Maharashtra
Likely pitfalls that could derail the Shinde-Fadnavis combination
After hijacking the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) 3-party �auto-rickshaw, new Chief Minister Eknath Shinde converted it into a �two-wheeler with an over zealous pillion-rider in Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Over 3 weeks after they were sworn-in, instead of zooming off, the government is still �parked’ on the road, but is busy clearing the route ahead by yanking off the MVA’s decisions, policies, schemes and projects.
Relegated to the pavement, the Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress looked on gleefully as Fadnavis once snatched the microphone as a startled Shinde cast a brief bewildered stare at the audacity.
Many in the Opposition are wondering aloud �how soon’ before the Bharatiya Janata Party heavyweight Fadnavis grabs the reins of power to jump into the driving seat sidelining the ex-autorickshaw driver Shinde.
The challenges before the new regime are both daring and daunting, starting with the much-awaited Cabinet expansion, amid a storm raised by Shinde’s 40-strong band of restless rebel Shiv Sena MLAs.
Then, the Independents or fringes like the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) to ensure a �Thackeray’ on board and the frightful prospects of humouring the BJP legislators, with many bigwigs ready to draw first blood at the first slight.
All these would test the best of Shinde’s balancing skills and Fadnavis’ claimed �Chanakya-esque’ mastery to ensure a turbulence-free ride for the new regime.
Among the secret worries are whether the Brobdingnagian BJP with 106 MLAs looking down, would try to grab the cake and leave only crumbs for the rebels, with at least 20 prime portfolios up for grabs and coveted by all.
The next concern for the breakaway group would be the Supreme Court verdict which could make or break the new government, with both sides of the Shiv Sena proclaiming they are the �real’ party.
While winning the trust vote in the House was easy, the next formidable challenge for Shinde would be to win the confidence of the masses and establish his own credibility — a dismaying proposition as many in the past, like Raj Thackeray of the MNS, and others who revolted in different parties all over India have experienced.
A major battle – legal and political – waiting to erupt between the Thackeray and Shinde sides, is over who will ‘conquer’ the Shiv Sena Bhavan (the party headquarters), bag its �Tiger’ logo, the iconic Bow and Arrow election symbol, the well oiled 56-year-old party apparatus, and most important, convincingly delink it from the magical Thackeray surname�
Shinde would have to prove his supremacy over the Thackeray side in the upcoming civic body elections but hurdles are already cropping up with a section of his group reportedly against allying with the BJP.
Retaining the CM’s traditional stronghold of Thane may be a cakewalk, but dislodging the MVA hold over many other civic bodies like Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Aurangabad, Nanded, etc could pose problems, with or without the BJP’s overbearing shadow.
Top MVA leaders like Thackeray, Sanjay Raut (Sena), Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar (NCP), Nana Patole, Balasaheb Thorat (Congress), have already predicted that the �E.D.’ (Eknath-Devendra) government could fall on its own and the state would be pushed to a mid-term election in a few months.
After Shinde-Fadnavis clear these teething hurdles, they have a table-full of major governance issues like the OBC quotas, handling Covid better than the MVA did, and fast-track or complete several big ticket ongoing projects, estimated to cost over Rs 5 lakh crores.
They are the Mumbai-Nagpur Super Expressway, the Borivali-Thane Tunnel, the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, the Mumbai Coastal Road, the southern and northern extension to the Worli-Bandra Sea Link, the Navi Mumbai International Airport, and more than 375-kms of Metro Rail spanning the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
Other mega projects are the Pune Ring Road, Marathwada Water Grid, the Jalna-Nanded corridor linking the Mumbai-Nagpur Super Expressway, augmenting the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, kickstarting the Konkan Expressway, the Sagari (coastal) Highway, Palghar-Raigad Multimodal corridor, and the long pending Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue in the Arabian Sea and the Dr B. R. Ambedkar Memorial in Dadar.
Crime
BMC issues notice to Saboo Siddik Hospital for illegal occupation, bills like private hospital in the name of charitable hospital
Mumbai: Mumbai’s Saboo Siddik Hospital has become a topic of discussion these days. Although this hospital is called charitable, the fees here are no less than any private hospital. This hospital, run by the Muslim Ambulance Society, has been a victim of controversies many times before. Patients admitted here have to pay a huge amount in the name of charity hospital. According to the information received, many illegal activities have taken place in this hospital and now BMC has become active regarding this. BMC has issued a show cause notice to this hospital. If sources are to be believed, the place where the MRI and pathology lab has been built is actually a car parking space which the hospital administration has occupied and converted into a lab and given it on contract to a private company which arbitrarily charges money from patients in the name of MRI and blood tests. Along with this, the upper floor of this hospital has been illegally converted into a general ward. In this connection, Mumbai Municipal Corporation’s Executive Health Officer Dr. Daksha Shah has ordered an inquiry into this.
According to the information, many officials of the health department of B ward have also been involved in this whole matter. Although, according to the hospital, they had got the illegal works done in the parking lot approved from BMC, but they have failed to show the documents of the same. On which BMC has now asked the hospital for all the documents on the basis of which this illegal construction was made legal and pathology and MRI centers were built on it. If reports are to be believed, a huge amount is charged from people in the MRI center and pathology lab. If patients are to be believed, they have to pay a charge of three and a half thousand to fifteen thousand for getting an MRI done.
In the same pathology lab, 1500 is charged for CBC and a huge amount is charged from people for doing other tests. This business of loot in the name of charity has been going on for many years. Which has now come to the notice of BMC. A huge amount is being charged from people by occupying the upper floor under the guise of general ward. Apart from this, fire systems and storage items have been kept in the entire building on the stairs, which is against government norms. The hospital also does not have the license of Bhabha Atomic Research Center, which is said to be necessary for X-ray. Now it remains to be seen how BMC puts a stop to this story of looting that has been going on for many years.
Bollywood
Saif Ali Khan Stabbing Case: Bandra Court Sends Accused Shariful Islam To 14 Days Of Judicial Custody, Rejects Police Demand For 2-Day Extension
Mumbai: In the Saif Ali Khan stabbing case, the Metropolitan Magistrate Court, Bandra sent the accused, Shariful Islam, to judicial custody for 14 days.
The court has rejected the police’s demand for a two-day extension of custody.
The court advised the police to read the new BNS. It also stated that if new evidence emerges during the investigation, police custody can be sought again as per the new BNS laws.
The court said in the current situation, extending the accused’s police custody cannot be justified.
Crime
Baba Siddique Murder Case: Mumbai Police Cite 3 Motives Behind Former NCP Leader’s Killing, Reveal Lawrence Bishnoi Gang’s Plot
Mumbai: Mumbai Police have cited three key motives behind the murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique: Anger against actor Salman Khan, Siddique’s proximity with Khan, and a desire on the part of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang to establish terror and supremacy in the city.
About The Case
Siddique, 66, was killed on October 12 near his son Zeeshan’s office in Bandra (East). So far, the police have arrested 26 suspects in connection with the murder. Last month the police submitted a charge sheet against the 26 accused. Two motorcycle-borne men fired five rounds outside Khan’s Galaxy Apartments in the early hours of April 14, 2024. As per the charge sheet, Anmol Bishnoi, brother of Lawrence, was the key conspirator, who was in constant touch with the shooters.
Soon after the attack on Khan, the gang began to look for its second target. Sujit Singh alias Babbu, in his confession statement, has claimed that wanted accused Shubham Lonkar and Anmol Bishnoi contacted him in June 2024, asking him to arrange men who could recce the home of Siddique. Babbu claimed that he initially ignored their demands but later took them seriously. Babbu introduced Anmol Bishnoi to Dombivali resident Nitin Sapre, who was entrusted with the task of doing recce and making further arrangements.
Claim Made By Nitin Sapre In His Confession Statement
Sapre, in his confession statement, claimed that he was looking for work, and that Babbu introduced him to Anmol Bishnoi. Sapre claimed that when he contacted Anmol Bishnoi, the latter asked him if he had any police cases. Sapre replied that he was in prison for murder. After hearing this, Anmol Bishnoi said: “Prepare a team of boys as we have lot of work in Mumbai.”
The police has said that Anmol Bishnoi recruited several young people with whom he kept in regular touch through various social media accounts. The gang was trying to gain supremacy in the city, the police has claimed, even during the investigation into the firing outside Khan’s residence.
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