Maharashtra
‘BMC Election Not A Family Business’: BJP Secretary Flags Nepotism Concerns Ahead Of Mumbai Civic Polls
Mumbai: Advocate Vivekanand Gupta, a secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Mumbai unit, has flagged concerns over alleged nepotism in ticket distribution ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, urging the party leadership to ensure that the civic polls do not turn into a ‘family business.’ The letter comes amid an internal unease that is brewing within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the high-stakes Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.
In his letter, Gupta expressed strong reservations about the practice of issuing civic election tickets to family members of party office bearers, MLAs, and other public representatives. He pointed out that relatives such as wives, sons, daughters, and even grandchildren of influential leaders are often favoured during ticket distribution, sidelining grassroots workers who have served the party for years.
Gupta stressed that candidates for the BMC polls should be selected purely on merit and dedication, and not on the basis of family connections. He argued that the BJP, which prides itself on being a cadre-based organisation, must give priority to loyal karyakartas who have worked consistently at the ground level and contributed to the party’s growth in Mumbai.
The BJP leader also flagged concerns over the alleged misuse of changes in seat reservations. According to Gupta, when wards are converted from general seats to women, OBC, or other reserved categories, the opportunity is often used to accommodate family members of influential leaders rather than deserving party workers. He warned that such practices demoralise long-serving workers who patiently wait for a fair chance to contest elections.
Emphasising that the BJP has been built by the dedication and sacrifices of its workers, Gupta urged the party leadership to resist internal pressure while finalising candidates. He called for transparency, fairness, and a clear commitment to merit-based ticket allocation, adding that loyalty and hard work should be the sole criteria for contesting the civic polls.
Meanwhile, BJP Mumbai president Ameet Satam announced that the party will release its manifesto for the BMC elections in the first week of January 2026. However, it is yet to be decided whether the BJP will unveil a joint manifesto with its ally Shiv Sena. Voting for the much-anticipated BMC elections is scheduled to take place on January 15, with counting of votes slated for January 16.
Maharashtra
40 rain shelters, 08 unauthorized shops, 30 hawkers, 06 vehicular paths removed, joint action by ‘T’, ‘S’ and ‘N’ departments of Mumbai Municipal Corporation

The Mumbai Municipal Corporation is implementing the ‘Pedestrian First’ campaign in the Mumbai region (Mumbai city and suburbs). Under this, 40 rain shelters, 08 unauthorized shops and 30 hawkers obstructing footpaths were removed today (August 11, 2026) in the Milind area. This action was taken jointly by the ‘T’, ‘S’ and ‘N’ divisions of the Municipal Corporation. As per the directions of the High Court, the Mumbai Municipal Corporation under the guidance of Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide is effectively implementing the ‘Pedestrian First’ campaign to immediately remove unauthorized hawkers and encroachments on footpaths and to make the footpaths free from obstructions.
In this regard, a joint campaign was conducted under the leadership of Assistant Commissioner (T Division) under the guidance of Deputy Commissioner (Zone-6) Santosh Kumar Dhonde. Assistant Commissioner (S Division) Samrin Syed, Assistant Commissioner (N Division) Jaideep More
The operation was carried out in the areas of Ram Ratan Trivedi Marg, Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, Sivaram Lalwani Marg, Ratanji Hirji Bhograj Marg, Jhaveer Marg and Ganesh Gawde Marg as well as Lokmanya Tilak Marg (West) in the ‘T’ zone of the Municipal Corporation. In this, 40 rain shelters built on the footpaths, 08 unauthorized shops, 30 hawkers and 06 carriageways that were obstructing the footpaths were removed. Apart from this, the material obstructing the footpaths was also seized.
The operation was carried out with the help of 10 vehicles, 05 dumpers, 05 JCBs and other equipment along with 13 secondary engineers, 07 licensing inspectors, 66 workers working in Zone 6. Adequate police security was deployed at that time.
Meanwhile, the municipal administration is committed to providing barrier-free and easy footpaths for pedestrians. However, no one should create obstacles on the footpath or carry out unauthorized constructions. The municipal administration is telling that strict action will be taken if this happens.
Maharashtra
Mumbai Mankhurd ATM card fraud two accused arrested

Mumbai: The Mumbai Police has claimed to have arrested two accused who committed fraud by changing ATM cards. On August 5, the complainant had gone to the ATM center at Mangal Murthy Junction to withdraw money. While withdrawing money from the ATM, an unknown person standing behind her saw the PIN of the card. After that, she cleverly changed the ATM rod and withdrew Rs 19,000. The police have registered a case of fraud in this matter and started investigating it. The police had seen three suspicious people from the CCTV footage of the scene who were found withdrawing money from the ATM card. After that, the police identified the accused with the help of CCTV footage. Later, they were arrested. The accused have been identified as Qasim Ali Barkat Ali, 30, and Parvez Akbar Ali Sheikh, 38, both residents of Kalyan. The police are investigating further regarding both of them. Along with this, the police are also finding out how many people they have cheated before. This action was taken by DCP Sameer Sheikh on the instructions of Additional Commissioner Dhananjay Kulkarni.
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.
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