Maharashtra
Election Commission To Announce Poll Dates Of Maharashtra, Jharkhand Assembly Elections Today
News Delhi: The Election Commission of India is set to announce the dates of elections for the Maharashtra and Jharkhand assembly elections on Tuesday, October 15. The announcement on the dates of the crucial polls will be done by ECI through a press conference scheduled at 3.30 pm today. The poll officials are also expected to announce bypolls for three Lok Sabha seats and 12 Assembly seats of UP and Gujarat today along with the polls for the two assemblies.
When Do Assembly Terms End For Both States?
The Maharashtra Assembly’s term is set to conclude on November 26, while on the other hand, the Jharkhand Assembly’s term will end on January 5, 2025. Maharashtra has a 288-member Legislative Assembly, while the state of Jharkhand consists an 81-seat Assembly.
Crucial Battle In Both States
In Maharashtra, the ruling Mahayuti coalition, which consists of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), will face off against the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). The MVA is a coalition of the Congress, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP-SP and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT).
In Jharkhand, the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), a key part of the opposition INDIA bloc, will be up against the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The NDA in Jharkhand includes the BJP, All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) and Janata Dal (United). Both states are gearing up for high-stakes elections, with major political alliances vying for power.
Congress Reviews Poll Strategy In Maharashtra
The Congress central leadership, on Monday, held a meeting to assess its preparations for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections. The meeting, chaired at party president Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence, included senior state leaders and was attended by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi.
During the discussions, the Congress leadership reflected on lessons learned from the Haryana elections, particularly focusing on addressing caste-related issues. The results of the Haryana elections and their potential impact on expectations within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, which includes the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), were also reviewed.
A key decision made during the meeting was the commitment to maintain the MVA alliance despite any challenges. Prominent Congress leaders like general secretary KC Venugopal and Maharashtra in-charge Ramesh Chennithala, along with state figures including Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Nana Patole, former president Prithviraj Chavan and Leader of Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar, participated in the meeting.
BJP To Release 1st List Of Candidates Soon
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is preparing to release its first list of candidates for the Maharashtra polls, expected to include over 60 names. This list will be finalised by the party’s central election committee (CEC) in the next two days.
A meeting led by BJP national president JP Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah was also held in New Delhi yesterday, where key leaders from the party’s Maharashtra unit and state election in-charges Bhupender Yadav and Ashwini Vaishnaw were present. The BJP’s Maharashtra unit has already shortlisted around 100 candidates, including sitting MLAs, for the CEC’s consideration ahead of the elections.
Maharashtra
Kasturba Marg Police recover 100 stolen mobile phones, return them to their original owners

Acting on complaints regarding stolen and lost mobile phones within the jurisdiction of the Kasturba Marg Police Station in Mumbai, police analyzed data from the CEIR portal and conducted technical investigations. By verifying device details, IMEI numbers, and user information, officers from the Kasturba Marg Police Station tracked down and recovered a total of 100 mobile phones from locations across Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra.
The total estimated value of the 100 recovered mobile phones is ₹2,270,658. Of these, 18 phones have already been returned to their respective owners/complainants, including: 1) Rajendra Puri, 2) Khush Saw, 3) Kripa Lodhiya, 4) Shreya Satam, 5) Atul Sathe, 6) Priyanka Mistri, 7) Banu Tarang, 8) Prem Gupta, 9) Adya Shaikh, 10) Shweta Shah, 11) Sandhya Pandit, 12) Deepak Sawdekar, 13) Saurabh Jhangar, 14) Ketan Shete, 15) Onkar Raut, 16) Jayalal Yadav, 17) Lakshmi Appa Kripagiri, and 18) Praveen Dubey. The process of returning the remaining phones to their owners is currently underway.
This operation was carried out under the supervision of the DCP (North, Zone 3), Mumbai, by the team at Kasturba Marg Police Station, led by Balasaheb Bunkar.
Crime
CBI books Mumbai firm, officials in Rs 93.44 crore loan fraud case

Mumbai, Oct 3: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted searches at multiple premises in Mumbai and registered a Rs 93.44 crore bank fraud case against officials of Hanjer Biotech Energies on the complaint of Punjab National Bank, an official said on Saturday.
The CBI conducted searches on Friday at multiple premises linked to the directors of Hanjer Biotech Energies in Mumbai, the CBI said in a statement.
The CBI registered the instant case on September 30, 2026, on the complaint of Punjab National Bank, SAM Branch, Mumbai, against Hanjer Biotech Energies, its directors and guarantors, unknown public servants and unknown private persons.
The accused were booked for offences of criminal conspiracy for cheating and offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, resulting in alleged wrongful loss of approximately Rs 93.44 Crore to the bank.
It was alleged that the accused entered into a criminal conspiracy, obtained term loan of Rs 135 crore on the invoices of its related party and diverted/siphoned off the funds for other purposes for which it was not sanctioned, causing loss to the bank, the CBI said.
During the searches on Friday, incriminating bank documents and property documents relevant to the investigation were recovered and seized.
Investigation is continuing to ascertain the full extent of the conspiracy, identify the role of all involved persons, including public servants and private individuals, and trace the end-use of the loan funds, the CBI said.
In a separate case on Friday, the CBI arrested an Executive Engineer of the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), Mumbai, his relative and three officials of a Mumbai-based real estate group, in a Rs 50 lakh bribery case related to the issuance of a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) for a land parcel.
Vikrant Verma, Executive Engineer, CPWD Mumbai; Saurav Gupta, Verma’s relative based in Pune; and Arvind Semwal, Vice President, Baya Company, were among those named in the FIR by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday, an official said.
The arrested accused were produced before the Special CBI Judge in Mumbai on Friday, the official said in a statement.
Maharashtra
Monsoon Withdraws Further from Maharashtra; Hot and Humid Weather Alert Issued for Konkan Region

MUMBAI PRESS — The India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced on Saturday, October 3, 2026, that the Southwest Monsoon has withdrawn from parts of Maharashtra, as well as the remaining regions of North India, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh.
The current withdrawal line of the Southwest Monsoon passes through Harnai, Baramati, Parbhani, and Brahmapuri in Maharashtra, extending northeastward through Raipur, Ranchi, and Supaul. Weather officials stated that conditions are favorable for further retreat from most parts of Marathwada, Vidarbha, and additional areas of Madhya Maharashtra over the next 2 to 3 days.
Hot and Humid Stretch for Coastal Maharashtra
Residents in the coastal belt should prepare for elevated discomfort over the weekend. The IMD has issued a hot and humid weather warning for Konkan & Goa prevailing from October 3 through October 5.
Following this dry and muggy stretch, mild weather activity is expected to return to the region. Isolated to scattered rainfall is forecast across Konkan & Goa and Madhya Maharashtra between October 6 and October 9.
Southern and Northeastern Forecast
While monsoon forces retreat from central and northern parts of India, southern states are bracing for heavy downpours. Isolated heavy rainfall is predicted over Kerala, Mahe, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal from October 4 to October 6, with South Interior Karnataka expected to receive heavy spells on October 5 and 6.
In the northeast, isolated heavy rainfall is expected to continue over Assam, Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh through October 3.
Advisory for Fishermen
Due to lower-tropospheric cyclonic circulations over the Arabian Sea, the IMD has urged fishermen not to venture into the sea along and off the Kerala coast, Lakshadweep, Maldives, and the Comorin area on October 3. Farmers in heavy rainfall zones have also been advised to ensure proper field drainage and move harvested crops to covered storage to prevent crop damage.
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