Maharashtra
BJP nears historic majority in Maharashtra Legislative Council; tussle intensifies over LoP’s post
Mumbai, June 23: Following the latest round of Legislative Council election results, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has emerged as a dominant force in the upper house of the Maharashtra Legislature. Meanwhile, the Opposition is locked in an internal tussle over the post of Leader of the Opposition (LoP).
In the currently active 73-member house, the BJP alone commands 35 seats, pushing it closer to an absolute majority on its own.
The BJP has emerged as an undisputed powerhouse in Maharashtra’s upper house. With the latest seat adjustments, passing any legislative Bill will no longer be an uphill task for the saffron party, effectively handing them the “trump card” in the upper house.
The 78-member Legislative Council requires a simple majority mark of 39 seats. Political observers note that if the remaining Governor-nominated five seats are filled quickly, the BJP could single-handedly touch the doorstep of a majority.
Of the 12 total seats traditionally nominated by the Governor, seven have already been filled. Out of the remaining five vacant seats, seat-sharing discussions within the ruling Mahayuti alliance suggest that the BJP is slated to secure three, while Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP will likely receive one each.
If these appointments go through, the BJP’s individual strength will rise from 35 to 38 —just one seat short of a standalone majority.
By the end of this year, biennial elections for 5 Graduate and Teacher constituencies will take place. Political analysts view this as a golden opportunity for the BJP to settle old political scores and scale its tally. If the party secures even 3 out of these 5 seats, its tally will breach the 40-plus mark, granting it a brute majority entirely on its own.
The growth marks a rapid expansion for the Legislative Council. Just two months ago, the House was heavily depleted with only 47 active members. However, the induction of 9 members via the state Assembly in May, followed by 17 members from Local Authorities’ constituencies, has restored the House strength to 73.
Meanwhile, political alignments continue to fluidly shift. Independent candidate Gokul Gite, who won the Nashik Local Authorities’ constituency, has officially joined Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, boosting their party strength to 12 MLCs.
The Chairman’s post is already held by the BJP’s Ram Shinde. For the Deputy Chairperson position, a decision is expected this week, with Dr Neelam Gorhe of the Shinde-led Shiv Sena widely tipped to return to the post.
While the ruling alliance consolidates its power, the Opposition is locked in an internal tussle.
Both the Congress and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) have staked a strong claim to the vacant LoP post. A resolution on who will lead the Opposition Bench is unlikely to be reached in the immediate days of the current session.
Maharashtra
7 accused arrested in cyber fraud case of over Rs 1 crore in Mumbai

Mumbai: The Cyber Police Station has claimed to have solved the mystery of a cyber crime in which the complainant was threatened with digital arrest on WhatsApp from April 2 to April 18, 2026, and was involved in a money laundering case and was defrauded of Rs 16.74 crore online by sending fake electronic documents. During the technical investigation, the police have arrested 7 accused, identified as Sanjay Hiralal, 57, who used to generate OTPs, the 32-year-old female accused used to hide the fraudulent money, Rishi Ramchandra Meena, 38, who used to transfer the fraudulent money to bank accounts, Naushad Ali, 31, who digitally arrested the complainant and the victim and worked in this gang digitally, Muhammad Khalid Hafeezuddin Saif, 27, a digital expert, Jogesh Mehta, 43, and Zubair Hussain, 27, who helped them deposit the fraudulent money in their accounts. 613 mobile phones, 2 laptops, 5 digital sign devices were recovered from the possession of the accused. SIM cards of several companies, 10 cheque books, 2 passbooks and 2 ATM cards have been seized. DCP Bajrang Bansode told the press conference that there is no such thing as digital arrest and in such a situation, do not keep in touch on unknown social media accounts. If someone threatens digital arrest, do not believe them.
Maharashtra
Mumbai: Mystery of Santa Cruz robbery solved during police operation, person who deposited stolen money in bank also identified, one arrested

Mumbai: After solving the mystery of a robbery in Santa Cruz area, the police have claimed to have seized cash and other jewelries worth Rs 76.36 lakh. According to the details, between June 20 and June 27, an unknown thief broke into a house on Juhu Tara Road in Santa Cruz area for the purpose of robbery and escaped with the jewelries, cash and gold biscuits in the cupboard. In this case, the police arrested the accused Chandan Kamlesh Mukhiya, 26, a resident of Darbhanga, during technical investigation. His transit remand was obtained and he was produced in Mumbai. In this case, another absconding accused is being sought. During the investigation, it has been revealed that with the help of the absconding accused, the thief had asked his acquaintance Kailash Shah to buy land with the money and stolen property. Therefore, Kailash Shah collected the cash and transferred it to a bank account. During the investigation, the police found that Kailash Shah had collected the stolen money of Rs 46.31 lakh, therefore, the police have issued a notice to him. 200 grams of gold jewelry and Rolex watches have also been recovered. This operation was carried out under the guidance of Mumbai Additional Commissioner Abhinav Deshmukh and DCP Mohit Kumar Garg, while Santa Cruz Senior Police Inspector Dattatreya Masvekar played an important role in solving the mystery of this theft.
Maharashtra
Demand for immediate installation of bus shelters in Govindi Shivaji Nagar, Abu Asim Azmi submits memorandum to BEST administration, concerned about safety of passengers

Residents of Mumbai, Shivaji Nagar and Govind (M-East Ward) areas face significant hardship during summer, monsoon and inclement weather due to lack of bus shelters and seating arrangements at major bus stops. In this backdrop, Samajwadi Party Maharashtra state president and MLA Abu Asim Azmi has submitted a memorandum to BEST Committee Chairperson Trishna Vishwasrao, demanding immediate installation of robust bus shelters and seating facilities at these locations. Shivaji Nagar depot is one of the largest depots in Mumbai, serving a large number of passengers daily. Around 132 BEST buses ply in this area, and thousands of school and college students, women, senior citizens, pregnant women, disabled persons and workers rely on BEST services. In his memorandum, Azmi said that essential passenger amenities are missing at many of the six major bus stops in the area. Specifically, these include stops at Shivaji Nagar Depot Junction, Konkan Bank and Sai Mandir, Jafri School, 10 Feet Road No. 2, Sant Nirankari Nagar, and New Bus Depot. Due to the lack of safe waiting areas, passengers are forced to stand on the roadside and wait for buses. The memorandum highlights that this situation is especially bad for women, senior citizens, pregnant women and disabled passengers. Azmi also observed that local residents have been continuously following up with the depot manager and the civic department since 2023. Although the approval for the bus stop on Road No. 2 was reportedly given in 2024, the work has not yet started, leading to dissatisfaction among residents. Demand for joint inspection of all bus stops Azmi has demanded that the issue be taken seriously and a joint inspection of all bus stops be conducted immediately with representatives of local citizens. He further stressed that the work should be completed by installing robust bus shelters and seating arrangements at the relevant locations using BEST’s infrastructure fund.
BEST serves as a vital lifeline for the daily commute of millions of Mumbaikars, and it is essential that commuters have access to safe and dignified travel facilities. Hence, Azmi has demanded immediate action on the matter.
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