Mumbai: Central Railway’s Mumbai Division will operate a mega block on its suburban sections on Sunday, February 9, as well as on western and harbour routes, to carry out various engineering and maintenance works. On central, mainly UP and DOWN fast services will be affected, which will use the slow track between a few stations below. In western, some trains will be cancelled.

Down Fast Line (CSMT to Mulund):

From 10:58 am to 3:10 pm, DN fast line trains departing from CSMT Mumbai will be diverted on DN slow at Matunga halting in line with their respective halts between Matunga and Mulund station. The train is expected to be delayed by 15 minutes. At Mulund station, fast trains heading beyond Thane will be diverted onto the DN fast line.

Fast Trains Services:

UP fast line services leaving Thane From 11:25 am to 3:27 pm, diverted on a slow line at Mulund, arriving 15 minutes late.

Harbour Line Services:

DOWN Harbour line services to CSMT to Vashi/Belapur/Panvel (11:16 am – 4:47 pm) and CSMT to Bandra/Goregaon (10:48 am – 4:43 pm) are cancelled.

UP Harbour line services from Panvel/Belapur/Vashi to CSMT (9:53 am – 3:20 pm) and Goregaon/Bandra to CSMT (10:45 am – 5:13 pm) are also cancelled.

Special Panvel-Kurla-Panvel services will run during the block. Passengers can travel via Main/Western Lines from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.

Transharbour Line

No Block

Uran Line

No Block

Western line services:

From 10:00 pm on February 8 to 11:00 am on February 9 all UP/DN Fast line trains between Grant Road and Mumbai Central will run on slow lines.

Some trains will be cancelled or short-terminated at Bandra/Dadar.

Mumbai: As the BJP leads in the Delhi Assembly election trends, Shiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut has pointed out the impact of a divided opposition. He remarked that the competition remains tight but suggested that a Congress-AAP alliance could have changed the outcome. He stated that both parties aimed to keep the BJP out of power but failed to unite, which might have secured the BJP’s defeat in the first hour of counting.

On BJP’s lead in Delhi Election trends, Raut said, “… The early trends show a sharp competition. Had Congress and AAP been together, the results may have been different… The political opponent of AAP and Congress is BJP. Both of them fought to keep BJP from coming to power, but they fought individually. If they had been together then BJP’s defeat must have been confirmed in the first hour (of counting)…”

Omar Abdullah’s Dig At INDIA Bloc Allies

Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah took a swipe at his India bloc allies, Congress and AAP over their separate contest in Delhi. Sharing a popular meme on X, he sarcastically suggested that the two parties continue fighting amongst themselves. The meme, which read, “Jee bhar kar lado. Samaapt kardo ek dusre ko!” was accompanied by his caption, “Aur lado aapas mein!!!” implying that their disunity had cost them dearly in the elections.

Abdullah’s remark follows the BJP’s lead in 45 out of 70 seats in the Delhi legislature, as per ECI trends. His criticism comes in light of Congress and AAP contesting separately, despite being allies under the INDIA bloc. This division seemingly played into the BJP’s hands, allowing them to consolidate their position in the capital. Abdullah had earlier questioned the INDIA bloc’s effectiveness and the Delhi elections appear to have further fueled doubts about its unity and strategy.

BJP’s Comfortable Lead Over AAP & Congress

As per early trends from the Election Commission, the BJP has now crossed the majority mark in Delhi. The party is leading in 45 seats, while AAP is ahead in 25. With 36 seats needed for a majority, the BJP appears set to return to power in the capital after over two decades.

The AAP, which won 62 out of 70 seats in the last election, was hoping for a third consecutive term. However, the BJP’s resurgence and Congress’ inability to make a major impact have reshaped the political landscape in Delhi.

Navi Mumbai: The ongoing dispute between contractual employees and the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) over wage regularization under the Minimum Wages Act has intensified. While the employee union has announced to go on indefinite strike,  civic administration denies the allegations made. 

Indefinite Strike Announced

More than 8,000 contractual workers have announced an indefinite strike starting February 10, citing NMMC’s failure to address their long-standing grievances. “Our demands for equal pay for equal work have been consistently ignored by the administration, leaving the workers with no choice but to go on strike,” said a union member affiliated with the Samaj Samata Kamgar Sangh,

A month-long chain hunger strike had been initiated last year by the union, during which several workers reportedly fell ill and required hospitalization. “Despite this, no concessions were made by the municipal administration,”  claimed a union representative.

NMMC Refutes Allegations

However, NMMC has refuted these claims, maintaining that workers’ welfare has always been prioritized. ” Since its inception, contractual workers have been engaged through contractors for essential services such as sanitation, water supply, and healthcare, with wages being paid as per legal provisions, ” said an official.

Administration further revealed that representations were submitted to the state government on July 25, 2022, and July 18, 2023, seeking guidance on implementing equal pay for equal work for contractual employees. “In response, on September 25, 2024, the state government refused to provide financial assistance, citing existing laws and regulations, and advised NMMC to take necessary action independently,” informed the official. 

Following this, a committee was established to examine legal provisions, prevailing rules, and judicial rulings from the High Court and Supreme Court. A fact-based report is informed to have been  prepared and shared with all workers’ unions “but it was not accepted by the protesting employees. Despite multiple meetings between senior municipal officials and protestors, attempts to convince them to withdraw the strike have been unsuccessful,” said the official. 

The Municipal Commissioner is reported to have personally met the protestors and subsequently ordered the formation of a special committee, led by a retired Additional Chief Secretary of Maharashtra Government. “The committee has been instructed to submit its findings at the earliest, considering the concerns of sanitation workers. The details of this process have been shared with Samaj Samata Kamgar Sangh and seven other workers’ unions.Continuous discussions are said to be underway with all concerned unions to prevent the mass strike and ensure that essential services remain unaffected,” said the official.