Mumbai, Sep 19: Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) on Friday claimed that the Maharashtra government was a government of “braggers” and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his two deputies, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, have been engaged in boasting most of the time.

The trigger for the Thackeray camp’s outburst is the praise showered by the trio on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday, claiming how he has changed the lives of people in the country. It targeted Dy CM Shinde in particular for releasing a full-page advertisement on PM Modi’s Viksit Bharat 2047 goal.

The Shiv Sena(UBT) in its mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ editorial alleged that the claims made by CM Fadnavis and Dy CMs Shinde and Pawar about development during PM Modi’s tenure were an exaggeration. It alleged that the “once advanced, wealthy state like Maharashtra is now reeling under a public debt burden of a whopping Rs 9.50 lakh crore. In the last three months, the state government has taken a loan of Rs 24,000 crore, further increasing the debt burden”.

“Chief Minister Fadnavis announced that now we are going to make one crore woman Lakhpati Didis at a time when Maharashtra has gone into the abyss. Corruption and looting have reached their peak. The Chief Minister and the people of Dy CMs Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar-led parties have become millionaires and billionaires through the brokerage of contractors. Whether Maharashtra is drowning in debt or farmers have committed suicide due to debt and drought, it does not matter to people like Eknath Shinde,” said the editorial.

The Thackeray camp slammed Dy CM Shinde over his statement that the government is going to take development to the last person, saying that only if villages are developed, the development of the taluka, district, state and country will take place.

The editorial also took a swipe at Dy CM Shinde’s statement that he goes to his native village only to get rejuvenated by working in agriculture. However, the editorial said Dy CM Shinde’s views are contradictory to the ground-level situation, especially when the condition of farmers in Maharashtra is not good. The crops have been washed away due to floods and rain. Farmers have been pleading in front of the officials who came for the Panchnama. In these eight days, 17 farmers committed suicide and over 2,000 in a year. “Lakhs of farmers are in debt, and the smiles on their faces have faded. So, what kind of farm does Dy CM Shinde have and what grows in that farm that makes his face look younger after working in agriculture? So what is he doing to ensure that smile on his face will also be seen on the faces of lakhs of farmers in the state who are in distress?” asked the editorial.

Stepping up the attack on Dy CM Shinde, the editorial claimed that his claim of taking development to the last person is a joke when many villages in his home Thane district are still desperately waiting for the rays of development. “There are no roads, no schools, no health services. During the rain, children have to walk through mud and sometimes through the flooded river to go to school. Sick and pregnant women have to be taken to the taluka by ‘doli’ (a palanquin), but Dy CM Shinde is reaping the fruits of development.”

Thackeray camp said Dy CM Shinde goes to the fields in a helicopter when he is bored. “People like Dy CM Shinde may be looking evergreen, but there is no smile on the people’s faces. His fields should be opened for tourism. Let the people know what grows in his fields. Many millions of farmers get seeds from his lush farming,” it taunted.

Mumbai: Mumbai woke up to scattered light rain showers on Friday morning. Though the city received rains in the early hours, the weather department has not issued any rain alert for today.

According to the IMD, the city would see an overcast sky with intermittent light showers, while a few areas may receive moderate spells. However, there is no forecast of heavy or widespread rainfall. Maximum temperature is likely to touch 28°C, while the minimum may settle at 25°C. Winds near the coast are expected to remain light to moderate.

Neighbouring Thane and Navi Mumbai are set to experience similar conditions. Residents can expect drizzle to moderate showers through the day, with no significant rainfall activity on the radar. Cloudy skies will persist, and the weather is likely to remain humid. Daytime temperatures are expected to hover around 28°C, while the night temperature will remain between 24°C and 25°C.

In Palghar, skies will stay overcast, and the rainfall pattern is expected to be uneven. While some pockets may only see light drizzle, others could receive moderate spells. The weather confirmed that no weather alert has been issued for the district. Maximum temperature is forecast at 28°C and minimum at 25°C, with conditions expected to remain damp and humid.

Further down the Konkan coast, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts, which witnessed heavy rain over the past few days, are also expected to see a decline in intensity. IMD officials said only light to moderate showers are likely, accompanied by cloudy weather.

The department clarified that there is no threat of heavy rain on Friday. Coastal winds in these regions may blow slightly stronger than in Mumbai and Thane. Daytime temperature could reach 29°C, while the minimum will remain around 25°C.

Mumbai: The number of millionaire households in Maharashtra has grown by 194% to 1.78 lakhs in the last four years, which is the highest in the country. According to a latest wealth report, Mumbai alone hosts 1.42 lakh millionaire households with Maharashtra being the preferred investment destination for 43% of Indian millionaires.

India now has 8.71 lakh millionaire households, families with a net worth of at least 8.5Cr, increasing by 90% from 4.58 lakh in 2021, revealed the ‘Mercedes Benz-Hurun India Wealth Report 2025’ launched on Thursday. The report states that the number of such millionaire families have grown by 445% from 2017 whereas only 0.01% became billionaires. However, these households comprise only 0.31% of the total households in India, highlighting the growing wealth disparity in the country.

Notably, the report revealed that Maharashtra leads the country in terms of millionaire households, 1.78 lakh, recording a 194% growth since 2021. Mumbai, the country’s financial capital, alone hosts 1.42 lakh millionaire families, which is again the highest in the country, followed by 68,200 in New Delhi. The report stated that the economic expansion of Maharashtra, which is home to 471 individuals featured in the ‘Hurun India Rich List 2024’, is underpinned by a 55% increase in its gross state domestic product (GSDP) between 2020-21 and 2023-24, crossing Rs40 lakh crore. Similarly, Mumbai accounts for 80% of the state’s total wealth, backed by 55% GSDP growth.

Maharashtra stood out as the most preferred investment destination in India for millionaires, with 43% of them choosing it over Gujarat, Karnataka and Delhi NCR, revealed the ‘Mercedes-Benz Hurun India Luxury Consumer Survey 2025’, also launched on Thursday. The survey revealed that stocks, real estate, and gold remain the top asset choices for millionaires with 51% expecting Indian real estate to grow in the next two years, while 38% believe it will remain stable.

Anas Rahman Junaid, founder and chief researcher at Hurun India, said, “I am struck by the extraordinary upward mobility we’re witnessing in India. This democratisation of prosperity speaks to the resilience of our economy, with opportunity spreading to millions of new wealth creators. We project India’s millionaires could double to around 1.7 to 2 million households in the next decade. Powered by our young demographic, technology and entrepreneurial spirit, India is poised to become the world’s fastest-growing wealth hub, gradually closing the gap with the leading economies.

Santosh Iyer, MD and CEO of Mercedes-Benz India, highlighted that the millionaires are also quickly shifting towards luxury electric vehicles (EVs) in comparison to the overall shift in general EVs. He stated that while the overall shift to EV is around 4%, luxury car owners record an 11% shift. “India’s growth story underscores the resilience and transformation of the economy, driven by a burgeoning domestic market and soaring aspiration of today’s young generation. Mercedes-Benz remains a symbol of social prestige, financial affluence and unmatched desirability,” he added.