Mumbai: With two political gladiators – the BJP and the Shiv Sena (UBT)-MNS – announcing that the next Mayor of Mumbai will be a Marathi, the battle lines have clearly been drawn. The BJP, which heads the Mahayuti, had earlier announced that the city would be led by a Hindu, but later changed its stance, stating that the Mayor would indeed be a Marathi.

The reunion of Uddhav and Raj Thackeray has altered the political agenda and will now compel other parties to respond in kind. The civic body, with an annual budget exceeding Rs74,000 crore, is up for grabs – albeit with the Marathi asmita (pride) card firmly in play.

It was during the Congress-led rule that the battle for Mumbai was equally fierce. While the Congress stood for ‘Mumbai for all,’ the Shiv Sena–BJP alliance championed ‘Mumbai for Marathis.’ In 1992, when the Shiv Sena was at its peak under the late Balasaheb Thackeray, the BJP took a step back. It was officially announced by Thackeray and Pramod Mahajan that the two parties would fight separately. The Congress, led by Sharad Pawar, took full advantage of this split and went on to rule the metropolis for five years.

Much water has flowed under the bridge since then. After ruling the civic body with BJP support from 1997 to 2017, the Shiv Sena fought the last election on its own and survived by a narrow margin. In the 2017 BMC polls, the Sena won 84 seats, narrowly ahead of the BJP’s 82. The BJP chose not to stake its claim to the BMC, prioritising the alliance that was vital for running the Devendra Fadnavis-led state government.

The Uddhav-led Shiv Sena, which leaned more heavily on the Hindu plank after 2004, has now reverted to its original Marathi agenda. The shift has been driven largely by the 2022 party split engineered by Eknath Shinde with BJP support, which weakened the UBT faction as several leaders defected to the Shinde-led Sena. Meanwhile, Raj Thackeray – who has consistently upheld the Marathi language and Marathi Manoos agenda – has decided to join forces with his cousin Uddhav. Their reunion has sharply drawn the battle lines: Mumbai for Marathis or Mumbai for others?

The Marathi vote bank is estimated to be 32-37%. Electoral arithmetic shifts dramatically when this bloc votes en masse for a single party. Earlier, Marathi voters were divided between the Shiv Sena and the MNS; now, a unified push is likely. In 2007, when the MNS contested the BMC elections for the first time, it secured 10.43% of the vote, while the unified Shiv Sena polled 22.71%. In 2012, the MNS vote share rose to 20.67%, with the Sena at 21.85%. Had the Sena not allied with the BJP, which garnered 8.64%, the outcome could have been very different.

In 2017, when the Sena and BJP contested separately, the Sena secured 28.29% of the vote, while the BJP followed closely with 27.32%. The MNS managed 7.73%. Of the 227 seats in the BMC, the Congress won only 31, while the undivided Shiv Sena and BJP won 84 and 82 seats, respectively.

“Mumbai’s mayor will be Marathi, and he will be ours,” Raj Thackeray declared while announcing the poll pact. This sets up a major challenge for the Eknath Shinde–led Shiv Sena, which must now prove its relevance and identity in Mumbai.

Mumbai, Dec 25: In a year marked by heightened global uncertainty, precious metals delivered exceptional returns for investors, with silver emerging as a surprise winner.

Silver prices surged by more than 137 per cent — outperforming gold — which also posted a strong gain of around 68 per cent this year.

With equity markets facing volatility, both metals strengthened their position as preferred safe investment options, but silver clearly outshone all traditional choices.

Gold’s strong performance was supported by geopolitical tensions, inflation concerns, and expectations of interest rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve.

A major driving force behind gold’s rally was steady buying by global central banks. For three consecutive years — 2022, 2023 and 2024 — central banks have purchased more than 1,000 tonnes of gold each year.

Alongside this, global investors continued to invest through gold ETFs, using them as a safe place to park funds.

Big global banks have turned increasingly bullish on gold’s outlook. Goldman Sachs has raised its 2026 year-end gold price target to $4,900 per ounce, citing strong central bank demand and ETF inflows.

Deutsche Bank has also upgraded its outlook, projecting gold prices at $4,450 per ounce in 2026.

Silver’s rally, however, has been driven by more than just safe-haven demand. Strong industrial usage has played a crucial role.

Growing demand from sectors such as solar power, electric vehicles, and electronics has significantly increased silver consumption.

At the same time, supply constraints have tightened the market, pushing prices sharply higher.

This dual role — as a precious metal and an industrial input — has helped silver deliver more than double the returns of gold in 2025.

Looking ahead, experts believe the positive momentum in silver could continue into 2026.

Market specialists say that strong industrial demand, limited supply, and supportive global trends could help silver rise by another 15 to 20 per cent next year.

Some analysts expect that in the first half of 2026 alone, silver may generate an additional 20 to 25 per cent return from current levels, though they advise investors to invest gradually, especially if prices see short-term corrections.

Gold’s outlook also remains positive for 2026. Continued central bank buying, possible US rate cuts, and ongoing geopolitical risks are expected to support prices.

Analysts suggest that keeping an eye on central bank activity — whether they continue buying, hold their reserves, or start selling — will be critical, as their actions often signal future price trends well in advance.

“With uncertainty still dominating the global economic landscape, precious metals are likely to continue playing an important role in investor portfolios, offering a mix of safety and growth potential,” experts stated.

Meanwhile, both metal’s prices climbed to new record highs on the MCX on Wednesday morning, helped by a weak US dollar and expectations that the US Federal Reserve may cut interest rates further.

Gold futures for February rose 0.42 per cent to touch an all-time high of Rs 1,38,469 per 10 grams. Silver futures for March jumped nearly 2 per cent to hit a fresh record of Rs 2,23,742 per kg.

In the global market, gold prices crossed the $4,500 per ounce level for the first time. The rise was driven by strong demand for safe-haven assets as investors expect more interest rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve next year.

New Delhi, Dec 24: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the city government to take action against cafes, bars, nightclubs, restaurants and hotels operating in Majnu ka Tila and New Aruna Nagar without sanctioned building plans and in violation of safety norms.

A Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) flagging concerns over unauthorised commercial establishments functioning in multi-storey buildings along the Yamuna river bank.

The plea sought directions to inspect and act against cafes, hotels and restaurants running without requisite permissions and sanctioned building plans.

It also urged the Delhi High Court to direct the MCD and the Delhi Fire Services to enforce the National Building Code and applicable fire safety measures in the area.

During the hearing, counsel appearing for the DDA informed the CJ Upadhyaya-led Bench that a suo motu complaint has already been registered on the portal of the special task force.

Taking note of the submission, the Delhi High Court disposed of the plea, directing the authorities to take appropriate action under law after reviewing the grievances raised by the petitioners.

“In view of the fact that a suo motu complaint has already been registered by the DDA, we dispose of the petition with a direction to the authorities to take appropriate action which may be warranted under law,” ordered the CJ Upadhyaya-led Bench.

It further directed the civic authorities to take action with expedition, preferably within three months. During the hearing, the Delhi High Court orally remarked that “half of the Delhi University students are there”, urging the authorities to ensure timely action.

In a lighter vein, CJI Upadhyaya observed, “Except the momo cart, everything shall be removed.”

The PIL highlighted that several structures in Majnu Ka Tila and New Aruna Nagar rise to “7–8 floors, with illegal basements, rooftops, and recreational facilities,” contending that the “structural and operational conditions of these buildings create an immediate and life‑threatening hazard.”

The petitioners claimed that most buildings lack staircases beyond the third or fourth floor, leaving “only small, low‑capacity lifts as vertical access.”

Where staircases do exist, they are allegedly “narrow, unlit, and poorly maintained,” and several terraces or rooftops are blocked or enclosed, leaving visitors without any effective evacuation route.

Referring to a recent tragic nightclub fire in Goa, the plea cautioned that it serves as “a stark warning of what could occur in similar circumstances”.