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Maharashtra

Likely pitfalls that could derail the Shinde-Fadnavis combination

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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.

Maharashtra

Hazrat Syed Bale Shah Peer Dargah demolition order to file response within four weeks relief to Dargah management

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Mumbai: The Supreme Court of India has granted protection to the Hazrat Syed Bale Shah Pir Dargah located in Mira Bhayandar, Mumbai and has issued an order to impose a stay on the demolition process for four weeks. Along with this, the Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Maharashtra government in this matter and sought a response. The Maharashtra government will file a reply in the court in this regard within four weeks, only after which a decision will be taken on the demolition process of the dargah.
State Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bankole had issued an order for the demolition of the dargah by May 20 in the House and issued a public statement, apart from this, no other notice was issued. A bench comprising Chief Justice BR Gavai and Justice AG Masih ordered an effective stop to the demolition process. Along with this, a response has been sought from the Maharashtra government on the petition filed by the dargah administration.

The petitioners argued that the demolition was ordered on the basis of the minister’s public statements in the state assembly and a recent police report despite the absence of any government notice. The petitioners said that the dargah is 350 years old and the state government has nevertheless classified it as an illegal structure. The trust claimed that a formal registration of the property was also sought in 2022 and the dargah has been standing at the same location for decades. According to the petitioner, the vacation bench of the Bombay High Court had wrongly rejected the petitions for urgent hearing on May 15 and 16. The dargah administration told the Supreme Court that the police had also issued a notice on May 15. In the notice, the members of the trust were warned not to obstruct or disrupt the demolition process. The demolition process is scheduled for May 20.

The petitioners argued that the demolition was carried out without any legal order or due process such as notice or opportunity to be heard, which is a violation of their rights. The Supreme Court adjourned the matter for four weeks and asked the Maharashtra government to file its response within that time.

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Maharashtra

Two arrested, three dead in Dahisar bloody clash

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Mumbai: Three people died in a bloody clash in Mumbai’s Dahisar MSP Ganpat Patil Nagar. Due to an old enmity, a bloody clash took place between the Gupta and Sheikh families last night in which 4 people were seriously injured and three died. In this case, the police have claimed to have arrested two people on charges of murder. Last night at 4:30 pm, the Gupta family of the Sheikh family attacked them with a sharp knife at their coconut stall. Due to this attack, Ram Lal Gupta senior and Arvind Gupta succumbed to their injuries and died on the spot. This bloody incident created a sensation in the area while Haroon Sheikh of the Sheikh family also died. After this clash, a case of cross murder has been registered against both the families. In this case, two people from both the families were also injured. In this case, a minor from the Sheikh family has been arrested and presented in the children’s home.

DCP Anand Bhuite said that this matter was about an old grudge and there was a clash between the two families in 2022 and a case has also been registered in this matter. He said that a total of three people have died in this matter. The police have registered a case in this matter and further investigation is underway. He said that after the murder, additional arrangements have been deployed to maintain law and order in the area. He said that a member of the Gupta family has also been arrested and the police are investigating this matter. The DCP said that a member of the Sheikh family was also killed in 2022. Communal elements had started trying on social media to give this murder a Hindu-Muslim color, but the police have made it clear in the investigation that this is an outgrowth of an old grudge and there was no personal enmity in it. The DCP said that after this murder, there is definitely tension in the area, but law and order is maintained and the police have also increased patrols. In addition, arrangements have also been deployed.

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Maharashtra

Wanted accused in attempted murder of VB Nagar, Kurla, arrested from Jangal police station

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Mumbai: Mumbai’s Kurla Vinoba bhave Nagar police station has claimed to have arrested two criminal goons from a forest in a police station adjoining Mumbai. On May 13, at 11:30 pm, the complainant was returning home after giving money to a rickshaw puller when criminal goons Dutta Mangesh Patil called as Sheru and Mahesh Krishna Maharana called as Panda pushed and abused the complainant on the way. When his brother-in-law and father tried to end the dispute, Sheru slapped the brother-in-law and Panda attempted to murder the complainant’s father by attacking him. In this case, the police have registered a case under various sections including attempt to murder.

In this case, two teams were formed on the instructions of DCP Ganesh Gawde of Zone 5 and a search was started for the two absconding accused. The team was informed that the two accused were in the forest of the police station. Here, the police arrested the accused Dutta Mangesh Patil alias Sheru, 30, and Manish Sanatan Sahu called as Chintu, 24. Several cases have also been registered against these accused. This operation was carried out under the leadership of Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti, Joint Police Commissioner Satyanarayan Chaudhary and DCP Ganesh Gawde. Senior Inspector Ravinder Sirsagar said that several cases have been registered against the accused. The police have arrested them after searching for the absconding accused. These two accused had also tried to create terror in the area.

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