Mumbai: Mumbai Police on November 8 has summoned Maratha activist Manoj Jarange-Patil and five others to appear before the investigating officer at Azad Maidan Police Station on November 10.

The Maratha activist and five others have been called between 11 am and 1 pm on November 10.

The summons relate to violations during Jarange-Patil’s hunger strike at Azad Maidan, where police allege rules and Bombay High Court guidelines were breached.

Bhopal, Nov 8: Congress on Saturday alleged that a large number of RSS workers have been appointed as Block Level Officers (BLOs) for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise underway in Madhya Pradesh.

Congress also alleged that the process of SIR exercise started without complete preparation, as most of the BLOs were yet to receive form 18, and the people in more than 65 per cent of villages haven’t received those forms.

These startling allegations were made during a press conference addressed by a group of senior Congress leaders, including former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh, MP LoP Umang Singhar, PCC chief Jitu Patwari, ex-minister Sajjan Singh Verma and others.

Senior leader Sajjan Singh Verma, who has been appointed as head of a committee of the Congress to look after the SIR issue in the state, briefing the media, said, “More than 1.5 lakh RSS workers have been enrolled for the BLOs job in Madhya Pradesh.”

Congress leader further claimed that the contact numbers of around 28,000 BLOs were not disclosed in the list provided by the Election Commission (EC).

“Why are the BLOs’ contact numbers not mentioned in the list provided to the Congress party?” Verma asked.

Meanwhile, former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh alleged differences in the voters’ list being provided to the political parties and presiding officers during the elections.

He demanded that the vote list be frozen immediately after the election dates are announced.

While the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Madhya Pradesh, Umang Singhar, accused the BJP of conspiring to remove around 50,000 eligible voters, especially from Tribal populated districts.

He further stated that Congress is monitoring the SIR strictly and won’t allow it to remove eligible voters.

Notably, the Election Commission has kick-started the second phase of the SIR process in nine states, including Madhya Pradesh, and three Union Territories (UTs) from November 4.

The exercise will continue till December 4. For this purpose, one Block Level Officer (BLO) has been deployed at each of the 65,014 polling stations across the state, who will go door-to-door with enumeration forms.

Under this initiative, BLOs have been tasked to provide enumeration forms to electors at their doorstep.

The claims and objections will be accepted until January 8, and after all claims are resolved by January 31, the final voter list will be published on February 7.

Navi Mumbai: Construction of the much-anticipated Kharghar Coastal Road — a key link that will enhance connectivity to the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) — is expected to commence in early 2026, following the receipt of mandatory forest clearances.

Planned by the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO), the 9.678-kilometre-long and 30-metre-wide arterial road will connect the airport to major nodes such as Belapur and Nerul, significantly improving regional mobility and supporting economic growth across Navi Mumbai.

The project will also provide direct high-speed access to the International Corporate Park (ICP) being developed on the lines of Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), the Golf Course, and the FIFA-standard Centre of Excellence (COE) at Kharghar.

A grade-separated interchange over the Sion-Panvel Expressway is part of the plan to ensure smooth traffic flow and reduce congestion between the airport and nearby business and recreational hubs.

Of the total road length, 6.96 kilometres will be newly developed, while the remaining portion will integrate with the existing network. The corridor will also cater to the anticipated transport demand from upcoming projects such as the Water Transport Terminal and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) housing schemes in the area.

CIDCO has awarded the construction contract to the J Kumar–J M Mhatre Joint Venture. Officials said the project will not only boost airport connectivity but also strengthen Kharghar’s position as a major residential and commercial hub, linking it seamlessly to Taloja and Navde.

“Known for its well-planned infrastructure, green cover, and educational institutions, Kharghar is poised to witness a new phase of growth once the coastal road becomes operational. Kharghar coastal road is estimated to be ready by 2029 if everything goes as per plan,” an official from CIDCO said.