Mumbai: The Central Railway Mazdoor Sangh (CRMS) has warned of a potential ‘work-to-rule’ agitation by motormen in response to an FIR filed by the Government Railway Police (GRP) against two of its leaders, Vivek Shisodia and SK Dubey, along with several other unidentified union members.

The FIR was filed for unlawful assembly for a flash strike by motormen on November 6. This disrupted local train services for nearly an hour, causing significant inconvenience to commuters and resulting in heavy crowds at key stations, including Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT).

Under the threatened ‘work-to-rule’ agitation, motormen would carry out only their routine duties, refusing any additional responsibilities. Given that over 20% of posts of CR motormen are currently vacant in the Mumbai division, even a partial slowdown could severely affect local train operations.

Sources indicate that the administration is attempting to defuse the protest by employing a divide-and-conquer strategy. Efforts are reportedly underway to keep members of other unions – including NRMU and Rail Kamgar Sena – away from the protest, which could limit its overall impact.

However, insiders suggest that motormen are largely united, especially as Shisodia, one of the accused leaders, is himself a motorman. This solidarity increases the likelihood that any agitation by CRMS could be effective. If implemented, the action could once again disrupt services and put pressure on the authorities to address the unions’ concerns.

Mumbai, Nov 15: Indian equity markets ended the week on a strong note, with benchmark indices gaining on the resolution of the US government shutdown, supported by strong domestic fundamentals, better-than-expected Q2 earnings, easing inflation and NDA’s historic victory in Bihar, according to analysts.

Record-low October inflation reinforced expectations of an RBI rate cut, adding momentum to domestic equities.

According to Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Limited, sectoral momentum was broad-based, led by gains in IT, Pharma, healthcare and Auto stocks.

“Toward the week’s close, the NDA’s Bihar election victory bolstered investor confidence, but fading expectations of a U.S. Fed rate cut triggered profit booking in IT stocks, tempering their earlier gains,” he mentioned.

The indices remained under pressure for most of the session on Friday, oscillating between losses and brief recoveries, before a strong late-afternoon rebound pushed them into the green.

Volatility picked up as markets tracked the Bihar election outcome, the day’s key trigger.

Sentiment was also weighed down by weak global cues after Wall Street fell sharply overnight, led by declines in Nvidia and other tech majors as investors dialled back hopes of near-term rate cuts amid lingering inflation worries, according to a note by Bajaj Broking Research.

At close, the Sensex ended 84 points or 0.1 per cent higher at 84,563, while the Nifty finished 31 points up at 25,910. Sectoral trends were mixed, with PSU banks leading gains at 1.17 per cent, followed by firm moves in pharma and FMCG.

Energy and infrastructure saw mild upticks. On the downside, IT declined 1.03 per cent, while auto, metal, and realty ended lower.

Among the broader market space, Nifty Small-cap 100 rose 0.38 per cent, while the Midcap 100 gained 0.08 per cent.

According to analysts, Nifty on the weekly chart has formed a strong bull candle with a higher high and a higher low signaling pullback after two weeks of corrective decline, “in line with our expectations from the key support area of 25,400-25,300”.

Going ahead, bias continues to remain positive and a follow through strength above last month high of 26,100 will open upside towards the previous all-time high of 26,277 in the coming week.

Looking ahead, market direction will hinge on key macro triggers such as India’s PMI data, US jobless claims, FOMC minutes and progress on US–India trade negotiations.

The Maharashtra unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday celebrated the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) sweeping victory in the Bihar Assembly elections at the party’s state headquarters. The event was held in the presence of BJP state president Ravindra Chavan, who congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the NDA leadership for what he called an “unprecedented mandate” in Bihar.

Chavan extended greetings to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP national president J. P. Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, JD(U) chief and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and leaders of all NDA constituent parties. He also thanked the voters of Bihar for delivering a decisive mandate in favour of the alliance.

Party workers celebrated enthusiastically with drum beats, slogans such as “Bihar to jhaanki hai, Mumbai abhi baaki hai” and “Bharatiya Janata Party ka vijay aso”, and a festive atmosphere across the premises.

Several leaders including MLA Kumar Ailani, BJP state general secretary MLA Vikrant Patil, spokesperson Atul Shah, media department head Navnath Ban, Amarjeet Mishra, and office secretary Mukund Kulkarni—attended the celebrations along with numerous party office-bearers and workers.

Speaking at the event, Chavan said the Bihar verdict once again proved that the “magic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi” remained strong across the country. He added that the NDA government’s development work in recent years had uplifted all sections of society, translating into widespread support in Bihar.

Taking a dig at the Congress, Chavan said the party could not even cross double digits and was “competing with independents”.

Chavan accused the Congress of spreading “fake narratives” before every election. He criticised Rahul Gandhi for alleging “vote theft” during the Bihar polls, claiming that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls proved those allegations baseless.

He asserted that PM Modi’s development-driven politics ensured “justice and progress” for every community, earning both national and international recognition.

Chavan said the Bihar mandate was an early indicator of what could be expected in the upcoming Mumbai municipal elections. He noted that the city had received significant central funding for infrastructure projects, and that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ development-focused vision was transforming Mumbai.

He added that a Mahayuti victory in the upcoming polls would be crucial for Maharashtra’s future and expressed confidence that the alliance would win public support and ensure central government schemes reached every citizen.