenure, the MCA had taken some vital decisions including the move to match the BCCI match fee for all its red-ball players for the upcoming 2024-25 season.

K Ram Mohan Naidu youngest, Jitan Ram Manjhi oldest in Council of Ministers

At 36, Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu is the youngest minister while 79-year-old Jitan Ram Manjhi is the oldest minister to be sworn in. Naidu, Srikakulam MP from Telugu Desam Party (TDP), was sworn in as a minister of state (MoS) in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's new Council of Ministers. Another young minister is Raksha Khadse (37), an MP from Maharashtra. She won the Raver Lok Sabha seat in Maharashtra. Manjhi was sworn in as a Union Cabinet Minister in Modi 3.0 government. He has served as the 23rd chief minister of Bihar, and is the founding president of Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM). Previously, Manjhi had served as the minister for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes welfare in Nitish Kumar's Cabinet. He won the Gaya seat in 2024 general elections. Some of the other young ministers include Chirag Paswan and Jayant Choudhary. PM Modi, along with his 71 ministers, took oath on Sunday as the new coalition government was formed after two full tenures in which the BJP enjoyed a ma

At ten, UP has the most ministers in Modi govt. Check state-wise full list

PM Modi's third term: Union Council of Ministers is 72-strong, consisting 30 Cabinet ministers, five Ministers of State (independent charge) and 36 Ministers of State. They will be assigned portfolio

Not surprised that Ajit Pawar-led NCP didn't get berth in new cabinet: Sule

NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) MP Supriya Sule on Monday said she was not surprised that the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) did not get a berth in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's new cabinet. Speaking to reporters here on the 25th foundation day of the NCP, founded by her father, the Baramati MP said as the NDA holds its first cabinet meeting, it should grant full loan waiver for farmers.. "During the UPA regime, the NCP worked as an ally in the Manmohan Singh government. Manmohan ji showed trust and love towards Pawar saheb, and he got two and a half cabinet berths although the party had only eight or nine MPs at the time," she said. The Congress did not think about numbers and respected the party as its ally, she said. "In the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government also, everyone treated each other with respect. We did not stick to any formula. Our relationship was based on mutual respect and merit," Sule said. The MP said she was not surprised that the NCP did not get a

Cong to face consequences in state poll for opposing Marathas: Jarange

Quota activist Manoj Jarange on Monday claimed the Congress was speaking against the interests of the Maratha community and would face consequences in the Maharashtra assembly polls due later this year. Speaking to reporters on the third day of his indefinite fast at Antarwali Sarathi village in Jalna, Jarange reiterated his demand for implementation of the draft notification that recognises Kunbis as "sage soyare" (blood relatives) of Maratha community members and sought a law to identify Kunbis as Marathas. Newly-elected Congress MP from Jalna, Kalyan Kale, visited the village and met Jarange on Monday. Kunbi, an agrarian group, falls under the Other Backward Class (OBC) category, and Jarange has been demanding that Kunbi certificates be issued to all Marathas, thus making them eligible for quota benefits. In February this year, the Maharashtra legislature unanimously passed a bill providing 10 per cent reservation for the Marathas in education and government jobs under a separat

Day after monsoon's arrival, IMD predicts moderate to heavy rains in Mumbai

A day after the onset of the southwest monsoon in Mumbai which led to widespread rains and water-logging in many parts of the city, the IMD has predicted thunderstorm with moderate to heavy showers here on Monday. Monsoon arrived in Mumbai on Sunday, two days ahead of the normal schedule, due to favourable conditions along the Maharashtra coast, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Following heavy rains on Sunday, there was water-logging in many areas like Byculla, Sion, Dadar, Mazgaon, Kurla, Vikhroli and Andheri, severely impacting vehicular movement and causing long traffic jams. Local train services, the city's lifeline, were also delayed as water accumulated on tracks at some locations, officials said. In the 24-hour period ending at 8 am on Monday, the island city recorded an average 99.11 mm rainfall, eastern parts of Mumbai registered 61.29 mm downpour and western areas 73.78 mm, an official from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said. The IMD

Man who claimed he would be no more if Pankaja Munde loses dead in accident

A 38-year old truck driver who made a video claiming he would be "no more" if BJP leader Pankaja Munde lost the Lok Sabha polls from Beed was crushed under a bus on Friday night in what police suspect may be a case of suicide. The incident took place on Ahmedpur-Andhori road near Borgaon Pati at around 9pm and the victim has been identified as Sachin Kondiba Munde (38), a resident of Yestar in Latur's Ahmedpur, the Kingaon police station official said. "The bus driver has been arrested, while a probe is underway to find out if it was an accident or a case of suicide. It happened when the Yalderwadi night halt bus stopped at Borgaon Pati. Sachin was standing behind the bus and was crushed to death when it reversed," he added. The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation bus has been confiscated as part of the probe, Assistant Inspector Bahuasaheb Khandare of Kingaon police station said. The deceased, who is unmarried and lived with his parents and brother, had released a video .

Domestic open access solar capacity addition doubles in Jan-Mar: Mercom

Open access solar installations rose two-fold in India to 1.8 gigawatts during January-March this year supported by several factors, including reduced module cost, US-based Mercom Capital has said. Solar power through open access is an arrangement where a power producer establishes a solar power plant to supply green energy to consumers. India added over 1.8 gigawatts (GW) of solar open access capacity in the first quarter of the calendar year of 2024, posting a two-fold increase from 909.3 megawatts (MW) in Q4 2023, the report titled 'Mercom India Solar Open Access Market' said. As of March 2024, the cumulative installed solar open access capacity stood at 14.3 GW. Solar open access developers benefited from lower Chinese module prices and the suspension of the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) order for projects commissioned through March 2024. Additionally, lower power purchase agreement (PPA) prices, due to reduced project costs, further incentivized consumers t

Heavy rains lash Maharashtra's Thane, Palghar, waterlogging in some areas

Thane and Palghar districts of Maharashtra witnessed heavy rains overnight, leading to water-logging in some areas, officials said on Sunday. There were reports of tree branches falling in some areas of Thane city, they said. In the 24-hour period ending at 8.30 am on Sunday, Thane city received 37.06 mm rainfall. The maximum downpour of 16.76 mm was recorded between 12.30 am and 1.30 am on Sunday while 10.93 mm rain was witnessed between 3.30 and 4.30 am, Thane Municipal Corporation's disaster management cell chief Yasin Tadvi said. Some areas in Thane witnessed water-logging due to the showers, an official at the district disaster control room said. Heavy rains also lashed neighbouring Palghar, district disaster control cell chief Vivekanand Kadam said, adding there was no report of any untoward incident due to the downpour.

IMD issues red alert for heavy rainfall in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg

The forecast predicts thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and moderate to heavy spells of rain with gusty winds in these regions

Maharashtra, Karnataka, Delhi top UK's investment flows from India: Report

Maharashtra followed by Karnataka and Delhi are the top three states of India bringing in foreign direct investment (FDI) into the UK, according to a new joint report produced by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the High Commission of India in the UK. "Indian Assets: Charting the Journeys of Indian Companies in the UK", launched in London earlier this week, revealed that companies headquartered in Maharashtra brought in the highest amount of FDI into the UK at 20 per cent in 2023, followed by Karnataka (12 per cent) and Delhi (8.6 per cent). Completing the top 10 tallies are the states of Gujarat (7.1 per cent), Tamil Nadu (6.7 per cent), Telangana (6.5 per cent), Uttar Pradesh (5.9 per cent), Haryana (4.5 per cent), West Bengal (3.14 per cent) and Kerala (3.05 per cent) -- making up 78 per cent of the total FDI from India into the UK. As India and the UK continue to evolve and navigate the complexities of a rapidly changing global landscape, I believe that our ...

NEET-UG 2024 row explained: 6 students from same exam centre get top rank

NEET result controversy: Several candidates alleged that the inflation of marks has resulted in 67 candidates securing the top rank. Six of these candidates are from the same exam centre in Haryana

MNS candidate Abhijeet Panse withdraws ahead of Maharashtra council polls

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) candidate Abhijeet Panse has withdrawn from the fray for the upcoming state legislative council election from the Konkan Graduates' constituency, a party leader said on Friday. The party had last month announced filmmaker Panse's candidature for the legislative council elections slated to be held on June 26. "Panse will not be in the fray from the Konkan Graduates' constituency," said party spokesperson Sandeep Deshpande. The development comes after Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met MNS chief Raj Thackeray last week. BJP MLC Niranjan Davkhare currently represents the constituency, and the party has renominated him. The biennial elections to four legislative council seats Mumbai Graduates, Konkan Graduates, Mumbai Teachers and Nashik Teachers became necessary as the terms of sitting members are expiring in July. The last date for filing the nominations is June 7. Voting will be held on June 26, and results will be declared o