National News
BMC Elections 2026 Results: ‘Brand Devabhau’ Delivers Historic Win As BJP-Led Mahayuti Ends Thackeray Sena’s 25-Year Rule
Mumbai: Brand Devabhau was in full throttle on Friday when the BJP-led Mahayuti won as many as 118 of the 227 seats in the closely contested elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis (55) was the mastermind who led the coalition to an impressive victory and ensured that the BJP will install its first mayor of Mumbai on January 28.
Since central leaders do not take part in local elections, the entire burden of helming the campaign was left to Fadnavis, and he executed the task with aplomb.
In one fell stroke, the poll results also ended the 25-year-long dominance of the Shiv Sena led by the Thackerays over the richest civic body in the country. Even though the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray was not routed, it certainly received a severe setback.
Its hope that the Marathi manoos would wholeheartedly support it was dashed into smithereens. Uddhav joining hands with cousin Raj Thackeray did not help consolidate the votes of bhumiputras.
The internal dynamics resulted in the distribution of the votes of the Marathi manoos between the Shiv Sena (UBT), MNS and Shiv Sena (Shinde), and the solid consolidation of non-Marathi votes in favour of the BJP.
The outcome was exactly as scripted by Fadnavis and his core team of strategists. Shinde played his role in weakening the Shiv Sena for the third time in succession after the elections to the Lok Sabha and the state assembly.
The Congress was upset with its ally, the Shiv Sena (UBT), for joining hands with Raj Thackeray and hence decided to go it alone. This further split the anti-BJP votes.
The Congress feared that any association with Raj Thackeray’s MNS, even tangentially, would cost it dear in terms of North Indian votes, which are present in substantial numbers in several wards, especially in western and northern Mumbai.
The AIMIM sprang a surprise by bagging seven of the eight seats in the Govandi–Mankhurd belt. It sent the Samajwadi Party, which projected itself as a custodian of Muslim interests, packing. The denial of Muslim votes to the Congress was one of the reasons for the latter’s poor performance.
According to observers, the BJP presented a good mix of Hindutva and development, which appealed to the masses. The banning of loudspeakers in all mosques and the decision to evict thousands of Bangladeshi Muslims and Rohingyas warmed the cockles of the Hindutva brigade.
Simultaneously, the emphasis on development projects such as the coastal road, Atal Setu, Navi Mumbai airport, Wadhavan port, Aqua Line 3 underground Metro line, Goregaon–Mulund Link Road, road concretisation, redevelopment of BDD chawls, Dharavi and Ramabai Colony, Bandra–Versova Sea Link, Dahisar–Bhayander Link Road, Orange Gate to Marine Drive underground road, occupation certification and padgi policies helped project the Mahayuti as an alliance that meant business.
The performance of the Mahayuti is to be seen in the context of the fact that it could sell its developmental agenda to voters in a short span of 12 days, which was the campaign window.
While the Mahayuti managed to project a picture of unity, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the MNS were affected by defections till the last moment. For example, a veteran leader like Dagdu Sakpal quit the Shiv Sena (UBT) two days before the polls and joined the Shiv Sena (Shinde). He was a pillar of support for the undivided Shiv Sena in its bastions of Lalbaug and Parel.
The election sprang quite a few surprises. Samadhan and Priya, son and daughter of former Shiv Sena (Shinde) leader Sada Sarvankar, were defeated in Dadar. Dipti, daughter of Shiv Sena (Shinde) MP Ravindra Waikar, was trounced in Jogeshwari.
Veteran former corporator Ravi Raja, who joined the BJP after bidding goodbye to the Congress, was defeated in Dharavi. All three members of the family of don Arun Gawli lost in Byculla, emphasising the fact that the days of “bhaigiri” are over.
Crime
Two apprehended for firing at house in Nand Nagri to create fear

New Delhi, Sep 14: The Anti-Auto Theft Squad (AATS) of North-East District Police worked out a firing incident reported under the jurisdiction of Nand Nagri Police Station by apprehending two accused persons who allegedly fired at a complainant’s house to create fear.
The accused were identified with the help of extensive CCTV footage analysis and technical investigation.
According to police, on September 4, two unidentified persons riding a scooty fired at the complainant’s house in the Nand Nagri area with the intention of creating fear and fled from the spot.
Following the incident, FIR No. 485/26 dated September 4 was registered at Nand Nagri Police Station under relevant Sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Arms Act, and an investigation was initiated.
Considering the seriousness of the incident, the AATS team of North-East District was tasked with identifying and apprehending those involved.
A dedicated team led by Inspector Deepak Pandey, In-charge of AATS/NED, analysed numerous CCTV recordings and developed clues through technical investigation and other sources. Sustained efforts and detailed examination of the available evidence helped the team identify the suspects.
On September 12, acting on a specific tip-off, the AATS team conducted a raid in the Sunder Nagri area and apprehended Azim Khan. During interrogation, his associate Imran alias Rahul was also apprehended at his instance. Both accused were subsequently handed over to the local police for further legal proceedings.
Police said Imran alias Rahul, 25, son of Ibrahim and a resident of Bhopra Chowk, Siddqi Building, Uttar Pradesh, was previously involved in two theft cases.
Azim Khan, 36, son of Illiyas and a resident of Gali No. 1, Sunder Nagri, Delhi, has nine previous cases registered against him, involving murder, attempt to murder, culpable homicide, robbery, snatching, rape, kidnapping, theft and offences under the Arms Act. He is a Bad Character of Nand Nagri Police Station.
Further investigation into the case by the police is underway.
Business
India okays 18 hours a day power supply to Nepal till Dec 31

New Delhi, Sep 14: India has approved a proposal to supply power to Nepal for 18 hours a day till December 31 this year, following the extensive damage caused to the Himalayan country’s hydropower projects in the devastating flash floods, an official statement said on Monday.
“The Ministry of Power has accorded approval for the export of power, for 18 hours a day to Nepal Electricity Authority till December 31, 2026,” according to the statement.
Approval has been given for up to 600MW of export through Muzaffarpur-Dhalkebar 400 kV D/c line and up to 54 MW through Tanakpur-Mahendranagar 132 kV S/c line. The quantum of power to be exported from January 2027 will be reviewed in December, 2026, the statement said.
The recent floods have caused significant damage to hydropower infrastructure in Nepal, reducing its domestic power generation capacity and creating an additional requirement for electricity.
The approval will help Nepal meet its power requirements during this difficult period and further strengthen the close and longstanding energy cooperation between India and Nepal, the statement explained.
“India remains committed to supporting Nepal and strengthening bilateral cooperation in the energy sector,” the statement added.
India also intensified its humanitarian assistance to Nepal in the wake of the floods, delivering relief material and deploying personnel to support search, rescue, and forensic operations. Indian Air Force aircraft were used to carry relief and rescue supplies to Kathmandu.
The country also dispatched specialised technical gear, including mud rescue suits, gas detectors, breathing apparatus, inflatable walkways, portable generators, lighting towers, and dewatering pumps. India has provided DNA kits, reagents, and equipment for DNA profiling to aid in victim identification.
Meanwhile, the death toll from flash floods has risen to 1,386, with more bodies recovered from eight affected districts.
The floods, triggered by an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, devastated towns and villages in northern and central Nepal.
According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, 104 of the recovered bodies have so far been identified and handed over to families. Around 5,130 people are still reported missing.
Security forces continue search and rescue operations. More than 13,700 people have been rescued so far, while 339 people are undergoing treatment in hospitals.
Crime
‘Felt unsafe’: Woman biker alleges car attack after asking occupants to maintain distance in Gurugram

Gurugram, Sep 14: A woman biker in Haryana’s Gurugram has alleged that a car repeatedly followed her before hitting her motorcycle and fleeing the spot, leaving her shaken and raising concerns over road safety in the city.
“I have nothing to say, but today I felt unsafe on Gurugram roads. People like these aren’t afraid of hitting people and running away,” the woman said after the incident.
The rider, who identifies herself as Sia and operates the Instagram page ‘rebelwheels_sia_’, uploaded footage of the incident on social media and described what she said happened before the collision.
According to Sia, the incident occurred on Sunday while she was riding her Aprilia RS 457 sports bike along Golf Course Road with members of her biking group.
In the video, she alleged that the occupants of a car had been following her from the beginning of the ride. She claimed that the people inside the vehicle behaved aggressively and attempted to get close to her motorcycle.
Sia said she asked the occupants to maintain a safe distance, but instead, they allegedly asked her to stop. She also claimed that the men appeared to be under the influence of alcohol.
The rider said she continued moving ahead in an attempt to prevent the car from cutting her off. A friend riding behind her also tried to intervene by positioning his motorcycle in a way that prevented the car from repeatedly coming alongside her.
Despite this, Sia alleged, the car continued following her. She claimed that at one point, the driver attempted to cut across the path of her motorcycle, resulting in a collision.
The impact knocked Sia off her bike, while her motorcycle was dragged several metres along the road. The car then reportedly left the area.
The incident was captured on an action camera fitted to Sia’s motorcycle.
She further alleged that one of her friends pursued the car and attempted to stop the driver. The vehicle eventually halted at a traffic signal, where the friend confronted the driver and allegedly told him that he was responsible for the collision.
However, according to Sia, the driver denied causing the accident and subsequently drove away from the traffic signal.
In a social media post, Sia appealed to the Gurugram Police to take action against motorists who allegedly put other road users at risk and flee after causing accidents.
She also shared the vehicle’s registration number and identified the registered owner mentioned in the vehicle’s registration certificate.
The video subsequently gained significant attention online, with social media users expressing support for the rider and calling for action against the alleged driver. Several users tagged the Delhi Police, Gurugram Police, Gurugram Traffic Police and Haryana Police, urging authorities to investigate the incident.
Some users also called for an FIR to be registered, while others highlighted concerns over rash driving and the safety of motorists, particularly on busy roads in Gurugram.
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