Mumbai: Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders, along with MNS chief Raj Thackeray, visited the Maharashtra Election Commission office in Mumbai on Wednesday for a meeting with the Chief Election Officer (CEO).

Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray, UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray and Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar were also present in the election meeting.

Speaking to reporters, Uddhav Thackeray stated that they have demanded that the poll panel rectify the voter list and conduct elections after rectification.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) chief said, “Before the assembly elections of 2024, MVA had written a letter to the EC that the BJP is adding people to the voter list because it wanted to bring to your notice. We had clearly stated that until these flaws are rectified, elections should not be conducted. Also, another important point raised is that those till 31st July who have turned 18 years will only be allowed to vote. The cutoff of July 31st is unacceptable.” “Our first focus is to rectify the voter list and then prevent vote theft… We have an objection to EVM. Now, they don’t want to use VVPAT. Is it because they want to destroy the proofs? It is against democracy. When all party delegations met the Election Commission, we also called the BJP leaders, but they did not attend the meeting…” he added.

Meanwhile, in a post on X, Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar said that they met the Election Commission officials to discuss the need to ensure that the upcoming local body elections in the state are completely transparent, fair and uphold democratic values.

The post reads, “A multi-party delegation met with the Chief Election Officer and the State Election Commissioner today to discuss ensuring that the upcoming local self-government institution elections in the state are conducted in a completely transparent, impartial manner, upholding democratic values. The foundation of democracy is trust and transparency; to sustain this trust, it is essential that every election process is flawless. This demand was made on this occasion.”

Mumbai: Responding to widespread passenger complaints over poor mobile network connectivity in the underground Metro Line-3 corridor, the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) has announced the rollout of free Wi-Fi across all stations on the Aqua Line. The initiative aims to make digital ticket booking easier through the MetroConnect3 mobile app and improve overall commuter convenience.

According to MMRC, the free Wi-Fi facility is now available at the concourse (ticketing) level of all stations. MMRC aims at easing ticket booking and travel seamless for passengers by simply logging into the MetroConnect3 app before entering the station.

Download and sign in to the MetroConnect3 app before arriving at the station.

Open your device’s Wi-Fi settings and select MetroConnect3.

Open the app, go to Profile, and tap Connect to Wi-Fi to access free internet (available for ticket booking only).

The MMRC said over 1.6 lakh passengers used the Aqua Line on Monday, but many struggled to book tickets due to poor network reception inside the underground tunnels. The new Wi-Fi facility, the agency added, is free, secure, and reliable for all commuters.

Meanwhile, ACES India recently partnered with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) to install advanced 4G and 5G In-Building Solutions (IBS) across the 33.5-km-long Aqua Line. This system will ensure high-speed mobile coverage in all 27 underground stations and interconnected tunnels, benefiting millions of daily passengers once fully operational.

Thane: A video of Maharashtra Forest Minister Ganesh Naik’s convoy travelling on the wrong side of the road to avoid a massive traffic jam on the Ghodbunder Road in Thane has surfaced on social media with commuters seeking to know if traffic rules were meant to be followed only by common citizens.

The incident occurred on Wednesday morning when Naik was heading to Palghar for a meeting of the District Planning Committee.

Naik is also the district guardian minister of Palghar.

While the BJP minister’s convoy with police escort was on the way to Palghar, it took a U-turn to avoid a traffic jam and started going on the wrong side of the road.

Eyewitnesses and commuters were quick to capture videos and photos of the minister’s convoy driving on the wrong side. The video that has surfaced on social media shows the minister sitting inside his car.

Angry citizens took to social media to express outrage, saying such instances expose the “two Indias on the same road – one for the powerful and one for the powerless”.

“Traffic rules apply only to the ‘aam aadmi’ (common people), not the VVIPs,” one commuter said.