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‘Desperate attempt, won’t affect Mahayuti’: BJP mocks Thackeray brothers’ alliance

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Mumbai, Dec 24: Maharashtra BJP MLA Ram Kadam has taken a sharp dig at the newly announced alliance between the Thackeray cousins ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, asserting that the tie-up will have no impact on the BJP-led Mahayuti and claiming that its flag will continue to fly across Mumbai after the polls.

Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena founder Raj Thackeray on Wednesday formally announced an alliance for the upcoming BMC and Nashik Municipal Corporation elections.

The move is being seen as a significant political realignment aimed at consolidating the Marathi vote bank and mounting a challenge to the BJP-led Mahayuti.

Reacting to the development, Kadam recalled past differences between the two leaders and questioned the credibility of their reunion.

Speaking to Media, he said, “Twenty years ago, on September 27, 2005, Uddhav Thackeray treated Raj Thackeray so badly that he was forced to leave the party. Today, the same Uddhav is standing at his door with a begging bowl, asking for support. This is what destiny means.”

Kadam further dismissed the electoral impact of the alliance, claiming that public rallies and emotional appeals would not convert into votes.

“There will be crowds during their campaigns, but it will not translate into votes. There will be emotional appeals to divide Mumbaikars. However, every citizen of Mumbai knows that during Covid-19, Uddhav Thackeray and his government looted the city,” he alleged.

The BJP leader also credited the current pace of development in Mumbai to the leadership of Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

“All the development you see in Mumbai today has taken place under the leadership of Devendra Fadnavis. Uddhav Thackeray and his government only played the ’20 per cent commission’ game. Because of his arbitrary actions, we could not hold our heads high in Mumbai,” Kadam said.

The alliance between Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray is being widely viewed as a strategic attempt to counter the BJP-led Mahayuti, especially in Mumbai, where the Marathi vote base has remained divided since the 2022 split in the Shiv Sena.

By projecting a “unified Thackeray family”, the two leaders are seeking to reclaim the traditional Shiv Sainik support base in the civic body elections.

However, Kadam remained confident about the Mahayuti’s prospects and reiterated his dismissal of the alliance.

“Despite both brothers coming together for the BMC polls, only Mahayuti’s flag will fly across Mumbai, as well as the entire state,” he said.

Questioning the political relevance of the Thackeray name, the BJP MLA remarked, “The Thackeray brand no longer exists. Thackeray was a brand only during the time of Balasaheb Thackeray; now, it’s only a surname. If there were a ‘Thackeray brand’ in reality today, they would not have lost the municipal elections. There is no point in making headlines now.”

BJP leader Navneet Rana also called out the alliance and said that it was formed out of “self-interest” and not for the family.

“I want to point out that the way Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray are coming together today as a family may look good on the surface, like two brothers uniting, but it is driven by self-interest, not love or familial affection. This alliance is purely for political gain and to revive their influence. Uddhav Thackeray’s party, which once had the strength to form the Chief Minister, now ranks last in municipal and local body elections, with very few chairpersons elected,” she told Media.

Meanwhile, political observers describe the tie-up as a “make-or-break” move for both parties. The electoral strategy seeks to combine Raj Thackeray’s influence among core Marathi voters — estimated at around 26 per cent of Mumbai’s electorate — with Uddhav Thackeray’s expanded support base, including Muslim-majority pockets, following his more inclusive positioning during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

National News

No permission for Jantar Mantar protest, Delhi Police seek closure of 57 metro stations

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New Delhi, Oct 9: Ahead of the proposed protest by the CJP at Jantar Mantar on October 10, the Delhi Police on Friday said permission for the demonstration has been denied due to the organisers’ failure to comply with legal directions and their own undertakings during an earlier protest.

Citing the prevailing law-and-order situation, public safety and the need to regulate traffic, the police said the decision was taken after considering the circumstances surrounding the proposed demonstration.

Addressing a press conference, Joint Commissioner of Police (New Delhi Range) Nupur Prasad said the police had received an application from Sourav Das, co-convenor of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), regarding a proposed protest at Jantar Mantar seeking accountability from the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC).

“The intimation was considered, and it was found that it was given at very short notice. As per the prescribed guidelines, the intimation has to be received 10 days prior to the planned protest,” she said.

Prasad further said that on an earlier occasion, the CJP had been granted permission to hold a protest at the venue, but it had failed to comply with lawful directions and its own undertakings.

“Therefore, due to the failure to follow the legal directions and their own undertakings, and considering the prevailing law-and-order situation, public safety and traffic regulation, permission has been rejected this time,” she said.

The Joint CP also said that Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) was in force in the New Delhi area, with preventive restrictions imposed to maintain public order and safety.

She warned that appropriate legal action would be taken against anyone found violating the provisions of Section 163 of the BNSS.

The Delhi Police have also proposed closing the entry and exit points of 57 metro stations from 9 p.m. on Friday until Saturday. The proposal has been sent to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) officials, and confirmation is awaited. These include Janpath, Patel Chowk, Supreme Court, ITO, Delhi Gate, Kashmere Gate, Rohini West, Welcome, Shalimar Bagh, Adarsh Nagar, and Hauz Khas.

Police officials said the proposal concerns the closure of entry and exit points, while interchange facilities may remain available to commuters.

The proposed restrictions and transport measures come amid preparations to manage public movement, maintain law and order and minimise traffic disruptions in the national capital during the planned protest.

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Crime

Week after Supernova suicide, 36-year-old man dies after fall from 12th floor of Greater Noida West society

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Greater Noida, Oct 9: Nearly a week after a young man jumped to his death from the 43rd floor of Noida’s Supernova building in Sector 94, sending shockwaves in the area, a 36-year-old man died after falling from the 12th floor of a residential society in Greater Noida West on Friday, with his family telling police that he had been struggling with depression, officials said.

The deceased was identified as Anil Kumar, son of Santosh Kumar, a resident of Ace Divino Society under the Bisrakh police station limits. He originally hailed from Prithvipur village in Madhya Pradesh’s Niwari district.

According to police, they received information about the incident on Friday and sent a team to the spot. The personnel gathered details about the incident and completed the identification process.

Police subsequently took custody of the body, completed the inquest proceedings and sent it for post-mortem examination.

During preliminary enquiries, the deceased’s family told police that Kumar had been experiencing depression for some time. However, police are still examining the circumstances leading to the incident, and the family’s statement alone does not establish the cause of the fall.

Police said further legal formalities were underway. More details are expected to emerge as the investigation progresses and the post-mortem examination is completed.

Earlier, on October 3, Sambhav Jain jumped from the 43rd floor of Noida’s Supernova building in Sector 94. The 29-year-old man was a resident of Manesar in Haryana’s Gurugram.

Meanwhile, according to preliminary information received earlier, the impact of the fall was such that the victim’s body was severed into two pieces. A sound resembling a bomb blast was reportedly heard in the complex due to the impact of the fall.

According to reports, the young man who committed suicide was staying at Supernova’s AIR BNB and committed suicide as he was depressed after his divorce and his baby’s illness that had resulted in mounting medical bills.

In another case of suicide reported last month, a first-year MCA student hanged himself in his room in Sector Alpha-2, under the jurisdiction of the Beta-2 Police Station in Greater Noida.

He had reportedly moved to Noida about a month prior to the incident and was pursuing his first-year MCA course through online classes.

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National News

Puducherry bypolls: AINRC retains Thattanchavady; Cong comes second

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Puducherry, Oct 9: The ruling All India N.R. Congress (AINRC) retained the Thattanchavady Assembly constituency in Puducherry on Friday, with its candidate Ashok Anand winning the bypoll by 8,482 votes, delivering a decisive victory for Chief Minister N. Rangasamy’s party.

Anand secured 13,358 votes, while Congress candidate E. Vinayagam finished second with 4,876 votes.

The DMK’s K. Sethu Selvam came third with 2,664 votes, according to the Election Commission’s results.

The bypoll was necessitated by Rangasamy’s resignation from Thattanchavady after he won both this constituency and Mangalam in the April Assembly election. The Chief Minister chose to retain Mangalam, leaving Thattanchavady vacant and requiring a fresh election.

The result allows the N.R. Congress to retain a constituency closely associated with Rangasamy’s political career. It also gives the ruling alliance an electoral boost just months after the formation of the government following the Assembly polls.

Eleven candidates contested the election, held on Tuesday (October 6). Apart from the three principal contenders, the field included CPI candidate A.M. Saleem and Naam Tamilar Katchi nominee S. Karthikumari, along with candidates from other parties and Independents.

Anand, a former legislator, contested with support from the BJP, AIADMK and Lakshiya Jananayaga Katchi.

Congress candidate Vinayagam had the backing of the Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam, adding another political dimension to the contest in the union territory.

Counting began at 8 a.m. on Friday at the Motilal Nehru Government Polytechnic College in Lawspet. Postal ballots were taken up first, followed by votes recorded in electronic voting machines, which were counted over four rounds.

Anand established an advantage from the opening stages of counting and maintained his lead as the rounds progressed.

The final tally confirmed a substantial gap between the ruling party’s candidate and his nearest rival. A total of 21,756 electors voted, comprising 10,056 men, 11,695 women and five third-gender voters.

The constituency recorded a turnout of 80.81 per cent, lower than participation in the April general election.

Following polling, the electronic voting machines were moved to the polytechnic college and stored in a strongroom under three-tier police security. The arrangements remained in place ahead of counting.

The verdict completes the electoral process triggered by the Chief Minister’s decision to vacate the seat, returning Thattanchavady to the N.R. Congress and sending Anand to the Assembly as its elected representative.

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