Maharashtra
Maha: 3 BJP nominees, one each from NCP and Shiv Sena file nominations for state council bypolls
Mumbai, March 18: BJP nominees Dadarao Keche, Sandip Joshi and Sanjay Kanekar, NCP candidate Sanjay Khodke and Shiv Sena nominee Chandrakant Raghuvansi on Monday filed their nominations for by-election to the Maharashtra Legislative Council.
They are set to get elected unopposed as no one from the Maha Vikas Aghadi filed their nomination for want of adequate numbers. Monday was the last date for the filing of nominations. As per the Election Commission notification, the election is slated for March 27.
The by-election was necessitated after the five state council members Praveen Datke, Gopichand Padalkar, Ramesh Karad (BJP) and one each from NCP member Rajesh Vitekar and Shiv Sena member Aamshya Padave elected to the state assembly in the elections held in November last year. While Padavi’s term in the state council was till July 7, 2028, Vitekar’s term was till July 27, 2030. The tenure of Praveen Datke, Gopichand Padalkar and Ramesh Karad will end on May 13, 2026.
BJP preferred the party loyalists for nomination instead of selecting those who have come the party fold from Congress, NCP SP or Shiv Sena UBT. Keche, who was legislator from Arvi assembly constituency from Wardha district during 2019 and 2024, was denied ticket in the last assembly elections after BJP fielded Sumit Wankhede, a former personal assistant of the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
After he was dropped from nomination, Keche had threatened to contest as an independent. However, Fadnavis intervened and took him in a special flight to union Home Minister Amit Shah. After his meeting with HM Shah, Keche was promised his rehabilitation. He later declared he would toe the party line and supported Wankhede.
As far as Sandip Joshi is concerned, he has been a close confidant of Fadnavis.
Joshi is a former mayor of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation. He had lost the election to the state council from the Nagpur graduates’ constituency to the Congress nominee. The BJP did not select him for nomination in the state election but now has been nominated for state council by election.
In the case of Sandip Kenekar, he is from Sambhajinagar from Marathwada and associated with the BJP’s OBC cell. BJP had considered his nomination from Aurangabad east constituency during the 2014 assembly elections but denied after party fielded Atul Save. Kenekar could finally get nomination after 11 year’s of wait due to chief minister’s strong recommendation.
As far as NCP nominee Sanjay Khodke is concerned, he is a close associate of party chief and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar.
Khodke is known to be the backroom strategist of the NCP since its formation and has worked with all party stalwarts including Sharad Pawar, Chhagan Bhujbal, late RR Patil and now with Ajit Pawar.
Incidentally, Khodke’s wife Sulabha Khodke is the NCP legislator from Amravati constituency.
Shiv Sena’s move to field Chandrakant Raghuvanshi is aimed at increasing its presence in the tribal-dominated Nandurbar district and also in North Maharashtra.
He comes from Nandurbar district and he is an influential leader and instrumental in winning the Congress bastion Akkalkuwa assembly seat to Shiv Sena.
Maharashtra
Mumbai: Cleanliness of Narelwadi graveyard since Shab-e-Barat, restoration of closed pillars in the graveyard, cleaning of the graveyard by Corporator Waqar Khan’s team

Mumbai: Ahead of Shab-e-Barat, the process of cleaning the graveyard is underway. South Mumbai Ward No. 211 Corporator Waqar Khan met the trustees of Narelwadi graveyard recently. During this meeting, it was revealed by the trustees that the six high-mast lights installed in the graveyard had been switched off for the last eight months, due to which severe difficulties were being faced at night.
Taking the issue seriously, Waqar Khan spoke to the concerned officers of the BMC and demanded an immediate solution to the problem. Initially, the officers told that a fund of about Rs 24 lakh was required for this work, which is not available at the moment and it has to be approved.
Later, Waqar Khan maintained constant contact with senior officers and ward officers, as a result of which all the high-mast lights were reactivated within just two days.
During the visit to the graveyard, it was also observed that there is a need for serious cleaning. So within two to three days, under the leadership of Waqar Khan, about 40 to 50 locals of Madanpur Hanagpada personally took up the task of cleaning the graveyard without any political motive. In two to three hours, the area around about 50 graves was cleaned.
Taking forward this spirit, it was decided that a major cleaning drive would be launched on Sunday, February 1, in which 100 to 150 local, non-political people would participate.
This cleaning drive would continue from 11 am to 3 pm, with the aim of making this final resting place of Muslims clean, tidy and dignified. This drive is being carried out purely as a public service and religious and social responsibility, which does not involve any political motive.
Maharashtra
Mumbai Court Bars Filmmaker Abhinav Kashyap & Others From Making Statements Against Salman Khan, Family

Mumbai: The city civil court on Friday barred filmmaker Abhinav Kashyap and others from making any comments against Salman Khan and his family on any platform, in any form, while granting interim relief to the actor in a defamation suit filed against the filmmaker and others.
Khan had filed a defamation suit against Kashyap, Komal Mehru, Khushnoo Hazare, Ashok Kumar / John Doe, and various social media platforms for allegedly making defamatory statements against him and his family. While issuing restraining orders, the court observed that freedom of speech does not mean one can use abusive or threatening language against any individual.
Khan had approached the court following allegedly “scandalous, false, and grossly defamatory” statements made by Kashyap against him and his family members in various video interviews aired on the “Bollywood Thikana” channel, owned by Hazare. In those interviews and videos, Kashyap is alleged to have used offensive language and accused the family of running a cartel to destroy careers.
There are allegedly 26 such video interviews and podcasts released between September and December 2025, which are at the centre of the controversy. In the suit filed through advocate Pradeep Gandhy, Khan sought a permanent injunction and Rs9 crore in damages for the comments made by Kashyap and others against him and his family.
Maharashtra
Crackdown on illegal street vendors in Andheri, Mumbai Municipal Corporation’s ‘K-Waste’ department takes action, citizens are relieved

Mumbai: Around 200 unauthorised hawkers and additional structures on footpaths in Ram Ganesh Gadkari Marg (Arla Marg) area of Andheri (West) in Mumbai were evicted by the Mumbai Municipal Corporation’s ‘K-West’ department yesterday (January 29, 2026). The operation, as per the instructions of Municipal Corporation Commissioner and Administrator Bhushan Gagrani, was conducted under the guidance of Deputy Commissioner (Zone-4) Bhagya Shri Kapse, and Assistant Commissioner (K-West Division) Chakrapani Ale. Unauthorised additional structures were found on footpaths connecting Swami Vivekananda Marg and Gulmohar Marg in Andheri (West) and on Ram Ganesh Gadkari Marg (Arla Marg) adjacent to the entrance of Dr. No. Cooper Hospital. It was also observed that unauthorised hawkers have set up shops in this area. It was creating obstacles for ambulances bringing patients to Cooper Hospital in case of emergency and for pedestrians to walk on the footpaths.
In this context, an eviction drive was launched by the ‘K-West’ administrative department of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation. Under this, around 200 unauthorized hawkers and unauthorized additional structures established on the footpaths in this area were evicted.
The eviction was carried out with the help of 04 encroachment removal vehicles, 03 JCBs and other equipment. During this operation, an adequate police force including 100 officers and employees of the Municipal Corporation were deployed. Local representatives and citizens are expressing satisfaction over this action. The Municipal Corporation administration has made it clear that regular evictions against unauthorized structures will continue in the future.
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