In an abrupt move, the Shiv Sena (UBT) has expelled its former Hingoli Lok Sabha MP Subhash Wankhede from the party for alleged 'anti-party' activities

"We are now aggressively working on spreading awareness about our symbol 'mashaal'," MLA Udaysingh Rajput said, adding that he will also raise farmers' woes as part of his campaign

Suraj Chavan was arrested on January 17, 2024, for his alleged irregularities in distributing khichdi to migrant workers during the COVID-19 pandemic

MVA constituents Congress and NCP (SP) too were gunning for the seats.

Uddhav Thackeray moots new housing policy, vows to scrap cluster development of Koliwadas till the consent of the fishing community is obtained; says joint MVA manifesto to be released by the weekend

I did not leave Bal Thackeray's ideology, I left BJP. BJP is not his thoughts, Uddhav Thackeray said and added, if it formed government, the MVA will pass resolution to increase cap on reservations and send it to the Centre

The election for the 288-member State Assembly is scheduled for later this year

Vasant More had unsuccessfully contested the Pune seat in the recently concluded Lok Sabha election on a VBA ticket after quitting the MNS

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and BJP senior leader Devendra Fadnavis said that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde would not have rebelled, but when someone was pushed to the wall, they’re left with no other option, and that is what happened in Mr. Shinde’s case.

<span class="topsy_trackback_comment"><span class="topsy_twitter_username"><span class="topsy_trackback_content">Fresh trouble for SRK brought by the Shiv Sena men http://bit.ly/i8tocu #IMCRadio.net</span></span>

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut says Maharashtra govt’s work will be based on issues, not Hindutva.

Representational picture

In a jolt to its ally Shiv Sena which had "hijacked" the family of its late MP, its ally Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday won the bypoll to Maharashtra's Palghar Lok Sabha seat.

BJP's Rajendra Gavit defeated his nearest rival, Shriniwas Vanga of the Sena and the son of sitting MP Chintaman Vanga, whose death in January had necessitated the bypoll.

"I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and all the party leaders and workers for this victory," he said.

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Backdoor talks between the BJP and Shiv Sena have eased CM Uddhav Thackeray's entry into the state legislative council as the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday gave a nod to filling the nine vacancies in LC on May 21, six days before Thackeray must become a member of the legislature.

Friday's development came after Thackeray sought help from BJP's top bosses PM Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah after Governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari refused to change his position of not nominating the CM despite allegations of conspiracy and politicising the constitutional office in denying Thackeray a nomination for a brief time.

The development also gave out a message, especially to Sena's partners Congress and Nationalist Congress Party that the BJP might still have a soft corner for its estranged ally. The other interpretation that came from the Opposition is that the BJP was concerned about facing public wrath if it collapsed the government in the time of grave health crisis.

Sources said that Thackeray called up Modi two days ago following Governor Koshyari's refusal to accept the Cabinet recommendation that the CM should be nominated to the upper house despite reiteration of the demand by the Maha Vikas Aghadi. Sources said that Koshyari wrote to the ECI asking for conducting the polls in a relaxed lockdown. Thackeray also sent his emissaries to Raj Bhavan with a similar demand, albeit a couple of hours after the governor's house had already told the media about the recommendation. Congress and NCP also wrote to the ECI seeking elections.

ECI said in a release that the Maharashtra Chief Secretary has pointed out the various measures taken to control the pandemic and that in the State Government's assessment, elections could be held in a safe environment. It said it had reviewed past precedents in such unforeseen situations wherein the ECI had to hold by-elections to facilitate membership for the two PMs and several CMs.

Guv's nominees never made CM

In December, Koshyari had rejected two similar recommendations saying he would not allow the vacancies to be filled when they would expire within six months.

He cited a reason that the by-elections or mid-term nominations were not recommended when the terms are expected to end very soon. In Thackeray's case, the cabinet's recommendation was challenged on constitutional points in the Bombay High Court and also contested on moral grounds in political circles because the governor's nominees have not been made CMs in the past.

Polling on May 21

The ECI has now scheduled the elections for May 21. The 288 Assembly members (MLAs) would be the electoral college for the elections to the nine vacancies created on April 24.

The MLAs would vote in a secret ballot if polling is required. A notification would be issued on May 4 and nominations would close on May 11. The counting of votes would be done immediately after the polling which is scheduled between 9 am and 4 pm. The entire election process will end by May 26.

However, several politicians from the BJP and MVA said polling would not be required because the parties would reach an agreement to make the contest unopposed. This means there would be nine nominees for nine vacancies of which the BJP could win four and five could go to MVA.

"In normal circumstances, such polls evoke political excitement and also give rise to horse-trading unlike the Rajya Sabha polls (also voted by MLAs) which don't have the possibility of cross-voting. There have been big upsets in the past," said an MVA leader.

'No more speculations'

Sena leader Sanjay Raut thanked the ECI and the Centre. "Today's decision has stopped all speculations and rumours of political instability in the time of crisis. The Union Government and ECI have saved a big state like Maharashtra from an impending political crisis when all are fighting the pandemic," he said.

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Sena also took a dig at the Prime Minister over his frequent foreign trips

The Shiv Sena praised Delhi Chief Minister and AAP president Arvind Kejriwal, saying he single-handedly took on the 'army of BJP leaders'

The "government" was responsible for the death of 16 migrant labourers who were mown down by a goods train in Maharashtra's Aurangabad district, Shiv Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' said in its editorial on Saturday. The newspaper, however, did not make it clear whether it blamed the BJP-led Centre or the Sena-led Maharashtra government for the tragedy. "The government did not think of allowing them to go back to their native place, nor did it make arrangements for their food," the editorial said, adding that the authorities should have taken into consideration the problems of the poor before enforcing lockdown on account of coronavirus. The sight of 'rotis' strewn on the railway track where the migrants -- who had fallen asleep due to exhaustion while on their way to Madhya Pradesh -- were crushed to death showed a heart-wrenching and harsh reality, Samanaa said. "The labourers were in fine health and had no symptoms of coronavirus and still they died. The responsibility of ...

While his son Bal Thackeray and grandsons Uddhav and Raj were to take a political position against north Indians, Prabodhankar traced the roots of Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu caste -- the same caste to which the Thackeray family belongs -- to Bihar.

Without taking any names, the Sena said it feared that some people in Maharashtra would "instigate" the migrant labourers for their petty political gains.

An Army Colonel and a Major were among five security personnel killed in an encounter with terrorists at a village in north Kashmir's Handwara area two days back.

The plight faced by migrant labourers was not restricted to Maharashtra but to the entire country, the Shiv Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ said in an editorial