Maharashtra

Pune: Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has finally got a new mayor after a four-year gap. BJP’s Manjusha Nagpure was elected unopposed as the Mayor, while the Deputy Mayor post went to Parshuram Wadekar from the Republican Party of India (Athawale). The BJP secured a smooth victory in the process. The mayoral election in Pune saw last-minute withdrawals from NCP and Congress candidates, leaving Nagpure as the sole contender. The withdrawals came after an appeal by BJP PMC group leader Ganesh Bidkar to ensure a peaceful election and to honor the late Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and former Union Minister Suresh Kalamadi. Initially, three nominations had been filed for the Mayor post. In the recent PMC elections, the BJP emerged as the largest party after a four-year hi...

Mumbai: Political tensions have escalated in Maharashtra over the crash of the chartered aircraft carrying the late Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. Eleven days after the tragedy, the exact cause of the crash remains unclear. Meanwhile, NCP MLC Amol Mitkari has intensified the debate, calling the incident a possible conspiracy. Mitkari Questions Pilot Conduct Mitkari raised serious questions, asking: “Was the pilot hypnotized or bribed to carry out this act?” He claimed that the pilot did not make a “Mayday” call nor maintain contact with Pune Airport after takeoff. He emphasized the need for a thorough investigation. Amid these developments, Ajit Pawar’s ashes were immersed in Prayagraj. Why Was the Pilot Changed Twice? On the morning of 28 February, Ajit Pawar’s Learjet-45 c...

Pune/Solapur:A major controversy erupted in Maharashtra after two Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were reportedly found inside a car parked near a roadside eatery (dhaba) in Mohol town of Solapur district, shortly after voting for local body elections. The incident triggered allegations of possible tampering and raised serious concerns about transparency in the electoral process. Following the uproar, the Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) issued an official clarification, stating that the machines recovered from the vehicle were reserve EVMs and were not used for voting. Incident Occurred After District Council Voting It is important to note that voting was conducted on Saturday for elections to 12 Zilla Parishads (District Councils) and 125 Panchayat Samitis across Ma...

New Jersey: Amruta Fadnavis, wife of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, visited the BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham temple in Robbinsville, New Jersey, recently. Known for sharing her photographs and posts on social media, the singer and actress shared images from her temple visit, describing the experience as “divine and beyond imagination.” Posting about her first visit, she wrote: “My first visit to the Akshardham temple in New Jersey left me speechless. I enjoyed moments of compassion, creativity, and conscious living, which represent shared principles beyond borders. It was a spiritual experience beyond anything I had imagined. I feel blessed.” Trolls Target Her OutfitHowever, shortly after posting the photographs, Amruta Fadnavis faced criticism online for her choice of...

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), led by Raj Thackeray, has once again sparked controversy in Mumbai over its aggressive enforcement of Marathi language use. An MNS leader reportedly threatened a bank official for not speaking Marathi, warning him that he would be taught a lesson “MNS style.” A video of the incident has now gone viral on social media. The incident took place at the Bank of Maharashtra branch in Mahim, Mumbai. The video shows MNS secretary Anish Khandagle confronting and intimidating a bank employee after he refused to communicate in Marathi. Khandagle is seen asking the officer, “Don’t you know Marathi?” When the officer replied negatively, Khandagle continued, “Why not? You work in the Bank of Maharashtra in Mumbai, and you don’t know Marathi? If you want t...

Mumbai: Commuters in Mumbai will face significant disruption over the next three months as the Goregaon to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) local train service will be completely suspended. The Western Railway administration has confirmed that the service halt is necessary to facilitate ongoing infrastructure upgrades on the Harbour line. Western Railway RedevelopmentOver the past few months, Western Railway has been undergoing extensive redevelopment work. From December to January, construction on the fifth and sixth tracks between Kandivli and Borivali led to the cancellation of numerous local trains, affecting 200–250 services daily. Once that work was completed, normal local services resumed. Why the Goregaon–CSMT Halt?The fifth and sixth track construction between Mum...

Pune: Parth Pawar is set to enter the Rajya Sabha, although it remains undecided whether he will take a seat vacated by Sunetra Pawar’s potential resignation or contest one of the seven seats scheduled for elections in April. Sources indicate that Parth Pawar plans to contest in April for a full six-year term. The passing of Ajit Pawar has reshaped political dynamics within the Pawar family and Maharashtra politics. Amid speculation about the reunification of the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Sunetra Pawar has emerged as a frontrunner to succeed Ajit Pawar and assume the NCP presidency. Currently serving as Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister, she is also expected to contest the Baramati assembly seat, which became vacant after Ajit Pawar’s demise. Parth Pawar...