Thane: “Won the Lok Sabha, won the Assembly. Now, the goal is to achieve victory in all 29 municipal corporations and deliver development to the people. That is why the decision has been made to form a ‘Mahayuti’ (grand alliance) in all these municipal corporations, and the saffron flag of Mahayuti will fly here,” expressed Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde while speaking at a workers’ meeting in Thane on Tuesday. He also clarified that people should not believe the rumors being spread about seat allocation within the Mahayuti and that their honor will be maintained within the alliance.

A meeting of key officials was organized in Thane on Tuesday against the backdrop of the Thane Municipal Corporation elections. In this meeting, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde guided the workers. He said that the municipal election program has been announced, the betel nut has been broken, the wedding rush has started. He said that the Shiv Sena is a ringing coin in the Thane elections which are being held after three years.

Thane is a stronghold of Shiv Sena. Nobody can, and nobody will be able to, take down the saffron flag of Balasaheb Thackeray and Dharamveer Anand Dighe Saheb here, he also said.

We made a miracle by contesting 80 seats in the assembly elections and winning 60 seats. We have the bow and arrow symbol. The opposition’s cart has been overturned in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, now we will make them bite the dust in the municipal elections as well, he indirectly taunted Uddhav Thackeray. He expressed confidence that the saffron flag of the Mahayuti (grand alliance) will flutter triumphantly in the upcoming elections in January.

Workers/activists are my tonic. They are my energy and inspiration, said Shinde, sharing his experience of the Nagpur tour. He said in emotional words that when thousands of Shiv Sainiks meet, his health also improves. Leaders come and go, positions come and go; but the worker is the true foundation of the party, he said.

While reviewing the work done for the development of Thane and Maharashtra during his tenure as Chief Minister and even after that, Shinde mentioned Samruddhi Mahamarg, Coastal Road, Atal Setu, metro projects, city parks, and major infrastructure projects. He expressed confidence that the traffic congestion in Thane will soon become a thing of the past.

Shinde appealed to people to show organizational strength by implementing the program in a single phase for the municipal elections. Let’s resolve to maintain the glory of Hindutva and the victory of Mahayuti. The saffron flag of Mahayuti must be hoisted again on the Thane Municipal Corporation. Projects have been done, schemes have been implemented, and their success has been proven before the people. He also said that with the blessings of Dharmveer Anand Dighe, victory in Thane is certain again.

Beed Maharashtra: A woman from Baramati in Pune district has allegedly been raped by three men in Maharashtra’s Beed district after being promised a job, police said.

The alleged incident took place six months ago, they said, adding that a case was registered a few days back in this connection against four persons, including a woman.

The accused woman lured the victim under the pretext of getting her a job at an arts centre at Ambajogai in Beed district.

However, after the victim arrived here, the woman and two other persons assaulted her and forcibly took her to a lodge in the town where three men allegedly raped her, an official from Ambajogai police station said, quoting the victim’s complaint.

Attempts were also made to force her into prostitution, he said.

The victim recently managed to contact her mother, who rushed to Ambajogai, rescued her daughter and took her back to Baramati.

A case was subsequently registered at the Baramati police station and transferred to Ambajogai Rural police station on Tuesday for further investigation, the official said.

Further probe was on into the case, the police added.

Mumbai: With the State Election Commission announcing the dates, preparations for the long-delayed BMC elections after nearly four years are finally underway.

During this period, the split in the Shiv Sena, shifting alliances among the BJP, Congress, and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and repeated delays in holding polls led to the BMC being run by appointed administrators rather than elected representatives.

Reshaped by recent political upheavals in Maharashtra, the upcoming BMC election has transformed from a once-predictable contest into a high-stakes, multi-party battle.

As Mumbai moves back to elected governance, the results will reflect public opinion, political strength, and the future course of urban politics in India’s financial hub.

In the years after Independence, the Indian National Congress held a strong grip on the BMC, reflecting its dominance in Maharashtra politics. This began to change in the late 20th century, as the Shiv Sena, built on Marathi pride and regional identity, steadily gained influence in Mumbai.

The party first came to power in the BMC in 1985, and by 1997, it had established firm control, beginning nearly two decades of largely uninterrupted rule. For years, the Shiv Sena governed the BMC either alone or in alliance with the BJP.

However, the long-standing alliance was disrupted in 2017, a turning point when the Shiv Sena emerged as the single largest party while the BJP made significant gains, finishing a close second. Despite being allies at the state and national levels, the two parties clashed fiercely, exposing cracks in their partnership.

In 2019, Maharashtra politics saw major shifts with the formation of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, an alliance of the Shiv Sena, Congress, and NCP led by Uddhav Thackeray.

The political landscape changed further when the Shiv Sena split into Uddhav-led and Eknath Shinde-led factions, and the NCP divided into Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar groups in 2023.

In 2022, Shinde led a rebellion, with most Shiv Sena legislators joining him and the BJP to form the state government. This weakened the original Shiv Sena faction and removed a strong regional rival to the BJP in state politics.

With the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), the BJP is poised to fulfil its long-standing goal of electing a mayor from its alliance. On the other hand, there is strong speculation that the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena may join forces in an attempt to challenge the ruling alliance and regain power.

The upcoming BMC election is more than just about roads, flooding, or waste management—it marks the return of elected leadership after nearly four years under state-appointed administrators Iqbal Singh Chahal from March 2022, followed by Bhushan Gagrani in March 2024.

Voters will compare the performance of administrators with what elected leaders could deliver. For the rival Shiv Sena factions, the polls are a fight for legacy and legitimacy, the BJP aims to strengthen its hold in urban Maharashtra, and Congress and other regional parties hope to regain a foothold in Mumbai.

Major political parties
1992 | 2002 | 2012 | 2017

Shiv Sena — 69 | 98 | 75 | 84
BJP — 14 | 35 | 31 | 82
Congress — 112 | 60 | 52 | 31
NCP — 0 | 13 | 13 | 09
Samajwadi Party — 0 | 10 | 09 | 06

(In 1992, Mumbai had 220 wards, which have now been increased to 227.)