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Maharashtra

Maharashtra Politics: First, Two Senas; Now, Two NCPs

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2 years ago

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Finally, Ajit Pawar, who was sulking over his neglect, especially after the elevation of his cousin Supriya Sule as the NCP working president, rocked the party’s boat by staging a coup four years after his 80-hour failed coup of becoming the deputy chief minister. He chose to challenge his uncle and party supreme Sharad Pawar’s leadership and staked claim to the NCP, which has entered its 25th year of existence, even as he had emerged as a major leader involved in the exercise to unite opposition against the BJP in the forthcoming Lok Sabha election.

Ajit Pawar was facing ED probe

Ajit Pawar, who as the leader of the opposition, often criticised for going soft on the Shinde-Fadnavis government, was scared of the ongoing probe by the Enforcement Directorate against him and his wife in connection with the Jarandeshwar sugar factory and therefore, preferred to join the ruling Shinde-Fadnavis alliance. Unlike the last time, Ajit Pawar took no risk but brought along with him veterans and young legislators, including close confidants of his uncle.

Bhujbal and Hasan Mushrif also facing cases

Incidentally, Bhujbal, who, along with Pawar, was one of the signatories in the establishment of the NCP on June 10, 1999, and is currently out on bail in the Maharashtra Sadan scam case, preferred safe passage by accepting Ajit Pawar’s leadership and dumping of the older Pawar. Similarly, former minister Hasan Mushrif, whose fate also hangs in the balance as he faces arrest from the ED in connection with the Kolhapur sugar factory, chose to join Ajit Pawar and thereby become a ruling partner of the BJP, which he until recently criticised as being communal and fundamentalist Walse-Patil’s decision to associate with Ajit Pawar has stunned the older Pawar, merely to avoid ED action linked to a private milk dairy unit in his Ambegaon assembly segment.

Dilip Walse-Patil’s rise under Sharad Pawar; leaves senior Pawar for Ajit

Walse-Patil, who had worked as the personal assistant to the older Pawar when the latter was the leader of the opposition, later rose to become an MLA for the first time in 1990 and since then, has been elected from the same constituency. Thanks to his old boss, he held several departments as minister between 1999 and 2009, later becoming assembly speaker and the home minister in the MVA government. More importantly, Praful Patel, also scared about ED action, ditched Sharad Pawar and joined Ajit.

Praful Patel, Sharad Pawar’s blue-eyed boy

Praful Patel, Sharad Pawar’s blue-eyed boy and associate for more than four decades, has joined the Ajit bandwagon because he believes the Modi-led government will be back after the general elections and there was no point taking on the BJP as the MVA experiment has failed miserably.

Ajit Pawar’s recent utterances

Ajit Pawar, speaking at the recent function to celebrate the NCP’s anniversary, had targeted his uncle for the party’s failure to become the single largest party and form the government, unlike other regional parties including Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress, Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party and K Chandrashekar Rao’s Bharat Rashtra Samithi. He has claimed that almost all of the 53 legislators and MPs have been on board. Further, he has also declared that the decision to join the Shinde-Fadnavis government was taken with the blessings and support of the older Pawar, in the larger interest of expediting Maharashtra’s progress and the development of farmers, workers, tribals, OBCs. Interestingly, it was a well-thoughtout decision by Ajit Pawar, who was unsure about the NCP’s future at a time when his uncle is getting older and the party was unable to consolidate its position in Maharashtra, forget about other states. He openly ridiculed the opposition unity exercise as a farce and heaped praise on Modi for his ‘strong and able leadership which has helped India achieve spectacular growth in the last nine years’.

NCP would fight all elections with the Shinde-led Shiv Sena and BJP, says Ajit Pawar

He also went a step further and announced that the NCP would fight all elections with the Shinde-led Shiv Sena and BJP to stay relevant in Maharashtra. Even though Ajit Pawar has severed links with his uncle to pursue his ambition, the road ahead for him as well as the other legislators will be quite bumpy, as they will have to take on Pawar senior and convince voters about their decision. In addition, Ajit Pawar will have to be a tough negotiator to get seats for his faction during seat-sharing arrangements with the Shinde-led Shiv Sena and BJP, especially when the latter wants the lion’s share to achieve its ‘Mission 45-plus’ in the Lok Sabha and 200-plus seats in the assembly elections slated for 2024.

BJP kept the cards close to its chest

The BJP played its cards well by tapping into the rising discontent and fear of punitive action in NCP legislators, including Ajit Pawar, as it had done with Eknath Shinde last year. The saffron party could execute ‘Operation Lotus’ because of the operative skills of Fadnavis and with the tacit support of Modi. Incidentally, both Modi and Fadnavis had termed the NCP as the most corrupt party and last week; in fact, the PM had singled out the Rs 70,000 crore irrigation scam and Maharashtra State Cooperative bank irregularities, of which the uncle and nephew were alleged beneficiaries. As far as Shinde is concerned, he will have to convince his 39 MLAs and 10 Independents about their fate and relevance in the new arrangement. There are a large number of them who are expecting ministerial berths and Shinde will continue to pacify them to avoid any trouble. The fate of Shinde and 15 legislators hangs in the balance due to disqualification proceedings. BJP insiders point out that Ajit Pawar’s decision has come as a buffer, to minimise the dependence on the Shinde faction for government’s survival.

Neither down nor out, says Sharad Pawar

However, Sharad Pawar, who faced the media after his nephew’s coup in broad daylight, hinted that he is neither down nor out but ready to revive the NCP with the promotion of new young leadership. He also disapproved of the ministerial berths to Ajit Pawar and eight others, saying that it was their personal decision and not that of the party. He also made it clear that it was against the party’s secular and progressive line, reiterating that he would step up the fight against the communal and divisive politics of the BJP and Modi.

Senior Pawar narrates ’80’s tale

Narrating his experience when 50 legislators had deserted him in the 1980s but he went on to fight the elections and won 69 seats in 1980, Sharad Pawar announced that he would start anew. The 83-year-old has announced he will travel extensively across Maharashtra and parts of India, starting with the launch of his outreach from Karad on Monday. Incidentally, Karad is the birthplace of former chief minister and Sharad Pawar’s mentor, Y B Chavan. With uncle and nephew essaying different roles now, it will be the BJP which will use every opportunity to exploit the rift and achieve electoral gains.

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Maharashtra

Maharashtra COVID-19 Update: 6 New Cases Reported, 1 Death In Nashik Due To Comorbidities

Published

16 hours ago

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July 29, 2025

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Mumbai: Maharashtra reported six new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday and one death over the past week, the state’s Public Health Department said. A 79-year-old man from Nashik with multiple comorbidities succumbed to the infection, taking the state’s COVID-19 death toll for 2025 to 43.

Fresh Infections Logged

According to the department, the new cases reported on July 29 include two from Mumbai and one each from Thane, Navi Mumbai, and Kalyan municipal corporations.

Single Fatality

The deceased, who passed away on July 24 in Nashik, had a history of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, and had undergone Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA), the department noted.

City Tally Climbs

Mumbai’s COVID-19 tally for 2025 now stands at 1,091 cases, with 551 cases reported in June and 99 recorded so far in July. Since January, Maharashtra has recorded a total of 2,726 COVID-19 cases, with 2,650 patients having recovered.

A total of 41,872 COVID-19 tests have been conducted across the state since the beginning of the year.

Ongoing Vigilance

During a recent state-level COVID-19 review meeting, health officials were directed to ensure regular surveillance of Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) cases. As per the guidelines, 5% of ILI patients and all SARI patients must be tested for COVID-19, with all positive samples sent for Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS).

All public health institutions, government medical colleges, and municipal hospitals have been instructed to keep COVID-19 testing and treatment facilities ready and updated. The health department has urged citizens to remain vigilant and continue following preventive measures to curb the spread of the virus.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai Eyes Pedestrian Subway Network To Boost Metro Line 3 Connectivity; 1-Km Link Planned Connecting Acharya Atre Chowk Station To Mahalaxmi Racecourse

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18 hours ago

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July 29, 2025

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Mumbai: As Mumbai gears up for the full launch of Metro Line 3 in August, city planners are shifting focus from just underground transit to creating a seamless pedestrian experience above and below the ground. Officials are now envisioning a citywide network of pedestrian subways that will connect commuters directly from Metro stations to key urban destinations, offices, malls, parks and even the coastline.

Key Meeting Held Between Top Infra Bodies & BMC

In a key development, senior officials from the BMC, Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL), Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and Indian Railways met at the BMC headquarters on Monday evening to discuss last-mile connectivity solutions. The meeting focused on integrating pedestrian infrastructure with the expanding Metro system, particularly around Metro Line 3 stations.

Metro Line 3, also known as the Aqua Line, is Mumbai’s first fully underground metro corridor. It currently operates from Aarey to Acharya Atre Chowk in Worli and is already serving around 60,000 passengers daily. Once fully operational, the 33.5-km line will connect 27 stations, stretching from Aarey in the north to Cuffe Parade in South Mumbai. It will traverse key commercial and transport nodes such as Mumbai Central, Mahalaxmi, Churchgate, CSMT and BKC.

One of the first pedestrian integration projects in the pipeline is a 1-kilometre-long subway connecting the Acharya Atre Chowk station to the Mahalaxmi Racecourse and the Coastal Road parking hub at Haji Ali. A 160-metre side arm is also being planned to provide access to nearby open spaces. BMC and MMRCL have been working on its alignment since June.

The meeting was primarily about identifying nodal agencies that will lead such pedestrian infrastructure projects,” the official added. A senior official confirmed that a Detailed Project Report (DPR) will be drafted within the next four months.

Mega Plan For Subways Around Key Metro Stations

The broader vision includes building pedestrian subways within a 500-metre to 1-kilometre radius of major Metro stations, particularly in high-density zones like malls, corporate parks and business hubs. Equipped with escalators and elevators, these subways aim to be accessible to all, encouraging walking, easing traffic congestion, and redefining Mumbai as a more connected and commuter-friendly city.

If successfully implemented, this pedestrian network could become a game-changer in urban mobility and last-mile connectivity for Mumbai.

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Maharashtra

Ladki Bahin Yojana: 26.34 Lakh Ineligible People Temporarily Suspended Due To Suspicion Of Fraud

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20 hours ago

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July 29, 2025

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State governments and the Central government have introduced schemes to improve the economic condition of women. Similarly, the Chief Minister Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana is being run in Maharashtra. Under this scheme, financial assistance of Rs 1,500 is provided every month to eligible women beneficiaries.

Ladki Bahin Scheme Fraud

So far, 12 instalments of this scheme have been released. Meanwhile, a scam has been revealed in the Ladki Bahin scheme in Maharashtra. This has created a stir in the state. Many men are also benefiting from this scheme. Now the government is preparing to recover money from ineligible people.

State Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkar has issued a statement saying that during the verification it was found that people are taking advantage of the scheme despite being ineligible. In such a situation, the state government has removed 26.34 lakh ineligible people from the scheme. Let us tell you that in June 2024, the Maharashtra government launched the Chief Minister Majhi Ladki Behen Yojana, intending to promote the economic independence of women in the state.

Under this scheme, eligible women between 21 and 65 years of age in Maharashtra are provided financial assistance of Rs 1,500 every month. Aditi Tatkar said on the social media platform X that investigation revealed that some beneficiaries were taking advantage of multiple schemes. Some families had more than two beneficiaries. In some cases, even men had applied for this scheme. She further said that the Women and Child Development Department had sought information from all government departments to check the eligibility of all applications. The Information and Technology Department said that about 26.34 lakh beneficiaries are taking advantage of this scheme despite being ineligible.

How Many Accounts Were Suspended?

The accounts of 26.34 lakh ineligible people have been temporarily suspended. Apart from this, about 2.25 crore eligible beneficiaries have received the installment for June 2025.

Investigation Of Suspended Accounts

The district officer of the respective district will investigate the accounts of those whose accounts have been suspended. If they are found eligible in the verification, then the suspended accounts will start getting benefits again. It is being said that the state government can take strict action against those who take advantage by giving wrong information.

Can All Women Participate In Ladki Bahin Scheme?

This scheme has been implemented only for women between the ages of 21 and 65. To take advantage of this scheme, women must be residents of Maharashtra. To join this scheme, one has to apply online. All married, unmarried, divorced women can take advantage of this scheme. To take advantage of the scheme, it is very important for women to have an account in a bank. At the same time, the annual income of the woman’s family should not exceed Rs 2.5 lakh. This scheme does not apply to those women who are taking advantage of any other government scheme.

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