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Maharashtra

Amit Shah’s Ganeshotsav trip to Maharashtra may be devotional-cum-political

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 Over two months after the alliance government of Shiv Sena rebel faction leader and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Bharatiya Janata Party’s Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis took charge, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is slated to visit Mumbai on September 5, at the height of the Ganeshotsav festival.

Shah’s customary annual visit to the state’s biggest festival for the past few years used to be a largely religious affair – visiting the Lalbaugcha Raja and other important venues, and taking ‘darshan’ of Lord Ganesha at the homes of several BJP bigwigs in the city.

This year, however, the devotional menu may be laced with a subtle political docket intended to strengthen the Shinde-Fadnavis regime – currently bedevilled by internal, external and legal hassles, plus other political ghosts.

Fadnavis acknowledged all the possibilities with a grin, indicating “there will be a political agenda” during Shah’s visit on Monday, but declined to elaborate.

The Shinde-Fadnavis government has been struggling to attain credibility among the masses after it toppled the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) of Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress, led by Uddhav Thackeray.

The MVA has viciously targeted and vituperatively lampooned them for the manner in which the government came to power, with embarrassing choruses of “Khoke Ok” (boxes, implying Rs 50 crore), “traitors”, etc. haunting the “ED sarkar” and needling the 40-odd legislators of the rebel group who sneaked out from June 10 onwards.

The Thackeray-led Shiv Sena even went a step ahead comparing them with a famous Arabian Nights tale of 40 dubious characters, attracting howls of protests and bitter counter-attacks from the “turncoats”.

Shinde faced flak for the massive delays in the cabinet expansion with 18 Ministers – which took place 41 days after he and Fadnavis took oath on June 30 – followed by the hiccups in allocating portfolios, and the hanging swords of the legal tussle in the Supreme Court.

Now, he confronts discontent afresh with many MLAs from his and BJP side clamouring for ministerial berths, and while a second round of expansion may take a while, Shah may cast a benign “glance” and placate the restless legislators.

There is the pending issue of the proposed tie-up with Maharashtra Navnirman Sena President Raj Thackeray, which the BJP has been hoping for since the past over a couple of years.

Once a sharp BJP-baiter, Raj Thackeray apparently sobered up his pilgrimage to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in August 2019, and now the “ED sarkar” is “after” him for a much-anticipated partnership, ahead of the upcoming crucial civic polls.

After recovering from a hip surgery, Raj Thackeray has been the flavour of the season for the BJP with a host of leaders calling on him, like Shinde, Fadnavis, state and city party heads Chandrashekhar Bawankule and Ashish Shelar, respectively, and others.

There’s intense speculation that Shah may home in on the reluctant Raj Thackeray and nudge him into a cooperative alliance – for the mutual benefit of MNS-BJP-Shinde Group – in the civic elections, to begin with, and get a “Thackeray” on the BJP side.

In recent weeks, some prominent Congressmen like ex-CM Ashok Chavan, have been doing multiple rounds of several BJP leaders, rattling the party’s state unit.

However, Congress leaders and Chavan have been claiming that these meetings pertain to “official or constituency-related works”, but the political grapevine is furiously spreading into a vineyard!

It is not immediately clear whether Shah will devote any attention to this new political development – that may well spell further doom for the MVA.

Maharashtra

Traffic On Mumbai Lalbaug Flyover Disrupted After Tempo Overturns

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Mumbai: Traffic movement on the Lalbaug flyover was affected on Saturday morning after a goods carrier tempo overturned on the bridge, causing brief disruption in the area. No injuries have been reported so far, while the exact cause of the accident remains unclear.

According to a post shared by Instagram user ‘theblinggirl_avril’, the incident took place around 8 am on May 9. Visuals from the spot showed the goods carrier lying overturned on the bridge as several people gathered around the vehicle to inspect the situation.

Police personnel were also seen at the location managing traffic and directing vehicles to ensure smooth movement on the busy stretch. Commuters were seen cautiously manoeuvring their vehicles past the overturned tempo while traffic continued to move slowly around the accident site.

The visuals further showed that no driver was present inside the vehicle, indicating that the driver had safely exited following the accident. However, no official confirmation regarding the driver’s condition or the circumstances leading to the incident has been released so far.

Authorities are yet to issue an official statement regarding the accident. Further investigation into how the goods carrier overturned on the bridge is currently underway.

In a similar incident, heavy traffic congestion was reported on the Eastern Express Highway (EEH) near Vikhroli-Ghatkopar on Friday morning after a trailer truck met with an accident during peak office hours, severely affecting vehicular movement towards south Mumbai.

Visuals shared from the accident site by journalist Poonam Ahuja, showed the damaged trailer stationed on the side of the highway while a crane was deployed to remove the vehicle and restore normal traffic flow. Long queues of vehicles and slow-moving traffic were witnessed across the stretch during the morning rush hour.

According to the Mumbai Traffic Police, traffic movement slowed majorly near Ramabai Bridge in the Vikhroli south-bound stretch following the accident involving the trailer. “Traffic movement is slow at Ramabai Bridge (Vikroli) south bound due to trailer accident,” Mumbai Traffic Police posted on X earlier in the day.

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Crime

NESCO Drug Overdose Case: Mumbai NDPS Court Denies Bail To Accused, Says ‘Greed For Money Turned Place Of Amusement Into Graveyard’

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Mumbai: The special Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) court has rejected the bail pleas of NESCO staff and MBA students in the drug overdose deaths case. In its detailed order, the court observed that “greed for money turned a place of amusement into a graveyard for two persons”.

The court on Thursday refused bail to Raunak Khandelwal, a final-year MBA student, and Pratik Pandey, a second-year MBA student. Additionally, the court denied relief to Sunny Jain, a senior manager, and Balkrishnan Kurup, business head and vice president of live events and IP at NESCO.

The case pertains to an incident on April 11, where two MBA students died and several others were hospitalised following a suspected MDMA (ecstasy) overdose at a techno music concert held at NESCO Goregaon.

The court noted that the organiser allowed attendees to consume liquor despite being directed to ensure no narcotic drugs or alcohol were permitted at the event. The court described the incident as an example of poor management.

“It may be intentional, negligent and/or an act done under the greed of money. However, such an act has turned into a tragedy, ultimately the place of amusement becoming the graveyard of two persons. Thus, the organisers are primafacie responsible for negligence and mishap occurred in the event,” the court said.

Regarding the students, the court observed they are accused of bringing and distributing contraband among college friends. In the case of Khandelwal, the court stated that the supply of a yellow ecstasy tablet to a victim was sufficient to infer involvement in the crime, regardless of the specific weight found on his person. The court noted that investigators recovered 435gm of MDMA from Ayush Sahitya, making it hasty to categorise the recovery as a small quantity.

While denying bail to Pandey, the court remarked that the applicant tried to encash the chaotic conditions caused by mismanagement to sell contraband. The court further noted the submission of the prosecution that if released, the applicant might dissuade friends from disclosing facts to the investigating officer.

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Maharashtra

Weather Alert, May 9: Hot & Humid Conditions Prevail In Mumbai, MMR; Thane Likely To Sizzle At 40°C Today

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Mumbai: The city woke up to clear skies and hot weather, with the early-morning temperature recorded at 31°C at 9 am. This high temperature comes as hot and humid conditions are expected to continue in Mumbai and surrounding areas today.

According to the Regional Meteorological Centre, a yellow alert for hot and humid conditions has been issued for Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, and Raigad till May 10. According to an AccuWeather report, the maximum temperature in the city is expected to soar to 38°C.

Thane and Navi Mumbai also recorded hot weather in the morning, with temperatures recorded at 31°C. Not just this, residents of Thane are expected to witness severe heat conditions, as maximum temperatures are likely to soar up to 40°C, according to AccuWeather. The maximum temperature in Navi Mumbai is also expected to reach 37°C.

As high temperatures are expected today in Mumbai and MMR regions, citizens should take precautions by drinking plenty of water and avoiding alcohol and caffeinated drinks, as they can cause dehydration. Instead, opt for coconut water, buttermilk, or electrolyte drinks to stay hydrated. Try not to step outside between 12 pm and 4 pm, when the heat is strongest. If you need to go out, use sunscreen or wear a hat for protection. Opt for light-coloured, loose-fitting clothes and eat fresh fruits, salads, and light meals instead of heavy, oily, or spicy foods.

The overall air quality in Mumbai was recorded in the ‘good’ category, with an AQI of 50. The best AQI was recorded at Green Hills at 5, and Sion recorded the worst air quality with an AQI of 127.

Not just this, several areas recorded moderate AQI, Sarvodaya Nagar Station 1 (100), Om Siddhivinayak Society (97), Sindi Society (78), Mirashi Nagar (77), Shivaji Nagar (72), Govandi West (68), Hiranandani Gardens Station 2 (65), Mhada Colony (60), Kurla (58), Raheja Vihar (58), Bhandup West (55), Borivali West (55), Mithchowki (55), Bandra East (53), Mulund West (53), Saki Naka (53).

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