GUWAHATI: A chartered aircraft from Surat in Gujarat carrying three passengers, including at least one dissident MLA from Maharashtra, is set to reach Guwahati on Sunday evening, an official source said. The aircraft, hired from IndoPacific Aviation Pvt Ltd, is scheduled to land at Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International (LGBI) Airport in Guwahati at 6 pm, the source told PTI. "The flight will come from Surat. There will be three passengers on board -- two men and one woman," he said. The exact identities of the passengers are not known immediately, but "at least one MLA will be there in the plane", the source said. In what seems to be an apparent bid to topple the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra, dissident legislators of Shiv Sena, which heads the ruling coalition, have been camping in Guwahati, around 2,700 km away from Mumbai, since June 22. A group of rebel Maharashtra Shiv Sena MLAs, led by minister Eknath Shinde, were taken to Surat from Mumbai on June 21 and then flown to Guwahati the next day. Since then, several chartered flights carrying dissident MLAs have landed at LGBI Airport. The Maharashtra Legislature Secretariat on Saturday issued summonses to 16 of the rebel Shiv Sena MLAs, including Shinde, seeking written replies by the evening of June 27 to the complaints seeking their disqualification. The MLAs, after receiving the notices, have been huddling inside the hotel since Sunday morning, discussing various options to respond to the notices, sources said.
Guwahati: Another chartered plane with four MLAs from Maharashtra arrived here on Wednesday to join the rebel Shiv Sena legislators who reached the city earlier in the day, sources said. The four MLAs -- Chandrakant Patil, Yogesh Kadam, Manjula Gavit and Gulabrao Patil -- arrived in the evening from Surat in Gujarat like the legislators who came here along with Maharashtra minister Eknath Shinde in the morning. The four MLAs arrived in Surat in the afternoon and went straight to the airport following a brief stay at a hotel. Four more Maharashtra MLAs arrived in Guwahati in a chartered flight, the sources said. They were taken to a city hotel where the other MLAs are camping. While Gavit and Chandrakant Patil are Independent MLAs, Kadam and Gulabrao Patil are Shiv Sena legislators. The four MLAs arrived in Surat on Wednesday and subsequently, flew to Guwahati, the sources said. Gulabrao Patil is the water supply and sanitation minister in the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government. He is the second cabinet minister to have joined Shinde after Horticulture Minister Sandipal Bhumre. A group of rebel Maharashtra MLAs, led by Shinde, was flown to Guwahati on Wednesday morning. They were taken to Surat from Mumbai on Tuesday and in the early hours of Wednesday, they were shifted to Guwahati. One of the MLAs -- Nitin Deshmukh -- who had arrived in the morning, left Guwahati a few hours later for Nagpur in a chartered flight. Deshmukh later said he was with Shiv Sena chief Thackeray.
MUMBAI: Amid the ongoing tussle for the control of the Shiv Sena between party president Uddhav Thackeray and dissident Eknath Shinde, party leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday dared the rebels to quit as MLAs and face fresh elections, but also said the doors of the party were open for those who wish to return. He expressed confidence that the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) comprising the Sena, NCP and Congress will survive the current crisis. Majority of Shiv Sena MLAs have sided with Shinde and are currently camping in Guwahati, plunging the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who heads the Sena, into a crisis. "My open challenge to the rebels is to resign and seek a fresh mandate from their electorate. In the past, Chhagan Bhujbal, Narayan Rane and their supporters had resigned as Sena MLAs to join other parties. Even (Union minister) Jyotiraditya Scindia supporters in Madhya Pradesh had resigned as Congress MLAs (in March 2020)," Raut told reporters here. The Sena rank and file are already on the ground waiting for a signal from the leadership, he said, hinting that the party was ready to take on the rebels. Raut scoffed at Shinde's tweet last night, in which he urged the Sena workers to have faith in him and that he was trying to save the party from the "python clutches" of MVA allies. "Don't know if these people are drugged. They have been in power for two-and-a-half years getting the creamest portfolios as ministers," Raut said. In a veiled warning, Raut said there can be a rebellion within the group of rebels as well. "Once they come back to Mumbai, they will know where exactly the rebellion is. We are against using the name of Shiv Sena and Balasaheb Thackeray by their group". Expressing confidence that the MVA will survive the crisis, Raut said, "The rebels claim to have the support of majority of MLAs. So why are they still in Guwahati? Come to Mumbai. I will myself go the airport to welcome them." "I won't be surprised if the rebels attack each other in the Guwahati hotel as they have been forcibly kept there," he claimed. He said the party doors are open for those who wish to come back. "I am in touch with many of them. Let's see if BJP makes Shinde a CM," he said. Referring to the reports of Shinde's secret meetings with BJP leaders, he further said," If you have guts, use your own father's name to get votes or your fathers in Vadodara, Surat, Delhi." He lashed out to at the BJP saying they are sponsoring the rebels when Assam is braving floods causing loss of lives and property. The hotel where the rebels are staying has 340 rooms. It is a 18-storey building and three floors have been booked for the rebels, he said. "I have been sending e-mails to the hotel asking for 40 rooms. I sent an e-mail to Assam chief minister as well who invited Uddhav Thackeray to Assam as a tourist. I wrote to him that we have to hold a programme to boost tourism in Maharashtra and Assam. So we need booking in the hotel. But I haven't received a reply yet," the Sena MP quipped. Meanwhile, in his weekly column 'Rokhthok' published in the Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' on Sunday, Raut criticised Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly Devendra Fadnavis, saying that if he was indeed behind the party legislators' rebellion, then has taken a wrong step. "The hunger of these rebels is huge. If Fadnavis plans to come back to power by encouraging them, then that dispensation will not last. Once again Fadnavis has taken a wrong decision. How will these rebels stay with Fadnavis, when they have left their own mother," Raut wrote. Shinde had a good chance of becoming a chief minister had he continued in Shiv Sena. Shinde would have been the chief minister if the BJP hadn't gone back on its word of rotational chief minister post, Raut said, adding, "It is surprising that shinde wants to go to BJP." The executive editor of 'Saamana' also wrote that rebel MLAs Pratap Sarnaik, Yamini Jadhav, Lata Sonawane and others have cases of money laundering and caste validity registered against them. "One of the rebel MLAs said he was free after the ED cases against him were cleared that he would do whatever BJP says," Raut said. Raut wondered why some rebel MLAs first went to Surat before flying to Guwahati, when the first batch had already reached Assam. "This is a case of research. If the rebellion is Shiv Sena's internal matter, why are the rebels kept in tight security at Surat and Guwahati," he asked. Earlier in the day, Raut posted a tweet targeted at the MLAs, in which he said, "How long will you hide in Guwahati, you will have to come to chowpatty," the Sena MP tweeted in Hindi along with a photo of the state Assembly's Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal looking into the distance. Key government establishments, including the Mantralaya (state secretariat), Vidhan Bhavan (legislature complex), Raj Bhavan and the chief minister's official bungalow 'Varsha' are located in the vicinity of the Girgaum beach, which is also known the Girgaum chowpatty, in south Mumbai. The Maharashtra legislature secretariat had on Saturday issued 'summons' to 16 of the rebel Shiv Sena MLAs, including Shinde, seeking written replies by the evening of June 27 to the complaints seeking their disqualification.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray took out a two-wheeler rally in Mumbai.Mumbai: Amid the ongoing political crisis in Maharashtra following a rebellion by senior Shiv Sena minister Eknath Shinde and others, the loyalists of party president and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray took out a two-wheeler rally in Mumbai and held protests in parts of Pune against the dissident leaders on Sunday.Sena workers and its local functionaries, led by the Pune city unit president Gajanan Tharkude, staged 'jode maro' (hit with footwear) protests at two places - outside Balgandharva auditorium and in Kothrud - and raised slogans against the rebels.On Saturday, Rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde said Shiv Sena workers should understand that he was fighting to save the party from the clutches of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).Mr Shinde's appeal came after Sena workers loyal to party president and Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray staged protests against the rebel MLAs led by him by defacing their banners, hurling stones in some places and vandalising the office of an MLA in Pune.Here are the LIVE updates on the Maharashtra Crisis:Get NDTV UpdatesTurn on notifications to receive alerts as this story develops.Jun 26, 2022 15:28 (IST) Shiv Sena's doors are open for those who want to leave and those who want to return to the party. Those rebel MLAs who are traitors will not be taken back into the party, says Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray: news agency ANIJun 26, 2022 15:25 (IST)Maharashtra crisis: Shiv Sena workers stage protest in JammuA group of Shiv Sena activists on Sunday staged a protest here against the prevailing political crisis in Maharashtra and demanded a high-level probe against the BJP for its alleged role in "horse-trading" to pull down Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance government.The shiv sainiks staged the protest outside party headquarters at Channi on the outskirts of the city and also burnt an effigy of rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde who, along with other party MLAs and independents, is currently camping at a hotel in BJP-ruled Assam."We cannot imagine Shiv Sena without the Thackeray family and those who have rebelled against the leadership are traitors who are working at the behest of a national party which is desperate to come to power in Maharashtra," J-K Shiv Sena president Manish Sahni told reporters.Jun 26, 2022 14:59 (IST)Shiv Sena workers hold a protest against rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde as well as other rebel MLAs in Nagpur.#MaharashtraCrisis | Shiv Sena workers hold a protest against rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde as well as other rebel MLAs in Nagpur.(ANI) pic.twitter.com/IdqiH9dBic- NDTV (@ndtv) June 26, 2022Jun 26, 2022 14:29 (IST)#MaharashtraPolitcalCrisis | "There are floods in the state (Assam) but money is being spent just for their (rebel MLAs) stay": Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray pic.twitter.com/b9oyFI72S9- NDTV (@ndtv) June 26, 2022Jun 26, 2022 14:07 (IST)Eknath Shinde's supporters blacken posters of Uddhav Thackeray in ThaneAmid rising political turmoil in Maharashtra, supporters of rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde blackened posters of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in Thane on Sunday.On the other hand, Shiv Sena workers held 'joote maro andolan' against rebel Shiv Sena MLAs in Pune, Maharashtra.Jun 26, 2022 13:39 (IST)Shiv Sena workers protest against party rebels; say 'traitors' won't be forgivenAmid the ongoing political crisis in Maharashtra following a rebellion by senior Shiv Sena minister Eknath Shinde and others, the loyalists of party president and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray took out a two-wheeler rally in Mumbai and held protests in parts of Pune against the dissident leaders on Sunday.Sena workers and its local functionaries, led by the Pune city unit president Gajanan Tharkude, staged 'jode maro' (hit with footwear) protests at two places - outside Balgandharva auditorium and in Kothrud - and raised slogans against the rebels.Jun 26, 2022 13:21 (IST) Meeting of Eknath Shinde faction begins in a Guwahati hotel to discuss further strategies and legal aspects. Another important meeting could be held later todayJun 26, 2022 12:27 (IST)Centre grants Y-plus CRPF cover to 15 rebel Shiv Sena MLAsThe Centre on Sunday extended Y-plus security cover of CRPF commandos to at least 15 rebel Shiv Sena MLAs, officials said.Those who were provided the security cover include Ramesh Bornare, Mangesh Kudalkar, Sanjay Shirsat, Latabai Sonawane, Prakas Surve and 10 others.Their families living in Maharashtra too will be secured as the security blanket entails house protection teams, they said.Jun 26, 2022 12:25 (IST)20 Rebel MLAs In Touch With Uddhav Thackeray: SourcesAt least 20 MLAs camping with rebel leader Eknath Shinde are reportedly in touch with Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, sources have told NDTV. NDTV has also learnt that some of the rebels are against with the group merging with the BJP.Jun 26, 2022 12:00 (IST) Shiv Sena workers hold bike rally to protest against the rebel Shiv Sena MLAs outside the Saamana office in MumbaiJun 26, 2022 11:42 (IST)If You Have The Guts...: Aaditya Thackeray's Open Challenge To Rebels Amid Maharashtra CrisisMaharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray has dared the Shiv Sena rebels, led by minister Eknath Shinde, to quit the party and face elections, amid a worsening political crisis in the state.Jun 26, 2022 11:05 (IST)Eknath Shinde calls meeting of rebel Sena MLAs today in GuwahatiAmid the political crisis in Maharashtra, rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde has called a meeting of MLAs camping with him at a hotel in Assam's Guwahati on Sunday to discuss the strategy ahead.The political turbulence in Maharashtra was triggered by the faction war in Shiv Sena after Minister Eknath Shinde flew to Surat with some MLAs and then to Guwahati where he claims of having the support of 38 MLAs of the 55 Shiv Sena legislators, which is more than two-thirds of the party's strength in the 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. It means that they can either leave and form another political party or merge with another without being disqualified from the state assembly.Jun 26, 2022 10:10 (IST)Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has been discharged from the hospital after recovery from Covid-19. officials said todayJun 26, 2022 09:36 (IST)Maharashtra Crisis: How Long Will You Hide?: Sena's Sanjay Raut Sends A Message With Maharashtra Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal's PicSanjay Raut, the chief spokesperson of Shiv Sena, which is battling a rebellion led by senior leader Eknath Shinde, today took a swipe at the rebel leaders camping in BJP-ruled Assam.Jun 26, 2022 09:33 (IST)Team Thackeray's Dare After Rebel Eknath Shinde's Late Night MeetingShiv Sena rebel leader Eknath Shinde met BJP's Devendra Fadnavis in Gujarat last night to discuss possible government formation in Maharashtra, sources have said. Team Thackeray, meanwhile, said it will "not forget the betrayal" done by the rebels.
Maharashtra deputy speaker Narhari Zirwal issued disqualification notices to 16 rebel Shiv Sena members of the legislative assembly (MLAs) holed up in Guwahati, including their leader and minister Eknath Shinde, for not obeying the party whip. The division within the Shiv Sena has put in doubt the survival of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition headed by chief minister Uddhav Thackeray. The turmoil sparked further violence in the state with Shiv Sena workers attacking properties associated with the rebels. As a precautionary measure, police in Mumbai imposed Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) until July 10."Following the disqualification request made with the deputy speaker, summons have been issued against you under the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (Disqualification on Ground of Defection) Rules, 1986," said the notice to the MLAs. "You can file a written reply in your defence, by June 27 till 5:30 pm along with relevant documents that you feel are necessary for reference." The summons was issued by Rajendra Bhagwat, principal secretary, Maharashtra legislature, on behalf of the deputy speaker.The Shinde group has indicated it will challenge in court the deputy speaker's decision to send them notices. Zirwal is said to have rejected the rebels' notice seeking his removal, saying that it did not follow procedure. Legislative assembly officials were not available to confirm this. The rebel MLAs had said that since a motion for removal has been moved against Zirwal, he cannot decide on the disqualification of MLAs. The rebellion became public earlier this week after the rebels were taken to Surat and went on to Guwahati.Chief minister Thackeray said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was seeking to destroy the Shiv Sena at a national executive meeting on Saturday. The party passed six resolutions, which included authorising Thackeray to take action against the rebels. It also said no one would be allowed to use the name of the party or founder Bal Thackeray to form a new group. This came after the rebels decided to name their faction Shiv Sena (Balasaheb)."The executive decided that Shiv Sena belongs to Bal Thackeray and is committed to taking forward his fierce ideology of Hindutva and Marathi pride," party spokesperson and MP Sanjay Raut said. "It passed a resolution, giving all powers to take action against those who have betrayed the party to Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray." Following the violence, Shinde said the MVA government had withdrawn police security for the families of the rebel MLAs. Mumbai police deployed personnel at the city-based offices of various political parties and leaders, including ministers, MLAs and MPs, and their residences, as a security measure, an official said on Saturday.Deepak Kesarkar, a spokesperson of the rebel group, said it has a two-thirds majority and hence Shinde remains the leader of the Sena legislature group.
With the state plunged into a political crisis after a rebellion in the Shiv Sena, the Mumbai police on Saturday imposed Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code banning unlawful assembly in the city and beefed up security at the residences and offices of all ministers, elected representatives and party leaders. The prohibitory order was issued on June 4 and reiterated by the police now in the wake of the political situation in the state.On high alert after a few incidents of violence where Shiv Sena workers attacked the offices of some rebel party MLAs, the Mumbai police said on Saturday that assembly of more than five people anywhere on the streets will not be allowed, with exceptions like weddings, funerals, cinema halls and other social gatherings outside courts, companies and educational institutions. Further, no controversial banners or posters will be allowed to be put up as it could provoke sentiments, leading to law and order issues in Mumbai.The Mumbai Police issued a press note stating that on Friday, Police Commissioner Sanjay Pandey held a meeting of top police officials and asked them to beef up security.In a related development, the Nehru Nagar police took local Shiv Sena leader Dilip More and 19 of his Sena workers from Kurla (East) into custody for damaging a board outside the party office of rebel MLA Mangesh Kudalkar on Friday afternoon.
Mumbai: Amid the reports of Shiv Sainiks allegedly ransacking the offices of rebel legislators, Mumbai Police on Saturday imposed section 144 of CrPC in the city.Mumbai Police issued a high alert and directed all police stations to ensure security at all political offices in the city. It has been directed that officer-level Police personnel shall visit every political office to ensure their safety.Shiv Sena workers protested against rebel MLAs of the party and burnt effigies outside the party office in Kharghar.Shiv Sena workers ransacked the office of rebel party MLA Tanaji Sawant in Pune on Saturday. Sawant is one of the rebel Shiv Sena MLAs of the Eknath Shinde faction and is currently camping in Guwahati, Assam."Our party workers vandalised Tanaji Sawant's office. All traitors and rebel MLAs who have troubled our chief Uddhav Thackeray will face this type of action. Their office will also be attacked. No one will be spared," said Sanjay More, Shiv Sena Pune city head.Following this, Pune Police issued an alert and directed all police stations to ensure security at offices related to Shiv Sena leaders in the city.Meanwhile, rebel Shiv Sena leader and state cabinet minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday wrote to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray over the alleged 'malicious' withdrawal of security of family members of the 38 MLAs camping with him in a Guwahati hotel.In his letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and State Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil, Shinde claimed that the security provided to the MLAs at their residence as well as to their family members as per the protocol has been illegally and unlawfully withdrawn, as an act of revenge.However, Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil refuted Shinde's claim of withdrawal of security."Neither the Chief Minister nor the Home Department has ordered the withdrawal of security of any MLA. The allegations being levelled through Twitter are false and completely baseless. No MLA's security has been withdrawn. Keeping in view the prevailing situation, the Home Department has decided to provide security at the residence of MLAs to keep their families safe," said Mr Patil.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.comMr Shinde along with 38 party MLAs and nine independent MLAs are campaigning at Radisson Blu Hotel in Guwahati in BJP-ruled Assam from June 22.Notably, the Eknath Shinde faction, earlier on Friday, gave notice of a no-confidence motion against Deputy Speaker Narhari Jhirwal, after the Uddhav Thackeray faction submitted a plea before the deputy speaker to disqualify the rebel MLAs.
NAGPUR: Amid the rebellion by Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde against Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and incidents being reported of offices of some rebel MLAs being attacked and damaged, Independent Lok Sabha MP from Amravati Navneet Rana on Saturday sough President's Rule in the state. Shinde and a sizable number of MLAs raised the banner of revolt against Thackeray on June 21, with the rebel group's main demand being that the Sena withdraw from the ruling MVA, which comprises the NCP and Congress. In a video message, Rana said, "I want to request (Union) Home minister Amit Shah to secure the families of all the MLAs who have gone to the original Shiv Sena group, which is the one led by Eknath Shinde." "President's Rule must be imposed in Maharashtra so that the hooliganism of Uddhav Thackeray is stopped and people of Maharashtra are protected from it," she said. Rane and her MLA husband Ravi Rana are bitter critics of Thackeray and had, in April, announced that they would recite Hanuman Chalisa in front of Matoshree, the Sena chief's private home in Mumbai's Bandra. The couple was arrested on April 23 and released on bail in early May.
Aaditya Thackeray had earlier termed the Maharashtra crisis as a battle between truth and lies.Mumbai: Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray has dared the Shiv Sena rebels, led by minister Eknath Shinde, to quit the party and face elections, amid a worsening political crisis in the state.He asked the rebels to "defect and fight", in an open challenge to the MLAs camping in BJP-ruled Assam as the revolt against Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray continued for almost a week."If you have guts, leave Shiv Sena - defect and fight. If you think what we have done is wrong, Uddhav (Thackeray) ji's leadership is wrong and we all are wrong, then resign and face elections. We are ready," he said."You see the people standing here - they will not be able to campaign here in Maharashtra," said Mr Thackeray, addressing supporters in Mumbai yesterday.He had earlier termed the crisis as a battle between truth and lies. "We will not forget the betrayal done by rebel Shiv Sena MLAs. We (Shiv Sena) will win for sure," he said.The Maha Vikas Aghadi government is on the brink of collapse with Mr Shinde, a heavyweight from Maharashtra's Thane district, claiming the support of nearly 40 Sena MLAs.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.comThe rebel faction had termed Sena's alliance with Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress "unnatural", and demanded that the party, founded by Balasaheb Thackeray, restore its alliance with the BJP.The Sena has so far sought the disqualification of 16 of its rebel MLAs, including Mr Shinde, and notices have been served to them.
The political situation in Maharashtra is in a state of flux. One of the seniormost Shiv Sena leaders and Thane strongman, Eknath Shinde, has defied the party leadership, exposing the vulnerabilities of Uddhav Thackeray’s leadership. If Shinde is a Sainik in the old mould of aggressive, street politics, the rebel camp accuses Thackeray of being a weak administrator, inaccessible to his party legislators except through go-betweens, unable to stand up to allies NCP and Congress, biased towards his son Aaditya, and defensive over the party’s core stand of Hindutva.How then does one understand this situation?The Shiv Sena has always been an issue-based, reactionary congregation. It adopts issues and works on them till these are used up and moves on to the next. The first instalment of its politics was about the rights of Marathis against Gujaratis and then South Indians. It moved towards Hindu nationalism gradually, thus sustaining its relevance.The Hindutva brand that Uddhav espouses now is, in a sense, that of his grandfather Keshav Thackeray. Hindutva for the Thackeray patriarch meant self-rule and a strike against Brahmin priesthood. Keshav was known for his staunch anti-Brahmin, lower-caste politics, partly owing to the subordination of his caste group in the varna hierarchy, as a group that worked as scribes or pen smiths and accountants. Uddhav too has lately been calling out the Brahmin in the room, by hinting at the damage caused by the RSS’s Brahminism.Keshav’s participation in the Satya Shodak movement with roots in the rural base of the Shudras and Dalits also helped Bal Thackeray at the start by giving him a ready base. The core constituency of the Sena was at the time the poor, migrant, working-class population of western Maharashtra in Mumbai. After the Samyukta Maharashtra Movement, it started making inroads among others.While caste-less politics helped the Sena, it has also been pushed into a corner on the matter. One of its most powerful OBC leaders, Chhagan Bhujbal, left the party over its stand on the Mandal agitation for OBC quota.The Shiv Sena is also known for its organisational capacity. Its network runs from gullies to the heart of the city. However, this does not translate into an ability to govern the state as a mature party. Girish Kuber, the editor of Loksatta, rightly commented in his column forThe Indian Express that the Sena is more a loose, unorganised social body instead of a responsible, statutory political party.The cadres do not see themselves as capable of self-governance; this is after being in power twice. More than social action, they are trained in street-level instant justice, building them popularity at the ground level. However, as the leaders go up, they find politics must move beyond.Then, part of the reason the Shiv Sena was able to spread beyond the Mumbai region was the hope it offered, even if accidentally, to Marathas insecure about the rise of a Dalit rights movement. The firebrand Dalit Panthers is believed to have inspired, in part, the aggressive tactics of the Sena. Even the symbolism of Dalit Panthers was tapped into by the Sena, by choosing tiger as its symbol, against the leaping panther of the Dalit outfit.If the above have been both a boon and a bane, another drawback has been the gradual transformation of the Sena into the kind of party (read the Congress) that once Bal Thackeray bitterly criticised. While he himself rose to the status of a demi-god, somewhat in the mould of the Gandhis, the reins of the party have moved on to first his son and grandson.The rest of the Sena leadership too resembles other parties — most of them are Brahmins, alongside Marathas, with some backward caste names. Though the party has a base in the backward castes of the non-Mumbai region, its leaders are mostly of dominant castes from Mumbai.The difference is more pronounced since Uddhav allowed Aaditya a freer hand as he himself battled several ailments. An important piece of the puzzle is Uddhav’s wife Rashmi. She remains an invisible hand in Thackeray politics.So will Uddhav’s Hindutva inherited from Keshav survive the onslaught of Modi’s Hindutva drawn from Savarkar?Yengde, the author of Caste Matters, curates the fortnightly ‘Dalitality’ column
MUMBAI: Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray on Saturday said the present turmoil in the party, triggered by senior leader Eknath Shinde's rebellion, is the battle between "truth and lie". Speaking to reporters after attending the Shiv Sena national executive," Aaditya said, "We will win and the truth will prevail. This is a battle between truth and lies." Aaditya, son of Sena president and Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, held a meeting with Sena workers from south Mumbai to rally the party cadre. Elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), controlled by Shiv Sena, are expected to be held later this year. The Mumbai civic polls are crucial for the Sena which considers Mumbai as its citadel.
In the midst of the political turmoil roiling the Shiv Sena and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra, a remarkable analogy has been drawn between Sena president and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s tense face-off with his challenger Eknath Shinde and party founder Bal Thackeray’s strained ties with Shinde’s mentor Anand Dighe.Just like Uddhav and his son Aaditya Thackeray marginalised Shinde in the Sena and government affairs despite the latter’s unofficial No. 2 position in the party, Bal Thackeray also sought to sideline the Thane Sena strongman Dighe after getting wary of his rising popularity.Dighe, who began his career in the Sena from the grass-roots level, died of heart attack in 2001 at the age of 49 after he met with an accident.Party old-timers point out that like Bal Thackeray Dighe never fought any elections and was mostly engaged in the affairs of the party’s Thane unit. Many locals looked up to him as a “problem-solver” as they used to flock to his “darbar” at Thane’s Tembhi Naka to seek his help with school-college admission for their children, hospitalisation, property disputes, among other things. He often used to summon various rival parties by issuing them chits under the aegis of a body called “Grahak Seva Manch”. A section of people also flayed Dighe’s bid to treat Thane as his “fiefdom” though, questioning his “extra-judicial manner of functioning”.The Thane police did not interfere with Dighe’s activities. In fact, successive police commissioners used to meet him as a “courtesy call” after taking over their charge in the city.Dighe first shot into limelight in the 1980s by claiming that the Haji Malang shrine near Kalyan was dedicated to the Nath-Panthi sect swamis, even as the Muslim community maintained that it was dedicated to Haji Malang baba. Dighe was a Nath-Panthi himself and wore several rings in his fingers.Another agitation that he later kicked off was to claim Hindus’ rights over the Durgadi fort in Kalyan. Dubbed as “Dharmaveer”, he also used to organise the Navratri and Ganesh festivals on a large scale.In 1989, a Thane corporator Shridhar Khopkar was killed due to cross-voting in favour of the Congress in the city mayoral polls. Dighe was later arrested in connection with this murder case under the then draconian Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act (TADA) and was in jail for a long time.Remembering Dighe, Sena deputy leader Shishir Shinde said, “He used to work till 3 am for the people. I recall that Dighe was injured in a lathi charge at Bhayander and got his leg fractured in the 1980s and Balasaheb Thackeray personally went to see him.’’After taking over as the Sena’s Thane district chief in the mid-80s, Dighe managed to get the Thane parliamentary constituency from the BJP during the seat-sharing negotiations between the two allies.A local corporator, Shinde was one of Dighe’s aides. He was later appointed as Leader of the House in the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC). Apart from the TMC, Dighe also held influence in the civic bodies in Kalyan Dombivali, Ambernath, Navi Mumbai, Mira Bhayander Ulhasnagar, Bhiwandi Nizampur, Vasai, Virar, NallaSopara, Naigaon, Palghar and Dahanu.This however also put him on a collision course with Thackeray Senior, who apprehended that he was getting too powerful and thus started clipping his wings over various matters. Dighe and Thackeray belonged to the same caste, CKP (Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu), and many Sainiks in Thane saw the former as an alternative to Thackerays.After coming to power in Maharashtra in 1995, the Sena-led government appointed T Chandrashekhar as the TMC commissioner. The civic body then launched a massive demolition exercise to widen the city roads, which was opposed by Dighe. But Thackeray Sr supported Chandrashekhar in his tussle with Dighe on this matter. The selection of candidates for the 1997 TMC polls also witnessed the shrinking of Dighe’s authority.Similarly, Shinde’s relations with Thackerays went sour in recent years. Though he has been the urban development minister, it was the Yuva Sena leader and environment minister, Aaditya Thackeray, who called the shots in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), even though Shinde was its chairman. In the urban development department too, many orders given by Shinde were stayed by the Thackerays.A chain smoker, Dighe met with an accident in Thane district in 2001 and was admitted to the Singhania hospital. He subsequently died due to heart attack in the hospital. After his death, the Sena sliced the party leadership of Thane city and district, carving dual posts for the units. Shinde, however, emerged as the undisputed party leader of the entire district in due course.Recently, a Marathi film on Dighe’s life, titled “Dharmaveer”, was released in theatres, which was funded by Shinde. The film proved to be a hit, with Shinde arranging a show for many people including his cabinet colleagues. He had been so influenced by his mentor that he also tried to adopt his looks and appearance. And, like Dighe Shinde is also known to be a skilled party organiser too.Suhas Godse, a senior president in a leading industrial house who had worked with the Singhania group when Dighe died, said, “Dighe looked after people with a heavy hand and a soft heart. I know for a fact that he did not make money for himself.”
Aaditya Thackeray made the remarks while leaving the Sena bhavan today.New Delhi: The Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra is currently caught in a political turmoil after a rebellion by party leader Eknath Shinde. In a brief address to party workers, Sena minister Aaditya Thackeray said that this is a battle between truth and lies."You already know what was discussed in the meeting, the important thing is that we will not forget the betrayal done by rebel Shiv Sena MLAs. We (Shiv Sena) will win for sure," Aaditya Thackeray said while leaving the party office in Mumbai.Mr Shinde, a minister in the Uddhav Thackeray cabinet and a heavyweight from Thane district, has rebelled against the party, pushing the MVA governmemt, in which NCP and Congress also share power, to the brink of collapse.Mr Shinde has claimed the support of nearly 40 MLAs, all of whom are currently in Guwahati in Assam.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.comThe Shiv Sena today said it would take action against the rebels by Saturday evening as they seemed headed towards launching a spin-off party named "Shiv Sena Balasaheb Thackeray".
Shivraj Singh Chouhan took a dig at Kamal Nath over MaharashtraBhopal: Taking a dig at Congress leader Kamal Nath, who has been sent as the party's observer in Maharashtra amid the political crisis there, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said it was "amusing" to see someone who "failed to save his own government" in Madhya Pradesh now trying to rescue the Shiv Sena in the neighbouring state.The Congress on Tuesday sent Kamal Nath as the party's observer in Maharashtra after Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde rebelled against his party along with a group of party MLAs and independents, pushing the Uddhav Thackery-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, of which Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress are also allies, to the brink of collapse."Now, Kamal Nath is off to Maharashtra. For what? To save the Maharashtra government," Mr Chouhan said in Ujjain while addressing a civic election meeting on Wednesday to gather support for the BJP.Mr Chouhan's remark came at a time when Maharashtra is seeing what appears to be a rerun of the political drama that had unfolded in Madhya Pradesh in March 2020, which led to the collapse of the Congress government and the BJP's return to power."Isn't it amusing to see someone who failed to save his own government in Madhya Pradesh trying to rescue the one in Maharashtra? Congress never stops amazing us," the Chief Minister said, referring to the downfall of the 15-month-old Kamal Nath-led Congress government two years ago."Can this party ever do any good? It cannot as it is counting its last moment," he added.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.comKamal Nath had to step down as Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister in 2020 after 22 MLAs, most of them loyal to Jyotiraditya Scidia, resigned from the assembly, reducing the Congress to a minority with 92 MLAs in the 230-member house.It paved the way for the return of the BJP in Madhya Pradesh at the helm after a 15-month rule of the Congress. The Congress rebels, including their leader Mr Scindia, were later inducted into the BJP. They all contested the assembly bypolls and most of them won.
At least 10 incidents of violence by Shiv Sena workers against rebel MLAs have been reported across Maharashtra till 8 pm on Saturday. This comes amid the Mumbai Police extending its June 4 order of banning unlawful assembly of five or more persons in the city till July 10.While incidents of violence took place in Pune, Navi Mumbai, Parbhani, Osmanabad, Satara, Thane, Nagpur city, Nanded, Palghar and Kolhapur, a senior state police officer said that except for the cases of violence in Pune and Thane, the rest were “minor” incidents. The local police have lodged FIRs in connection to all the 10 incidents.In Pune, Sena workers attacked the office of rebel Tanaji Sawant at Katraj on Saturday. Sawant runs the Bhairavnath Sugar Work Limited Company, which has a registered office at Katraj in Pune. Vishal Dhanawde, a Sena corporator from Pune, and other party workers ransacked the Katraj office around 11 am.At Thane’s Ulhasnagar, at least five Shiv Sena supporters were detained on Saturday for allegedly pelting stones at the office of Shrikant Shinde, the Lok Sabha MP from Kalyan and the son of rebel leader Eknath Shinde.The incident took place at Shrikant’s Gol Maidan office. A video that has gone viral on the social media showed some persons throwing stones at the office, damaging a board and raising pro-Uddhav Thackeray slogans.Besides, posters of Eknath Shinde were blackened in Navi Mumbai, Nagpur and Nashik. A demonstration was also held against all rebel MLAs at Hadapsar in Pune.At Navi Mumbai and Parbhani, effigies of Eknath Shinde and other MLAs like Bharat Gogawale, Mahendra Dalvi, Mahendra Thorve and Gulabrao Patil, were burnt. At Osmanabad, while the Sena again targeted Tanaji Sawant, party workers threw chappals on Sawant’s poster in Satara.In Nagpur, Sena workers blackened and tore posters of Eknath Shinde outside his office. While at Nanded, the workers tried to burn the effigy of MLA Balaji Kalyankar, at four places of Boisar in Palghar, Sainiks threw ink on the posters of Shinde.On Friday afternoon, the Nehru Nagar police had taken local Sena leader Dilip More and 19 workers from Kurla in Mumbai into custody for damaging a board outside the office of rebel MLA Mangesh Kudalkar.The Mumbai Police, meanwhile, has stepped up security at the residences and offices of ministers, MPs, MLAs andcorporators.
Guwahati: The drama outside Radisson Blu Hotel here on Friday was as intense as the one unfolding inside on the third day since Eknath Shinde and his men started checking in to challenge Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s leadership.The day was marked by bouquets for Shinde and his men from ally Ramdas Bandu Athawale’s Republican Party of India and brickbats for BJP and Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma from Congress and AAP.But the one who hogged the limelight was a lone figure from Maharashtra, who identified himself as Sanjay Bhosle, deputy chief of Shiv Sena’s Satara district unit. He was carrying a placard urging Shinde to return to ‘Matoshree’.“I came here to tell him just one thing that you remember the last words of Balashaeb Thackeray to stand with Uddhav and Aditya and return. Like Shinde, I am also a diehard party worker. I want to tell Shinde that Shiv Sena has given him a lot and he should return to Matoshree,” Bhosale told the media.Bhosle was whisked away in a police vehicle to the nearest police station where he is stated to have been detained.
MUMBAI: Maharashtra on Saturday reported 23 cases of Covid-19 caused by sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5, taking the tally of such patients to 49, a state health department official said. As per the report of the Mumbai-based Kasturba Hospital Central Laboratory, which has been evaluated by the National Institute of Virology in Pune, the 23 cases comprise 17 infections caused by BA.5 and six by BA.4. It said one patient was below 18 years of age, two are in the 18-25 segment, nine are in between 26 and 50 years and 11 patients are 50-plus. Of the 23 patients, 12 are women and the rest men, the report added. The report informed that of the 49 samples, 28 are in Mumbai, 15 in Pune, four in Nagpur and two in Thane. The Kasturba laboratory has tested 364 samples, which were collected between June 1 and 18 and barring one, all have been of the Omicron variant, while BA.2 and BA.238 have been found in 325 samples, a state health department bulletin said.
MUMBAI: Maharashtra on Saturday reported 1,728 Covid-19 cases, lower than the actual rise, due to a technical glitch in the ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) portal, and four fatalities, the state health department said. A day earlier, the state had reported 4,205 Covid-19 cases after breaching the 5,000-mark on Thursday. "Today, due to a technical glitch in the ICMR portal, the entire daily data of Covid-19 cases cannot be downloaded. So, the state has recorded 1,728 cases today, lower than the actual (number). Remaining data will be added as soon as the portal starts functioning normally," the department said in a bulletin. Maharashtra's cumulative caseload now stands at 79,56,173 and the Covid-19 death toll at 1,47,900, it said. The case fatality rate in the state is 1.85 per cent. A total of 2,708 people were discharged after Covid-19 treatment, raising the count of recoveries in Maharashtra to 77,83,940, leaving the state with 24,333 active cases as of Saturday. The recovery rate in Maharashtra is 97.84 per cent, the bulletin said. With 19,372 tests, the number of samples tested so far in the state increased to 8,18,13,248, it added. Three of the four Covid-19 fatalities were reported from Mumbai and one from Solapur. Maharashtra's Covid-19 figures are as follows: Today's cases 1,728, total cases 79,56,173, deaths 4, total deaths 1,47,900, tests 19,372, total tests 8,18,13,248.
PUNE: The state’s booster or precaution dose consumption has surged with the initiation of the doorstep Covid-19 vaccination programme. Going by the latest report of the state health department, nearly 3.16lakh residents over 60 years of age across 36 districts have availed of the benefit of the third dose since the beginning of the special Har Ghar Dastak drive on June 1. “We aim to administer this precaution dose to every eligible person over 60 years in the state and cover the maximum people by the end of July,” said state immunisation officer Dr Sachin Desai. The response to the precaution dose had gone down drastically after Covid cases dipped between February and May. The cases have started slightly rising over the last two weeks, which is also prompting people to seek a booster dose. Currently, only residents over 60 years of age and healthcare/frontline workers are eligible for a free booster dose. Citizens in the 18-59 age bracket are not privy to the free booster shot under the country’s Covid vaccination programme, and have to bear the cost of the shot at designated private hospitals. This is also one of the prominent reasons why most districts have registered extremely low consumption of the booster dose in the 18-59 age bracket, while a few have recorded zero jabs. The Union government allowed the booster shot for the 18-59 age group at private centres from April 10 this year. Earlier in June, state health minister Rajesh Tope had asked the Centre to give the booster dose for free for the younger group to push up vaccination numbers.
After recording the biggest single-day jump in cases since February and January at 5,218 and 2,479 respectively, on Thursday, Covid-19 cases in Maharashtra and state capital Mumbai saw a sharp drop over the last 24 hours. The state logged 4,205 fresh Covid infections on Friday while the financial capital recorded 1,898 cases. The fresh cases in the city marked a drop of 23.43 per cent.The test positivity rate (TPR) — the number of positive cases out of the total tests conducted — stood at 12.70 per cent in the city with 14,944 tests conducted on Friday.Two more people succumbed to the deadly SARS-CoV-2 virus in the city over the last 24 hours, taking the toll thus far to 19,591. According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), a 92-year-old man suffering from hypertension and hypothyroid succumbed to the infection. The other Covid casualty on the day was a 93-year-old man with a heart disease.The state, meanwhile, saw three more Covid-related deaths on Friday, pushing the toll to 1,47,896. As of Friday, active cases in the state stood at 25,317.According to the latest report by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nagpur, one patient from Nagpur was found to be detected with the BA.5 variant of Omicron. The patient, a 27-year-old woman, was diagnosed on June 19. As per the public health department, she was mildly symptomatic earlier but turned asymptomatic later and recovered in home isolation. The Nagpur cases took the total tally of BA.4 and BA.5 infections in the state to 26.Meanwhile, the Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday appealed to devotees participating in the Ashadhi Wari to wear masks. He also held a meeting with all the district collectors, municipal commissioners and district police superintendents through video conferencing.
Tamil Nadu on Friday added 1,359 new Covid-19 infections raising the total to 34,65,490 till date, the health department said.There were no new fatalities reported in the last 24 hours with the overall death toll remaining unchanged at 38,026, a medical bulletin said.As many as 621 people have recovered in the last 24 hours, aggregating to 34,21,552 leaving 5,912 active cases.The fresh cases include four returnees from the United States of America, Karnataka and Maharashtra.Chennai accounted for the majority of new cases with 616 and Chengalpet recorded 266 while the remaining was spread across 33 of the 38 districts.The state capital leads among districts with 2,790 active infections and overall 7,57,358 coronavirus cases.A total of 25,896 samples were tested in the last 24 hours, pushing the cumulative number of tests so far to 6,69,93,262, the health bulletin said.
Some people threw stones at the Ulhasnagar office of Shrikant Shinde.Thane: At least five Shiv Sena supporters were detained on Saturday in Thane district for allegedly pelting stones at the office of Shrikant Shinde, Lok Sabha MP from Kalyan and son of Shiv Sena rebel leader Eknath Shinde.The incident took place at the Gol Maidan office in Ulhasnagar of the Lok Sabha MP at 1 pm and a video of it had gone viral on social media soon after.It showed some persons throwing stones at the office, damaging a board and also shouting pro-Uddhav Thackeray slogans In the video, four policemen can be seen chasing away the group, comprising eight to ten persons.Five Sena supporters have been detained for the incident and further probe was underway, an Ulhasnagar police official said.Besides, posters of Eknath Shinde were blackened in Navi Mumbai, and similar reports have also come in from Nagpur and Nashik.Meanwhile, at least 20 Sena supporters, including some office-bearers, were detained on Friday for vandalising the office board of MLA Mangesh Kudalkar in Nehrunagar in Mumbai's Kurla area, an official said.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.comThey were let off with a warning, the Mumbai police official added. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
NAVI MUMBAI: Shiv Sena chief and CM Uddhav Thackeray loyalists in Navi Mumbai staged a protest in Kharghar and Nerul on Saturday afternoon by burning the effigies of Sena leader Eknath Shinde and three Sena MLAs from Raigad namely Bharat Gogawale from Mahad, Mahendra Dalvi from Alibaug and Mahendra Thorve from Karjat who are with Eknath Shinde in Guwahati, for revolting against CM Thackeray. Shiv Sena workers led by Shiv Sena's Navi Mumbai district chief Vithal More will be staging a protest march at Shivaji chowk in Vashi at 7pm on Saturday as a show of strength in support of CM Thackeray.
Shiv Sena workers vandalise office of the party's MLA Tanaji Sawant.Pune: Shiv Sena workers on Saturday vandalised an office of rebel Shiv Sena MLA Tanaji Sawant, who is currently camping with other dissidents led by Eknath Shinde in Guwahati.A group of Sena workers barged into the office of Bhairavnath Sugar Works, which belongs to Sawant, and damaged the office located in Katraj area in the morning, party corporator Vishal Dhanawade, who was part of the action, said."The ransacking of Sawant's office is just the beginning and the offices of every traitor (rebel MLA) will be destroyed in the coming days," he said.#WATCH | Shiv Sena workers vandalise office of the party's MLA Tanaji Sawant in Balaji area of Katraj, Pune. Sawant is one of the rebel MLAs from the state and is currently camping in Guwahati, Assam. #MaharashtraPoliticalCrisispic.twitter.com/LXRSLPxYJC— ANI (@ANI) June 25, 2022Mr Sawant represents Paranda assembly constituency in Osmanabad district.Talking about the incident, DCP Sagar Patil said, "Sawant's sugar factory office was attacked between 10.30 am and 11 am. We are registering a case in this connection and instructions to take further action have been given to the local police officials."PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.comMajority of Shiv Sena MLAs have shifted their loyalty to Eknath Shinde and are camping in Guwahati, plunging the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who heads the Sena, into a crisis.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Shiv Sena activists from Pune on Saturday attacked the office of party rebel Tanaji Sawant in the Katraj area of the city.A former minister, Sawant is an MLA from the Paranda Vidhan Sabha constituency in the Osmanabad district of Maharashtra. He is among the rebels who have joined Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde’s camp.Sawant runs the Bhairavnath Sugar Work Limited Company, has factories in different parts of the state and a registered office at Pune’s Katraj.Vishal Dhanawde, a Shiv Sena corporator from Pune, and other activists of the party, ransacked the Katraj office around 11 am Saturday. The agitators also shouted slogans against Sawant and called him a ‘gaddar’ (traitor). Shiv Sainiks also blamed Sawant for the ongoing rebellion.Meanwhile, after receiving information, Pune city police teams rushed to the spot to control the situation. Process of lodging an offence in this case is on.
Maharashtra Political Crisis: Mangesh Kudalkar is one of the 38 Shiv Sena rebel MLAs.Mumbai (Maharashtra): The office of one of the rebel MLAs of Shiv Sena, Mangesh Kudalkar, was vandalised on Friday allegedly by party workers amid the ongoing factionalism in the party.Mangesh Kudalkar is one of the 38 Shiv Sena rebel MLAs who has camped in a Guwahati hotel under the leadership of MLA Eknath Shinde.Notably, Eknath Shinde was elected leader at a meeting of rebel MLAs at the hotel where they are staying.The meeting also unanimously decided to authorise Eknath Shinde to take a decision about the future course of action.In a video released by the Eknath Shinde camp on Thursday evening, he is heard saying that they will be together in any situation and face everything together."We will be together in every situation. We will face everything with full unity. We will end up victorious in the end," he said."As you all have said that they (BJP) are a national party and a 'mahashakti'... All saw what happened to Pakistan...They have told me that the decision I have taken is historic and they are backing us. They would not us lag behind in anything. They will support us if there is a need and this will be felt whenever such a situation arises," Eknath Shinde added.Amid the continuing political crisis in Maharashtra due to revolt in the Shiv Sena, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar arrived at Matoshree, the residence of the Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai.The leaders were accompanied by state minister Jayant Patil and NCP leader Praful Patel. The leaders are expected to discuss ways to prevent fall of MVA government, which also includes Congress.Ajit Pawar said earlier in the day that the NCP stands with the Chief Minister and will try to "keep the government stable".The crisis continued to plague Shiv Sena with rebel leader Eknath Shinde claiming support of 38 party MLAs.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.comThackeray convened a meeting of district chiefs of the party and said he left Varsha Bungalow, the official residence of the Chief Minister, but not the "will to fight"."I have said it earlier also that I don't have anything to do with power. The people who used to say that they would rather die than leave Shiv Sena have fled today," he said.
A HIGH-POWERED delegation led by Subhash Desai, Minister of Industries, Baldev Singh, Additional Chief Secretary (Industries) and P Anbalagan, CEO, MIDC met with Young Liu, Chairman of Taiwan-based Foxconn to discuss advancedinvestment plans in the semiconductor and consumer electronics segments.Mumbai News1Covid cases in Maharashtra drop to 4,205, Mumbai sees 23.43% decline in infections2Dawood aide booked for forcing wife into sexual relationships for extortion denied bail3Maharashtra: Schools return to pre-pandemic curriculum for classes 1-12More from MumbaiThe state delegation held focus group discussions with specialists from Foxconn in the sectors of ICT, Electric Vehicles, Mobility, and battery manufacturing. After the meeting, Industries Minister, Subhash Desai remarked, “We will provide full institutional support to Foxconn from the state government and ensure the development of a hi-tech ecosystem that is also socially conscious and brings tremendous skilled employment to the country.” Express SubscriptionCheck out our special pricing for international readers when the offer lastsSubscribe NowThe state delegation held focus group discussions with specialists from Foxconn in the sectors of ICT, Electric Vehicles, Mobility, and battery manufacturing. After the meeting, Industries Minister, Subhash Desai remarked, “We will provide full institutional support to Foxconn from the state government and ensure the development of a hi-tech ecosystem that is also socially conscious and brings tremendous skilled employment to the country.” Express SubscriptionCheck out our special pricing for international readers when the offer lastsSubscribe Now
MUMBAI: Foxconn officials called on ministerial delegation from Maharashtra, eying investments in semiconductor and consumer electronics segments. A high-powered delegation from Maharashtra led by Subhash Desai, Minister Industries, Baldev Singh, Additional Chief Secretary (Industries) and P Anbalagan, CEO MIDC met Young Liu, Chairman of Taiwan based Foxconn to discuss advanced investment plans in the semiconductor and consumer electronics segments. Foxconn, the largest and globally most trusted electronics manufacturer in the world and 22nd in the list of Fortune 500 companies is expanding into Semiconductor Manufacturing and is exploring the South Asian market for its next venture to build for the world. To this effect, Foxconn held successful rounds of meetings recently with Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and Minister for Electronics and IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw. In the last two years, arguably the toughest years for businesses worldwide, Maharashtra has secured more than INR 6 lac crore (US $80 + Billion) worth of investments and has also allocated world class industrial land, infrastructure, and facilities to more than 80% of these investors in record time. With pioneering policies that are both lucrative to the investor and strengthen the state’s sectoral value addition, manufacturing and skilling ecosystems, Foxconn’s vision for the future closely aligns with the state’s goal of attracting global partners with a long term vision, revealed industry officials through a press statement. Pune, in Maharashtra has emerged as the most natural choice for Foxconn with one of the best talent pool, industrial ecosystem, consumer base and residential spaces in Asia. Foxconn will be joining a league of global OEMs and world class suppliers and will partner with the state to build the world’s electronics and supply chain backbone, stated an MIDC release issued here. The state delegation also comprised of Ajit Patil and Ranga Naik, Joint CEOs at MIDC, who held focus group discussions with specialists from Foxconn in the sectors of ICT, Electric Vehicles, Mobility, and battery manufacturing. Industry champions from these sectors who have already invested in the state such as WIPRO, Honeywell, Mitsubishi, Causis E-Mobility, Tata Motors and Exide, shared their investment experience, discussed localization and sourcing options and paved the way for stronger value chain integration with Foxconn. After the meeting, Industries Minister, Subhash Desai said “We will provide full institutional support to Foxconn from the state Government and ensure the development of a hi-tech ecosystem that is also socially conscious and brings tremendous skilled employment to the country. We have sharpened our focus on realizing strategic investments and have been able to generate more than 4 lakh jobs in the last two years and we hope to partner with Foxconn to ensure sustainable job creation of high value talent in the state” The Foxconn Chairman Liu said he was enthused to have found synergies of scale with Maharashtra and jointly develop world class talent and products geared towards the future.
A high level delegation from Maharashtra met Foxconn chairman Young LiuA high-powered delegation from Maharashtra led by Industries Minister Subhash Desai on Friday met electronics manufacturer Foxconn's chairman Young Liu to discuss advanced investment plans in the semiconductor and consumer electronics segments.Foxconn, the largest electronics manufacturer in the world, is exploring the South Asian market for its next venture to build for the world. To this effect, Foxconn has held successful rounds of meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, an official statement said."Pune has emerged as the most natural choice for Foxconn with one of the best talent pool, industrial ecosystem, consumer base and residential spaces in Asia. Foxconn will be joining a league of global OEMs and world class suppliers and will partner with the state to build the world's electronics and supply chain backbone," the statement further added.In the last two years, Maharashtra has secured more than Rs 6 lakh crore worth of investments and has also allocated world class industrial land, infrastructure, and facilities to more than 80 per cent of these investors in record time, a state government statement said.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.com"With pioneering policies that are both lucrative to the investor and strengthen the state's sectoral value addition, manufacturing and skilling ecosystems, Foxconn's vision for the future closely aligns with the state's goal of attracting global partners with a long term vision," it added further.
TOP officers of the Maharashtra Police held meetings with commissioners and SPs across the state, asking them to be on alert in the wake of the political crisis prevailing the state. Officers have been asked to identify possible troublemakers and ensure there is no breakdown of law and order in the state.An IPS officer said, “We are concerned about any law-and-order situation in the state especially when the rebel faction comes to the state. We are also keeping an eye out for any possible violence by the Shiv Sainiks against some of the MLAs, who have joined ranks with Shinde.”The officer added that so far, there have been three instances in Mumbai and one in Kolhapur linked to the political crisis. In Mumbai, Shiv Sena workers damaged the offices of rebel MLAs Kudalkar, Sada Sarvankar and Dilip Lande on Friday when their posters blackened. “Local police stations have been asked to ensure that family members of rebel leaders are not attacked,” an officer said.The officer added that they are wary of any street fights between supporters of either side, especially in areas like Thane, which is Shinde’s stronghold. “We have kept reserve police like the State Reserve Police Force on standby to ensure that if there is any issue, prompt action can be taken,” an officer said.“Generally, every MLA in his constituency has rivals, who we fear will use the situation to their advantage in cases where the legislator has defected,” an IPS officer told The Indian Express.There are indications that the Union government may provide the rebel MLAs CRPF cover when they come to Mumbai. “It is the prerogative of the Centre to provide security to any individual or group that it deems fit,” the officer added.
Shiv Sena workers gathered at Uddhav Thackeray's house, Matoshri, in Mumbai on Friday.Mumbai: As the crisis for Uddhav Thackeray's government deepened on Friday, police in Maharashtra went on high alert in the evening after getting information that workers of the Shiv Sena might "take to the streets in large numbers". Supporters, meanwhile, started gathering at the Thackeray family residence, Matoshree, raising slogans and beating drums to express support for the chief minister. All Police stations in Maharashtra, especially those in Mumbai, have been ordered to remain on high alert. Police received info that Shiv Sainiks can take to the streets in large numbers. To ensure that peace prevails, Police have been asked to remain alert: Maharashtra Police pic.twitter.com/V8QGL0NRYR— ANI (@ANI) June 24, 2022This came a short while after an emotional Uddhav Thackeray told party workers during a virtual meeting that the rebels were "trying to break" the Sena. "Without using the names of Shiv Sena and Thackeray, how will you move ahead?" Mr Thackeray said, targeting the rebels.#WATCH | Shiv Sena workers continue to remain outside Matoshree (Thackeray residence) in Mumbai as a meeting between CM Uddhav Thackeray and NCP leaders, including party chief Sharad Pawar, continues. #MaharashtraPoliticalTurmoilpic.twitter.com/5TgTr8rSEr— ANI (@ANI) June 24, 2022Those gathered outside Matoshri said they came from Mulund and wanted to show support to the leader during this difficult time. Two days ago, a large number of Shiv Sainiks had gathered when Uddhav Thackeray left the official chief minister residence to shift to the family home. Despite the show of strength by party workers on Friday evening, Uddhav Thackeray's chances to keep the chair looked bleak. Latest developments suggested that the rebel leader, Eknath Shinde, has the critical number of MLAs, 37, required to split the Shiv Sena in the assembly without falling foul of the anti-defection law.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.comEknath Shinde has said the Sena's alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress in Maharashtra is "unnatural", and that it should restore its pact with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).But the Shiv Sena has come out aggressively against the allegation that the party had deserted Hindutva as its ideology. Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi said in an interview with NDTV on Friday evening, "Which Hindutva teaches you to stab your party, which is like a family, in the back?". She said ideology is being used as an alibi for the "BJP-backed" rebellion.
MUMBAI: Police authorities in Maharashtra have issued an alert across the state as Shiv Sena supporters are likely to stage angry protests following senior leader and minister Eknath Shinde's rebellion, an official said on Friday. A couple of incidents of Sena workers targeting the hoardings or boards featuring rebel MLAs who are with Shinde have been reported in the state. Read AlsoShiv Sena national executive committee meet on Saturday: Top developmentsNEW DELHI: The scales seem to be tilting towards the Eknath Shinde faction in the tussle to control the Shiv Sena, with nearly 40 of the party's 55 MLA said to be rallying behind the rebel leader. Chief minister and Sena party chief Uddhav Thackeray has vacated the official CM residence and moved toA general alert has been issued to all district unit commanders like superintendents of police and police commissioners, asking them to take steps to prevent any untoward incident, said an official here. Majority of Shiv Sena MLAs have shifted their loyalty to Eknath Shinde and are camping in Guwahati, plunging the MVA government led by chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, who heads the Sena, into a crisis. Read AlsoIs the ‘Sena loyalist’ ready to deal the final blow?The ranks of the rebels have swelled to a point where it now appears a serious threat to the ruling coalition. Also, for the first time the rebel leader Eknath Shinde has referred to a “national party” willing to support him.In western Maharashtra's Kolhapur, Shiv Sena supporters came out on the streets in large numbers and staged protests against the rebel leaders. In Mumbai, Sena workers tried to smash a board outside Kurla MLA Mangesh Kudalkar's office. Shiv Sena workers also blackened a hoarding put up in support of Shinde in Ambedkar Nagar area of Nashik. Read AlsoMLA of Shiv Sena’s most prestigious seat joins rebel Eknath Shinde’s campThree more Shiv Sena MLAs joined the rebel camp in Guwahati on Wednesday night adding to the numbers required by the Eknath Shinde faction to form a separate unit or assert its will over the party.Considering the possibility that such protests by Thackeray loyalists may intensify in the coming days, police have been asked to take precautionary measures to maintain law and order, the official said. Security at the offices and residences of Shiv Sena MLAs who have joined the Shinde faction has been increased, he said. In Mumbai, the nerve centre of the Shiv Sena's politics, police have been asked to remain alert and deploy adequate number of personnel at all important locations. Security at the Shiv Sena Bhavan (the party headquarters in Dadar) and CM Thackeray's private residence 'Matoshree' in Bandra has also been increased.
