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Maharashtra

Shiv Sena row: Supreme Court to hear Uddhav Thackeray’s plea challenging EC verdict today at 3:30pm

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The Supreme Court will hear today (Wednesday) the plea of former CM Uddhav Thackeray against the Election Commission of India’s recognition of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s faction as the real Shiv Sena.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal sought stay of the ECI order, “lest they take over everything, including the bank accounts”. He urged a bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud to take up the matter with the other Constitution Bench matters.

The Constitution bench, headed by the CJI, immediately took up the legal issues to decide whether to “tighten up” the Nabam Rebia ruling of 2016 or the Maharashtra case would go to a seven-judge bench. Sibal argued at length why the reference should go to a seven-judge bench.

The two-judge bench, also comprising Justice PS Narasimha, said they don’t want to disrupt the Constitution Bench as there are three judges waiting and added, “we will finish the Constitution Bench and get up a little early and then take it up on Wednesday”.

The CJI said, “We have not read it yet…tomorrow.” The bench decided to take up the matter at 3.30pm.

Thackeray’s plea said the EC has failed to appreciate that the petitioner enjoys overwhelming support in the rank and file of the party.

“The petitioner has an overwhelming majority in the Pratinidhi Sabha, which is the apex representative body, representing the wishes of the primary members and other stakeholders of the party. The Pratinidhi Sabha is the apex body recognised under Article VIII of the Party Constitution. The petitioner enjoys the support of 160 members out of approximately 200 odd members in the Pratinidhi Sabha”, it added.

The plea contended that the ECI has failed to discharge its duties as a neutral arbiter of disputes under para 15 of the symbols order and has acted in a manner undermining its constitutional status.

EC awarded party symbol to Shinde camp

On February 17, the Election Commission allotted the Shiv Sena party name and the bow and arrow symbol to the faction led by Eknath Shinde.

“The ECI has disregarded the party Constitution of 2018 (which was admitted even by the respondent No.1 to be the Constitution governing the parties) on the ground that such a constitution is undemocratic and that it was not communicated to the Commission. These observations are totally erroneous as the amendments in the Constitution were categorically communicated to the Commission in 2018 itself and the petitioner will place clear evidence in this regard,” said the plea, seeking interim stay on the ECI order passed on February 17.

Shinde faction takes over party office in Vidhan Bhavan

Overjoyed with EC order, the Shinde group took over the Vidhan Bhavan office on Monday and are likely to takeover the party office in BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation’s headquarters as well.

They are reportedly also aiming to take control of the party funds currently held by Thackeray faction. Though either faction is unable to come up with even a ballpark estimate of the corpus fund, some leaders indicate that it could be in the range of Rs 50-150 crore, mobilised over a period.

Maharashtra

Milind’s gangsters are a symbol of the city’s destruction, action is being taken under MPDA

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Mumbai: Milind Police have taken action against Tek Shankar Dhotre, who created terror here by intimidating shopkeepers, passers-by and rickshaw drivers and collected money by threatening them. The action has been taken on the instructions of Additional Commissioner Mahesh Patil. The accused is a terror in the area. A total of 6 cases of violence against him have been registered against him for collecting money. He intimidates traders and shopkeepers and collects money from him every month. No one used to speak out against him. In such a situation, the police took the complainant into confidence and took action against him. He is a terror in Milind. After taking action under the MPDA, the accused was taken into custody and deported from Mumbai to other cities. The Mumbai Police has now started action against such goons to restore the trust of the public towards the police so that the public’s trust in the police is established and the fear of the police remains in the hearts of the goons.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai Weather Update: City Continues To See Smog-Filled Morning Amid Rising Pollution; Overall AQI Remains In Unhealthy Range At 281

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WETHER

Mumbai: Mumbai began its Friday with a deceptively pleasant chill, as minimum temperatures dipped just below 22°C, offering residents a brief sense of relief. However, this early coolness quickly gave way to discomfort as people stepped outside to find the city blanketed in a dense, lingering smog. Commuters heading out during peak morning hours encountered reduced visibility along with eye irritation, throat discomfort and difficulty breathing, clear signs of an atmosphere overloaded with pollutants.

What initially felt like a refreshing morning soon became yet another stark indicator of Mumbai’s steadily worsening air-quality crisis. A thick haze settled over major roads, residential complexes, commercial hubs and transit routes. With only weak winds sweeping across the region, there was little natural movement to disperse the pollutants that have been steadily accumulating throughout November.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that the city is expected to experience clear skies through the day, with temperatures likely climbing to around 33°C in the afternoon. While the mild morning chill is expected to persist over the next few days, experts noted that there is still no sign of when Mumbai’s air quality might improve. The stagnant atmospheric conditions continue to trap particulate matter close to the surface, aggravating the city’s pollution load.

On Friday, Mumbai’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) rose to a worrying 281, placing it firmly in the unhealthy category. This spike represents a major deterioration from earlier in the month, when several neighbourhoods reported moderate or merely poor readings. The decline is now citywide, affecting coastal stretches, industrial belts and densely populated residential areas alike.

Among the worst-affected locations, the Wadala Truck Terminal recorded an alarming AQI of 395, marking it as the most polluted spot of the day. Colaba followed with a reading of 317, while Chakala reported 310, both falling within the severe category.

Prominent business zones were not spared either: Worli and the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) each logged AQI levels of 310, showing how uniformly pollution has spread across Mumbai’s central, western and eastern sectors.

Some suburbs fared marginally better but still failed to reach healthy levels. Kandivali East recorded the day’s lowest AQI at 130, classified as poor. Powai stood at 200, Malad West at 210, Parel Bhoiwada at 220, and Mulund West at 237, placing all within the poor to unhealthy range.

For context, an AQI of 0–50 is considered good, 51–100 moderate, 101–150 poor, 151–200 unhealthy, and anything above 200 classified as severe or hazardous. With much of the city now above that threshold, Mumbai continues to grapple with an air-quality crisis that shows no signs of easing.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai: Massive Fire Breaks Out Inside Godown In Kurla’s Kismat Nagar;

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Mumbai: A major fire erupted inside a godown in Kurla West’s Kismat Nagar area on Thursday night, triggering a swift response from the Mumbai Fire Department. Videos circulating on social media showed towering flames accompanied by dense black smoke rising high above the godown, visible from several hundred metres away.

According to officials, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Fire Brigade received an emergency call at 11:08 pm, following which multiple fire tenders were rushed to the spot. Initial assessments categorised the blaze as a Level-II fire, but as flames rapidly spread across adjoining structures, the situation escalated. By 11:44 pm, the Mumbai Fire Brigade declared it a Level-III (major) fire after the inferno engulfed nearly 10 to 12 chawl structures.

Firefighters battled the spreading flames through the night, working to prevent the blaze from reaching densely packed residential units in the vicinity. The godown where the fire originated was located within a chawl cluster, making containment especially challenging. Thick plumes of smoke blanketed surrounding localities as emergency teams attempted to bring the situation under control.

Several agencies were deployed as part of the coordinated response effort, including the BMC Fire Brigade, local police, ward officials, the Electricity Distribution Company and a 108 ambulance unit. Despite the scale of the fire and the proximity to residential structures, authorities reported no injuries so far. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident late Wednesday night, a car fire on the Bandra Worli Sea Link caused major disruption to traffic. The vehicle, identified as a Honda sedan, reportedly rammed into the side barrier at high speed before catching fire. Motorists on the busy sea link were left stranded as a long traffic snarl developed, with many unsure of the cause until videos began circulating online.

Footage showed the vehicle completely charred, with firefighters working quickly to extinguish the flames. Though the fire generated thick smoke and intense heat, no casualties have been confirmed. Fire officials later stated that the blaze was brought under control after brief yet intense firefighting efforts.

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