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
30th April Batti Gul protest against Waqf Act: Abu Asim Azmi

Mumbai: Maharashtra Samajwadi Party leader and MLA has appealed to Muslims to hold a Batti Gul protest against the Waqf Act and has said that the All India Muslim Personal Labor Board has requested that as a protest, they should keep the lights of their homes, houses, mosques and other places off while participating in the Batti Gul protest. This protest should be held by keeping the lights off for 9:15 am. Abu Asim Azmi said that the government has brought this act to illegally occupy Waqf properties. There is anger and resentment among Muslims against this act. Muslims should register their protest against this act of the government on 30th April.
Maharashtra
Saki Naka Police’s big action, drug factory exposed, drug dealer arrested, MD’s factory and equipment seized

Mumbai: Mumbai Police has claimed to have arrested drug dealers by seizing MD Drugs’ drug factory in Mira Bhayandar area. According to details, Sadiq Saleem Sheikh, 28, a resident of Bandra Rahul Nagar, was arrested on April 24, followed by Siraj Sultan Panjawani, 57, a resident of Mira Road. A total of Rs 8.15 crore worth of drugs have been seized from the possession of both of them. Saki Naka Police had arrested Saleem Sheikh, 28, on suspicion from Kaju Pada on April 24. Drugs were seized from his possession.
The police traced the resident of Siraj Sultan Panchwani Mira Road and found a drug factory in Mira Bhayandar Common village. Four kilograms of MD was recovered from the factory in the bush. The police arrested two accused in a 60-hour investigation and seized a total of 4 kilograms and 53 grams of MD, the total value of which was more than Rs 8 crore. The police are investigating this matter, along with this, an investigation is also underway regarding the drug factory. This information was given by DCP Sachin Ganjal in a press conference here today. He said that Sakinaka has exposed this factory while working on a drug racket. This is a big success. Earlier also, the police had taken action against a drug factory worth crores of rupees and a factory was also exposed in UP and drugs worth Rs 10 lakh were recovered at that time.
Maharashtra
Police investigation reveals that the Vikhroli fruit seller is not a Bangladeshi but an Indian citizen

Mumbai: The 19 alleged Bangladeshis who were detained by Mumbai’s Vikhroli East police have all been proven to be Indian citizens. BJP leader Kirit Somaiya had filed a complaint with the police regarding the Bangladeshis in Vikhroli market, on the basis of which the police took action and interrogated the alleged Bangladeshis and their documents were checked and investigated. It was found that all of them were Indian citizens. In this, the police took action and took into custody a total of 19 people including Shamshal Ayub Sheikh, 22-year-old fruit seller, Muhammad Manrul Sheikh, Saim Zia-ur-Rehman Sheikh, Naeem Ayub Sheikh. When they were investigated, it was found that all of them were Indian citizens. Out of these, 11 are residents of Sahibganj, Jharkhand, 7 are residents of West Bengal, Malda and one is a resident of Uttar Pradesh, this was informed by Senior Police Inspector Suryakant Naikwadi. After the way the operation was carried out in Vikhroli, these Indian workers and citizens were harassed. Will Kret Soumya now apologize in this matter because all of them have now been proven to be Indian citizens and not Bangladeshi citizens and this has been confirmed by the police.
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