Panvel, November 14: In a major infrastructure push aimed at reducing traffic congestion and improving connectivity, the Panvel Municipal Corporation has cleared a proposal to construct a new bridge over the Gadhi River near the Karanjade sewage pumping station.

Municipal Commissioner and Administrator Mangesh Chitale approved the plan following demands raised by Panvel MLA Prashant Thakur and Uran MLA Mahesh Baldi, who highlighted the daily inconvenience faced by commuters travelling between Panvel, Karanjade and Vadghar’s CIDCO colonies.

According to civic officials, the existing bridge toward Karanjade routinely experiences heavy traffic, often resulting in prolonged congestion. With the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport expected to increase traffic volumes even further, the civic body believes the new bridge will be a “critical link” on the Panvel–Karanjade stretch.

The project, with an estimated cost of Rs 48.40 crore, received administrative approval in the General Body. Construction is expected to begin soon.

As per the sanctioned plan, the bridge will feature four lanes, a length of 240 metres, and a width of 21.5 metres. “It will connect Panvel Municipal Corporation’s 40-feet-wide road on the eastern side with CIDCO’s 20-metre-wide road leading to the Karanjade node on the western side.

This connection will significantly streamline traffic and support future vehicular growth,” said Additional Commissioner Ganesh Shete.

For the project, No Objection Certificates (NOCs) will be sought from CIDCO, the Water Resources Department, and the Public Works Department. The conceptual design will undergo technical review and approval by either IIT Mumbai or VJTI Mumbai, City Engineer Sanjay Katekar confirmed.

The civic administration expects the bridge to provide major relief to residents and improve overall mobility in the rapidly developing Panvel–Karanjade region.

New Delhi, Nov 14: The results of the Assembly bye-elections held on November 11 delivered a mixed mandate, with both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) winning two seats each out of the eight that went to polls. Regional parties also held their ground, retaining influence in their respective strongholds.

The Congress registered two significant victories in Rajasthan and Telangana.

In Rajasthan’s Anta constituency, Pramod Jain Bhaya defeated the BJP’s Morpall Suman by 15,612 votes, securing 69,571 votes.

In Telangana’s Jubilee Hills, the Congress wrested the seat from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS). Congress candidate V. Naveen Yadav defeated BRS’ Maganti Sunitha by 24,729 votes — the highest victory margin in the constituency’s history.

The BJP, meanwhile, claimed two major wins in Jammu & Kashmir and Odisha.

In J&K’s Nagrota, BJP candidate Devyani Rana secured a commanding win with a margin of 24,647 votes.

In Odisha’s Nuapada, BJP’s Jay Dholakia defeated Congress candidate Ghasi Ram Majhi by a massive 83,748 votes, while the Biju Janata Dal finished third.

Regional parties demonstrated strong performances across several states.

In J&K’s Budgam, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) emerged victorious, with Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi defeating his nearest National Conference rival Aga Syed Mahmood Al-Mosavi by 4,478 votes. The BJP’s Aga Syed Mohsin Mosvi finished a distant sixth with just 2,619 votes.

In Mizoram, the Mizo National Front (MNF) retained its hold on the Dampa seat, where Dr. R. Lalthangliana won by a narrow margin of 562 votes.

In Punjab, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) successfully defended the Tarn Taran Assembly seat. Here, AAP candidate Harmeet Singh Sandhu retained the Tarn Taran Assembly seat, defeating his nearest rival, Sukhwinder Kaur of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), who was leading in the initial rounds of counting, by more than 12,000 votes.

In Jharkhand’s Ghatshila, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) secured a dominant victory. Somesh Chandra Soren defeated BJP’s Babulal Soren, son of former Chief Minister Champai Soren, by a margin of 38,524 votes, polling 1,04,794 votes against the BJP candidate’s 66,270. All other 11 candidates forfeited their deposits.

New Delhi, Nov 14: The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is poised for a sweeping victory in Bihar on Friday, leading in 202 seats according to the latest trends, while the Mahagathbandhan—including the Indian National Congress (INC), RJD, and smaller allies—was trailing with just 34 seats.

Analysts and BJP strategists interpret the massive gap as a sign of voter dissatisfaction with the INC’s perceived ideological shift and “appeasement-driven politics.”

On Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru’s birth anniversary, observers and BJP strategists noted that many long-time Congress workers appeared disillusioned, citing a move away from the party’s earlier ideology towards what has been described as a combination of Maoist influence and Muslim appeasement—sometimes referred to in political commentary as the “Muslim League Maowadi Congress.”

This narrative echoes broader debates about the Congress’ recent track record. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had previously slammed Congress for institutional decisions, citing transfers of properties to the Waqf Board before the party left office in 2014 as examples of alleged appeasement at the expense of secular principles.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had also highlighted earlier remarks by Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, who controversially equated the Congress with the Muslim community during the Jubilee Hills bypoll, claiming such positions could divide society along religious lines.

Political analysts point to several flashpoints in Karnataka, Telangana, and other states, arguing that welfare promises targeted at specific communities, challenges to laws concerning religious institutions, and statements on demographic politics have collectively reinforced voter perceptions of identity-focused strategies.

Other contentious issues, including the handling of triple talaq, the Citizenship Amendment Act, and communal incidents, have been cited in public discourse as examples of selective intervention. Analysts suggest these trends may have contributed to a shift away from broad-based politics towards narrower, identity-centric platforms, shaping the electoral outcome in Bihar.