Mumbai: The Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) has requested the Election Commission of India (ECI) to defer its plan for Special Intensive Revision (SIR), if any, until the local body polls.

Though the SEC sent the letter to the ECI on September 9, a response is still awaited. If the ECI proceeds with the drive, it could pose a challenge for state officials, who will be occupied with local body elections.

Interestingly, the SEC and the state government are equally concerned about the polls in view of the ongoing relief work for the flood-affected areas.

The Supreme Court had directed the SEC to complete the local body polls by January 31. The SEC is currently coordinating with the district collectors for the timely completion of the programme, which includes elections to all 29 municipal corporations, all 247 municipal councils, 42 nagar panchayats out of 147, 32 out of 34 zilla parishads, and 336 out of 351 panchayat samitis.

In September, the SEC had conveyed its inability to conduct SIR until January 2026.

Delimitation of wards of zilla parishads and panchayat samitis is complete and the process of ward delimitation for municipal corporations, councils and nagar panchayats is due to be completed shortly, the SEC has stated. After this, the officials will undertake the process of bifurcation of the legislative assembly electoral rolls. The actual elections will be conducted only after completion of the these procedures, the SEC says.

A delegation of Opposition leaders on Tuesday visited Maharashtra chief electoral officer (CEO) S Chockalingam and sought clarification as well as rectification in voters’ list. Those who met him include NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray, Senior Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray and leaders from the Left parties, Peasants and Workers Party and Samajwadi Party.

In a 3-page representation submitted to the CEO, they demanded rectification as well as making public the voters’ details registered between the Lok Sabha polls and the State Assembly polls last year.

Besides, they also demanded the use of VVPATs (voter verifiable paper audit trail) in the local body polls. As the discussion remained incomplete, the Opposition leaders are scheduled to meet the CEO on Wednesday again.

Meanwhile, another delegation, comprising Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad and UBT leaders Ambadas Danve and MP Arvind Sawant, met SEC Dinesh Waghmare with similar demands.

“It is now evident that there are a lot of irregularities, and it can be seen in various constituencies. We want the SEC and the state CEO to listen to our concerns,” said NCP(SP) leader Jayant Patil.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said the BJP was making similar demands in West Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. “Even the BJP should join us on the issues raised,” Raut said.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena chief leader and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde said it is not Maha Vikas Aghadi but a Maha Confused Aghadi.

Mumbai: Ahead of Diwali, BMC has launched a special cleanliness drive across Mumbai, including roads, dividers, footpaths, and markets, from October 15 to 19. Civic authorities have instructed zonal and ward officials to implement the drive in their respective areas, encouraging active participation from local residents alongside civic staff.

Meanwhile, in a recently concluded fortnight-long drive to remove floating waste from nullahs, the BMC collected and scientifically disposed of 124.55 tonnes of waste.

In the second half of the day, the cleanliness drive will be carried out during the evening and night hours with the assistance of the specially designated ‘Pink Army’.

“The campaign will focus on thorough cleaning of major and internal roads, dividers, footpaths, junctions, and market areas. As part of the initiative, waste, debris, soil, and construction rubble collected from roads and bylanes will be properly disposed of using appropriate methods,” said an official of BMC’s Solid Waste Management department.

Additional Municipal Commissioner (City) Dr. Ashwini Joshi emphasised the importance of keeping Mumbai’s public spaces clean and orderly during the festive season.

She also instructed deputy and assistant commissioners across all zones to ensure strict implementation and heightened vigilance in their respective areas. In line with this directive, the BMC recently conducted a special clean-up drive from September 29 to October 13 across all administrative wards.

The operation involved 4,974 personnel and 479 cleaning tools and vehicles, resulting in the collection and scientific disposal of 124.55 tonnes of floating waste.

Mumbai: The Colaba Police have arrested a 71-year-old man who had been absconding for 48 years in an attempt-to-murder case registered in 1977. The accused, identified as Chandrashekhar Madhukar Kalekar, was wanted in Crime case was registered in 1977 under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code, in connection with an attack on a woman with a sharp weapon.

Chandrashekhar Kalekar, When he was almost 22-Year-old, accused of attempting to murder a woman by stabbing her with a knife. A case was registered at the Colaba Police Station, and the trial was scheduled before the Sessions Court, Mumbai. However, Kalekar failed to appear for the hearings and was subsequently declared a proclaimed offender by the court.

The accused had been on the run since 1977. His old residence, Haji Kasam Chawl, Lalbaug, had been demolished years ago, and he kept changing his whereabouts — moving across Santacruz, Goregaon, Mahim, Lalbaug, and Badlapur — making it difficult for the police to trace him.

Over the past six months, a special team from Colaba Police launched a renewed effort to track him down. Using data from the Election Commission portal, RTO records, and court databases, officers discovered that Kalekar had been living in Karanjani village, Dapoli, Ratnagiri district.

Acting under the guidance of senior officers, a police team visited Dapoli with the help of local police. On the night of October 13–14, Kalekar was found hiding in a house in Karanjani. Upon interrogation, he confessed to being involved in the 1977 crime case. He was subsequently brought to Mumbai and re-arrested in the same case.

The accused had an affair with the victim when he was 22 years old. However, Accused by suspicion that his lover was involved with another man, the accused carried out the attack on her in 1977.

The accused was medically examined and produced before the 10th Sessions Court, Mumbai, for further legal proceedings. This operation Led By Under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone I), Mumbai Dr. Pravina Mundhe.