Mumbai: The Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) has claimed to have seized ‘hydro-ganja’ (a potent, hydroponically-grown variety of cannabis) during an operation in the Dongri area of ​​Mumbai. Two individuals involved in the trafficking of this substance have also been arrested. According to details, on October 28, during an operation in the Dongri area, ANC personnel spotted two individuals moving about, each carrying a blue plastic bag. Upon questioning them regarding the suspicious items, it was discovered that the first suspect was in possession of 1.823 kg of hydro-ganja, while the second suspect held 1.749 kg—amounting to a total seizure of 3.563 kg. The value of this haul in the international market is estimated to exceed 10 million rupees (one crore). This operation was carried out under the supervision of Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Anil Kumbhare, Additional Commissioner of Police Krishnakant Upadhyay, and DCP (ANC) Poornima Chougule-Shringi. A case has been registered against the accused under the NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act. The ANC has initiated a stringent crackdown on drug traffickers, with ongoing raids and search operations.

Counting of votes for the five Maharashtra Legislative Council Teachers’ and Graduates’ constituencies continued on Wednesday. Out of the five contested seats, official declarations have come in for two, yielding victories for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the National Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar).

In Pune Teachers’ Constituency, the BJP nominee Kaustubh Gawade has won after defeating the Congress party’s sitting legislator and nominee Jayant Asgaonkar, and Sachin Sanap, an Independent candidate supported by Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena. With this win, Gawade has delivered a major boost to the Mahayuti coalition.

BJP had made the Pune Teachers’ Constituency poll a prestige as the election strategy was implemented under the guidance of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The party had fielded senior ministers, including Chandrakant Patil and a couple of legislators, during campaigning.

In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Marathwada) Graduates’ Constituency, NCP(SP) nominee Dr Pratapsingh Patil defeated the NCP/Mahayuti candidate Satish Chavan, who was a three-term legislator from the same seat. In addition, Raviraj Sable (Independent) and Dilip Ghuge (Shiv Sena – UBT) also lost.

Dr Pratapsingh Patil maintained a strong preference vote lead throughout counting rounds to secure the seat for the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition.

NCP(SP)’s top leadership, including working president and MP Supriya Sule, former Minister Jayant Patil, state chief Shashikant Shinde, accompanied by Congress leaders, had held a series of meetings and rallies. Incidentally, Shiv Sena legislator and former Minister Abdul Sattar defied party line and supported Dr Pratapsingh Patil. Further, he also received support from disgruntled leaders of the Shiv Sena and Shiv Sena(UBT).

Counting was underway for the remaining three seats due to the preferential voting system, elimination rounds, and quota calculations.

In Nagpur Graduates’ seat, BJP candidate Sudhakar Kohale holds a steady lead over incumbent Congress candidate Abhijeet Wanjari. With elimination rounds progressing, the distribution of second-preference votes will finalise the victory quota.

In Pune Graduates’ seat, the battle remains intense between Smita Jadhav (BJP) and Harshada Jadhav (NCP-SP), with second-preference counting underway.

In Amravati Teachers’ constituency, a multi-cornered contest persists among Kiran Sarnaik (Shiv Sena), Aditi Pohare (Congress), Sangita Shinde (BJP rebel) and Dattatray Lahane (Shiv Sena UBT) as officials process preference tallies.

Final official updates for Nagpur, Pune Graduates, and Amravati are expected once the second-preference elimination rounds reach the required victory quotas.

In a major organisational reshuffle within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), party legislator Zeeshan Siddique was appointed as the Mumbai Regional President. The formal appointment letter was handed over to Siddique on Tuesday by NCP National President and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar.

The appointment letter emphasises continuing the progressive legacy of late leader Ajit Dada Pawar, upholding the tradition of public service, and strengthening the party’s grassroots commitment to the common citizens.

Zeeshan Siddique, who lost the 2024 Assembly elections from Bandra East constituency, is the son of the late veteran politician Baba Siddique. The NCP leadership expressed firm confidence that under Siddique’s stewardship, energy, and dedication, the party organisation in Mumbai will become significantly stronger, more effective, and deeply people-centric.

The appointment marks a crucial step for the NCP as it reorganises its leadership framework in India’s financial capital to bolster its urban outreach and grassroots influence.

Zeeshan’s appointment comes when NCP had failed to increase its tally in the recently held BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation elections. The party is struggling to consolidate its presence in Mumbai. NCP has historically struggled to establish a dominant presence in Mumbai’s municipal and Assembly politics compared to its formidable strength in western Maharashtra (such as Pune, Satara, and Kolhapur) and the Sugar Belt.

Historically and currently, the NCP functions primarily as a coalition player rather than a lead power within Mumbai. Out of Mumbai’s 36 Legislative Assembly seats and 227 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) wards, the NCP has historically held only a tiny fraction of seats (often 1-3 Assembly seats at peak).

Areas with notable Muslim population demographics (such as parts of Kurla, Anushakti Nagar, or Shivaji Nagar/Mankhurd) have occasionally elected NCP candidates. Pockets housing migrants from Western Maharashtra and Marathwada living in Mumbai offer localised support due to loyalty to rural NCP leadership. Following the July 2023 split into NCP (Ajit Pawar) and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), the already thin Mumbai grassroots apparatus has divided further.

NCP (Ajit Pawar) operates as part of the ruling Mahayuti coalition, relying on state cabinet resources and alliance seat-sharing. NCP insiders said that the party’s core branding, network, and patronage systems are rooted in agrarian politics, sugar cooperatives, and rural local bodies (Zilla Parishads).

Translating this structure into Mumbai’s cosmopolitan, middle-class, and urban slum dynamics has proven difficult, and Zeeshan Siddique faces a major challenge to spread the party’s wings ahead of the next Lok Sabha and Assembly polls slated for 2029.

Observers said that Mumbai’s urban electorate has traditionally favoured the Shiv Sena (both UBT and Shinde factions) for Marathi identity and local civic issues, or the BJP for urban governance and middle-class appeal. Because the NCP partnered with the Indian National Congress (INC) for decades in Maharashtra, seat-sharing agreements historically allocated the vast majority of Mumbai constituencies to Congress, severely limiting the NCP’s opportunity to field candidates and build a city-wide organisation. Most prominent NCP’s heavyweight leaders draw their base from rural constituencies.

The party lacks high-profile, born-and-bred Mumbai leaders capable of driving a citywide narrative. Siddique will have to focus on building dedicated urban-centric agendas (housing redevelopment, slum rehabilitation, local transport), grooming local youth leadership directly from Mumbai’s colleges and trade unions rather than importing rural cadres and leveraging coalition partnerships effectively to claim non-traditional urban seats during BMC and Assembly elections.

Meanwhile, NCP President Sunetra Pawar has appointed Umesh Patil as National Chief Spokesperson.