Former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Satyapal Malik met Uddhav Thackeray at the latter’s residence ‘Matoshree’. Extending “full support” to Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), Malik pledged to campaign for the opposition group – comprising Uddhav Sena, Congress and NCP (SP) – in the assembly polls. Giving a war cry, he said that the BJP will not just receive a major blow, but will be electorally wiped out.

Accompanied by Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, Malik was welcomed by Thackeray’s wife Rashmi and son Aaditya. Their meeting lasted for half an hour. Talking to media persons later, Malik said, “I extend my full support to MVA for the upcoming polls. I will also campaign for them. The BJP will be wiped out and Uddhav will play an important role in defeating the BJP.” He appealed to the MVA allies to make adjustments and stay united for the polls.

Malik further said that they discussed the political status of Maharashtra and other issues concerning the state. Asked about his message to Thackeray, he said, “As per my information, the BJP is losing; you (MVA) people will win. We had a cursory discussion about the INDIA bloc. I assured them that the MVA will form the government.”

On Saturday, Malik had said the upcoming assembly elections will significantly influence the political landscape of the country and asserted the state poll results would serve as “the last nail in the BJP’s coffin”.

Earlier, Malik was in the BJP and played an important role in the abrogation of article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. However, later he started taking a stand against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the saffron party. He also made headlines for his sensational comments on the Pulwama attack, Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani. Given the background, his meeting with Thackeray before the assembly elections assumes further significance.

Mumbai: Ahead of Maharashtra assembly elections 2024, all political parties have geared up on their poll strategies. The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) claims that the next chief minister would be from their alliance, while Mahayuti is trying best to retain power amid controversy, internal dicord and tense political atmosphere in the state.

On this light, Union Minister Amit Shah who is on a two-day tour in Maharashtra from tomorrow (September 24 and 25) is set to hold meetings with Mahayuti alliance parties BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP to finalise seat-sharing formula. However, the highlight of his tour will be his visits to MVA strongholds- the Western Maharashtra, Marathwada and Vidharbha.

Notably, BJP has lost its strength in their home ground Vidharbha to Congress in recently concluded Lok Sabha elections. Out of 15 LS constituencies in Vidharbha region, Congress won 13. In LS polls, Congress also emerged as biggest party in the state.

BJP state president Chandrashekar Bawankule, Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis senior BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar and union minister Nitin Gadkari hail from Nagpur, Vidharbha and RSS headquarters are also based here. Thus, it is crucial for BJP to regain its lost strength in the Vidharbha region and Shah’s visit will review BJP’s poll strategy.

Amit Shah will also hold meetings with BJP functionaries in Nashik, western Maharashtra’s Kolhapur and Marathwada’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, which are also strongholds of MVA.

This is Shah’s second visit to the state this month. On the occasion of Ganpati festival he had visited Mumbai and even the held rounds of meetings on the lines of internal discord in Mahayuti, especially Shiv Sena ministers and NCP-led by Ajit Pawar. The tensions in Mahayuti came to fore when Pawar skipped Coastal Road’s section inauguration event.

Nagpur Congress Demands Nana Patols As Next CM

Ahead of Amit Shah’s visit, the Congress have also pushed its gears on poll strategies and retain its power. Maharashtra State Congress President Nana Patole who also hails from Nagpur is projected as MVA’s the chief minister’s face. Although, Congress or MVA has not confirmed any CM face for the upcoming elections, Patole said, it is the workers demand.

Congress MLA and President of Nagpur Congress, Vikas Thakre said, “In Lok Sabha polls Vidharbha elected maximum Congress MP’s. Now it is our responsibility to get the maximum MLA’s from Vidarbha.”

Mumbai: The IMD predicts that there will be rain or thundershowers in the city on the evening or night of September 23. This forecast is part of a larger weather trend after an extended period of little precipitation. Residents should stay informed about weather conditions and get ready for possible thunderstorms.

Mumbai Experiences Rain After Long Dry Spell

Following a long period of no rain, Mumbai is predicted to see the return of wet weather this week. During this season, the IMD observed a total rainfall of 2,308.8 mm at the Colaba observatory and 2,605.4 mm at the Santa Cruz observatory. Because of the lack of rain, temperatures during both the day and night have been higher than usual, with Colaba and Santa Cruz recording minimum temperatures of 26.8 and 25.8 degrees Celsius respectively on Sunday. The water volume in the lakes was recorded at 14.20 lakh million litres, close to 98.15% capacity.

Mumbai’s Weather Throughout The Week

The forecast for September 23 predicts a low of 26 degrees Celsius and a high of 32 degrees Celsius, with overcast skies and the possibility of light rain or drizzle. On September 24, expect a slight decrease in the minimum temperature to 25 degrees Celsius, while the maximum will reach 31 degrees Celsius. The sky will be partly cloudy with a chance of moderate rain or thunderstorms.

Temperature Variations

On September 25th, temperatures will drop even more, ranging from a low of 22 degrees Celsius to a high of 30 degrees Celsius, while heavy rain is predicted to fall beneath an overcast sky. The temperatures on September 26 will vary between 23 and 28 degrees Celsius, maintaining the pattern of mostly cloudy skies with light rain. Rain can be expected on September 27 with temperatures ranging from 25°C to 30°C, and more rain on September 28, with temperatures between 26°C and 30°C.