Maharashtra government led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday called upon President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan to officially invite her to the flagship flag-hoisting ceremony of the grand Simhastha Kumbh Mela, scheduled for October 31 at Nashik and Trimbakeshwar.

The delegation included Deputy Chief Ministers Ekanth Shinde and Sunetra Pawar, alongside key cabinet ministers and senior administrative officials.

President Murmu was formally invited to grace the ceremonial flag-hoisting event on October 31, which marks the official commencement of the sacred Simhastha Kumbh Mela festivities across Nashik and Trimbakeshwar.

The President was also invited to participate in a series of landmark launch events slated for the inaugural day, including the grand Goda Aarti on the banks of the Godavari River, launch of the official Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Kumbh Mela Authority portal, release of the official Kumbh Mela Anthem (Geet), a commemorative Coffee Table Book and release of a dedicated Kumbh Mela Postage Stamp, said the government release.

During the audience, Chief Minister Fadnavis presented President Murmu with a specially designed artistic invitation box along with a unique gift hamper showcasing Maharashtra’s rich spiritual heritage, tribal entrepreneurship, textile artistry, agricultural bounty, and culinary traditions.

The Hamper included natural incense sticks, coarse grain food products, Mahua flower products, handcrafted bamboo artefacts, and wild forest honey—highlighting sustainable resource management and tribal artisan self-reliance. Besides, the authentic Yeola Paithani saree, symbolising Maharashtra’s traditional weaving legacy, was also part of the hamper.

The agricultural & regional specialities included Black raisins, cashews, traditional Nashik chivda, selected sweets, and dry fruits representing the agricultural wealth and local flavour of Nashik, stated the release.

Recently, CM Fadnavis reviewed the infrastructure and development preparations for the upcoming Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Simhastha Kumbh Mela (scheduled from October 2026 through July 2028, with core sacred bathing rituals centred in 2027).

CM Fadnavis inspected critical sites across the twin temple towns of Nashik and Trimbakeshwar. He expressed strong satisfaction with the construction velocity, stating that key interventions—such as ghat development, pilgrim pathways (like the Darshan Path), and major road decongestion projects—are advancing smoothly and will meet their scheduled deadlines.

He acknowledged that several infrastructure developments (such as the Goda Ghat and Trimbakeshwar Darshan Path) are complex and challenging, but praised the seamless coordination among state agencies like Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation and local authorities.

A comprehensive master plan worth Rs 1,100 crore has been deployed specifically for Trimbakeshwar. This covers the restoration and beautification of holy water tanks (Kunds) like Kushavarta, temple conservation, new road networks, parking complexes, and dedicated sanitation facilities.

Key infrastructural milestones include fast-tracking projects at Dwarka Circle (including advanced drainage system tests to prevent monsoon waterlogging), expanding connectivity via wider roads, and building a dedicated Sadhugram space through land acquisition and Town Planning schemes.

To handle massive pilgrim influxes, the state is facilitating major expansion works at Ozar Airport alongside arrangements at Shirdi Airport and plans for multiple helipads around Nashik to streamline VIP and tourist travel.

CM Fadnavis emphasised making the event a blend of deep-rooted faith and modern technology. Plans include virtual/augmented experiences for devotees worldwide who cannot physically partake in the holy dips.

A major priority of the administration is the comprehensive purification of the Godavari River and its local tributaries, alongside advanced Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) setups.

To ensure seamless crowd control, streamlined resource allocation, and absolute administrative clarity during the massive influx of pilgrims, the state government proposed enacting a dedicated Kumbh Mela Authority Act to vest core executive powers directly within a specialised administrative body.

Filing of nominations for MPTC and ZPTC elections in Andhra Pradesh began on a violent note on Wednesday with attacks on candidates and leaders of the opposition YSR Congress Party, including Former Deputy Chief Minister K. Narayana Swamy.

YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) blamed Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and its allies in the ruling coalition for the attacks.

The opposition party alleged that violence, attacks and intimidation continued across the state.

YSRCP candidates and leaders faced physical attacks, destruction of nomination papers, police restrictions and illegal arrests in several constituencies. TDP and coalition leaders obstructed opposition candidates from filing nominations, while police failed to prevent the violence, it alleged.

Elections to Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTCs) and Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTCs) are scheduled to be held on November 3.

In Chittoor district, TDP cadres allegedly attacked former Deputy Chief Minister Narayana Swamy near the Zilla Parishad Chairman’s office when he arrived to facilitate the filing of a ZPTC nomination from Penumuru.

According to YSRCP, its leaders were injured in the attacks by TDP cadres in Chandragiri, Tirupati district.

Former MPTC member Madan Reddy and YSRCP supporters Ramu and Lokesh suffered serious head injuries and were shifted to a government hospital. The attacks took place in the presence of Pulivarthi Vineel, son of TDP MLA Pulivarthi Nani, according to YSRCP leaders. They also accused him of bringing outsiders from Tamil Nadu to create violence.

The opposition party alleged that police failed to prevent the attacks.

In Srikalahasti in Tirupati district, a two-wheeler belonging to a YSRCP supporter who arrived to participate in the nomination process was damaged and set on fire near the MPDO office. TDP leaders also allegedly threatened YSRCP candidates attempting to file nominations.

YSRCP alleged that Jana Sena MLA Arava Sridhar and Jana Sena leaders obstructed the filing of nominations in Railway Koduru in Tirupati district. The opposition party also alleged attack on its supporters.

Local YSRCP leaders confronted the police and demanded that all YSRCP candidates be allowed to file nominations.

Police placed former MLA Brahmanaidu under house arrest, preventing him from assisting YSRCP candidates during the nomination process in Narasaraopet in Palnadu district.

Police arrested YSRCP State Executive Council member and Macherla constituency observer Kommineni Venkateswarlu when he arrived to support candidates filing MPTC nominations in Piduguralla Mandal in Palnadu district.

TDP cadres allegedly attacked YSRCP candidates who arrived at the Mandal office to file MPTC nominations in Macherla in Palnadu district. The attackers forcibly snatched nomination papers from the candidates, obstructing the nomination process.

YSRCP said these incidents demonstrate the continuing obstruction faced by YSRCP candidates during the MPTC and ZPTC nomination process.

The opposition party demanded immediate protection for candidates, action against those responsible for violence and an end to police interference in the election process.

The Anti Auto Theft Squad (AATS) of Delhi Police’s Central District has busted an inter-state car theft racket operating between Delhi-NCR and Punjab, arresting two alleged auto-lifters and recovering five stolen vehicles, including four SUVs, officials said on Wednesday.

The accused, identified as Shamsher, 33, and Rinku alias Rinky, 39, were arrested in Jandiala Guru in Amritsar, Punjab, on October 16. Police said the recovery has helped solve five motor vehicle theft cases registered at different police stations in Delhi.

The investigation began after a white Hyundai Creta was reported stolen from outside a house in Old Rajinder Nagar. e-FIR 025056/26 under Section 303(2) was registered at Rajinder Nagar police station on October 14, following which the AATS team was assigned to investigate the case and identify those involved.

During the investigation, police used manual intelligence and technical surveillance to uncover the alleged involvement of a Punjab-based inter-state racket. According to police, the accused targeted well-maintained vehicles in Delhi-NCR, stole them during night hours, affixed fake registration number plates, and transported them to Punjab for disposal.

Acting on specific information, the police team conducted a raid in Jandiala Guru on October 16 and arrested Shamsher. A stolen car linked to a theft case registered at Begampur police station in Rohini was recovered from his possession.

During interrogation, Shamsher allegedly disclosed the involvement of his associate, Rinku alias Rinky, who was subsequently arrested in Amritsar on the same day. Police then recovered the car in the Rajinder Nagar case.

The five recovered vehicles comprise four SUVs stolen from the jurisdictions of Rajinder Nagar, Begampur, Janakpuri and Netaji Subhash Place police stations, and one reported stolen in the Rajouri Garden area.

Police said the accused allegedly disposed of the stolen vehicles in Punjab through a local contact identified as Harpreet alias Honey, a resident of Amritsar. Efforts are underway to apprehend him and identify other members of the racket, officials said.

The operation was led by Inspector Sandeep Dabas, in-charge of AATS, Central District, under the supervision of ACP (Operations) Padam Singh Rana. Further investigations are underway, the officials said.