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Maharashtra

Maha: 3 BJP nominees, one each from NCP and Shiv Sena file nominations for state council bypolls

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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: Asif Dari’s son Sameer Khan opened fire in a money transaction dispute, two attackers arrested, claims Mumbai Crime Branch

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The Mumbai Crime Branch has claimed to have solved the case of the shooting of Sameer Khan, son of D and underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Shakeel’s close aide Asif Dari, in the Mumbai Dockyard Road area. In this case, the Crime Branch has succeeded in recovering weapons, mobile phones and a motorcycle. Due to a money transaction and dispute, the accused targeted Asif Dari’s son Sameer Khan and attacked him. After that, the police reached the spot and conducted other investigations including forensic examination and started a parallel investigation in this case of the Mumbai Crime Branch and the Crime Branch found the trace of the accused attackers on technical grounds, after which the Crime Branch Unit 3 arrested both the shooters near Mahim Dargah on the outskirts of Mumbai in the middle of the night. On the instructions of Mumbai Police Commissioner Devin Bharti, Joint Police Commissioner Lakshmi Gautam and DCP Raj Tilak Roshan carried out this operation. The accused have confessed to the crime in the initial investigation and said that they were involved in a money dispute. After the shooting incident, a case was registered in the Byculla police under the Arms Act and a case of murder was registered in this case. The Mumbai Crime Branch is investigating the case from an angle. The two accused who have been arrested have been identified as Sadiq Sheikh Liaquat Sheikh, 30, and Zeeshan Anwar Sheikh, 30. Asif Dari has underworld connections, so the Crime Branch is also investigating this angle. It is said that Sameer Khan is also the owner of a construction company and has also obtained the contract for its construction. The Mumbai Crime Branch is also investigating this case. After this shooting, there was a sensation and tension in Mumbai, but the Mumbai Crime Branch solved the case within a few hours and the accused are in police custody. The Crime Branch is also investigating whether more people are involved in this or not and who had ordered the attack on Sameer. In the initial investigation, both the accused were found to be involved in this case.

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Maharashtra

Palghar Accident: Mango-Laden Tempo Overturns On Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway; Locals Collect Scattered Fruit

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Palghar, May 13: A tempo carrying mangoes overturned on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad National Highway near the Chamadra bridge close to the Ghol toll plaza, leading to chaotic scenes as residents rushed to gather the fruit scattered across the road.

According to reports, the vehicle was transporting mangoes from Gujarat to Mumbai when the driver allegedly lost control of the tempo, causing it to overturn by the roadside. The driver sustained minor injuries in the accident.

Following the crash, several crates of mangoes spilled onto the highway, leaving the fruit strewn across a large stretch of road. As news of the incident spread, local residents rushed to the spot carrying bags, sacks, and other containers to collect the mangoes. Videos showing crowds scrambling to pick up the fruit have since gone viral on social media.

The sudden gathering of people also disrupted traffic movement on the busy national highway for some time.

Police and local authorities later arrived at the scene to regulate traffic and clear the road. No major injuries were immediately reported, and further investigation into the incident is currently underway.

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Maharashtra

Maharashtra Tragedy: 8 Devotees Injured After Mini Bus Overturns On Mumbai–Pune Highway Near Khopoli

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Navi Mumbai, May 13: Eight devotees were injured after a mini bus travelling from Murbad to Jejuri overturned at a dangerous curve on the Mumbai–Pune National Highway (NH-48) near the HOC bridge around 8:15 am on Wednesday.

The injured were first taken to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Khopoli Municipal Hospital and later shifted to MGM Hospital in Panvel for further treatment.

The accident involved a Force mini bus (MH-06-BW-4030) driven by Bharat Ramesh Shelke (28), a resident of Shelke Pada in Murbad, Thane district. The bus, carrying devotees, was heading towards Jejuri when the driver allegedly lost control on a downhill curve, causing the vehicle to overturn.

The injured have been identified as Kamalabai Ramchandra Mali (70), Gurunath Dongre (60), Balaram Bhoir (65), Ravindra Ram Mali (45), Gulabbai Dattu Humne (85), Ashok Jayaram Dongre (60), Kasturi Ganesh Mali (15), and Meenabai Gurunath Dongre. All the injured are residents of Shelke Pada in Murbad taluka.

Teams from the Borghat Highway Traffic Police, IRB patrolling unit, Delta Force, Maharashtra Security Force, along with ambulances from Lokmanya Hospital and Swamini services, and members of Help Foundation, rushed to the spot and carried out a rescue operation, safely evacuating the injured passengers.

“The driver lost control of the vehicle at a sharp turn, leading to the accident. The injured were immediately rescued and shifted for medical treatment. Further investigation is underway,” said Police Inspector Sachin Hire of Khopoli Police Station.

Traffic on the highway was restored after the damaged vehicle was moved aside, and police have initiated further investigation into the incident.

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