Maharashtra
Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024: Congress, Shiv Sena-UBT Downplay Seat-Sharing Dispute; MVA Decision Expected Today
Mumbai: All talk of the camaraderie between the Congress and the Shiv Sena – partners in the Maha Vikas Aghadi — has proved hollow, with both sides refusing to mend their respective ways, thereby delaying the announcement of the division of seats among the three partners. Finally, with the two allies having denied any major conflict over seat-sharing, an announcement is now likely to be made on Tuesday.
About The Ongoing Squabble
The ongoing squabble has revealed the cracks within, as it was being said that the MVA had reached consensus on 260 seats. But this figure came down to 210 on Monday. The Congress announced it had finalised its plan for 96 seats by Monday evening, and that the dispute with the Sena was over four or five seats. But Sena leaders say there were 12 seats in dispute.
Meanwhile, Congress leaders are reportedly trying to resolve the seat distribution dispute through discussions with NCP (SCP) chief Sharad Pawar and Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray. On Monday, news about the Sena planning to contest all the 288 seats on its own created a flutter in political circles but it was short-lived, as the party quickly denied any such move. The Congress high command is believed to have asked its leader Vijay Wadettiwar to make the party stand clear. Rejecting any Plan B, he said the MVA was going to finalise the deal by Tuesday in Mumbai. Wadettiwar told mediapersons in Delhi, “By tomorrow evening, we will finalise 17 seats. There are issues on six or seven seats in Vidarbha, and that too will be resolved. We are going to contest as Aghadi…Since there are three parties sharing 288 seats, it took a little time.”
The Congress election incharge for the assembly elections, Ramesh Chennithala, denied reports of differences among the INDIA bloc partners in Maharashtra in the MVA, claiming that they were united.
The Congress had two crucial meetings in Delhi – that of the screening committee and the central election committee, to finalise the list of the candidates. Speaking after the meetings, MPCC chief Nana Patole stated that discussions regarding 96 seats had been completed, and further talks will take place on Tuesday with Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray.
Addressing rumours of the Shiv Sena leaving the alliance, he said, “There is no truth to that; the BJP is deliberately trying to spread misunderstanding about the opposition parties. Out of fear of defeat, the BJP is playing such games. The Congress has made no such statements. All our efforts are focused on bringing the Maha Vikas Aghadi to power in Maharashtra.”
About The Dispute
The dispute with Shiv Sena pertains to seat allocation in Vidarbha, where the Congress has an edge compared to its two allies. The party doesnʼt want to accommodate the Shiv Sena in the east Vidarbha region it is said. Incidentally, Patole belongs to Bhandara, from the same region. There are reports of disputes over nearly 12 seats in Vidarbha. Additionally, sources indicate that Congress is aggressively seeking certain seats in Mumbai.
On Monday afternoon, there was tension when electronic media channels ran reports of Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis having a meeting with Uddhav Thackeray and MP Sanjay Raut reportedly having met Home Minister Amit Shah. Both the Congress and Shiv Sena termed the reports as baseless, with some choice words from Raut. Both the parties blamed the BJP for spreading such ‘newsʼ.
Raut said these news items were just rumours being spread by the ruling sideʼs media machinery. “We know who is doing it and why. We too have our own small ‘Pegasus’ set-up which keeps us informed,’’ said the MP, referring to the Israeli spyware controversy
Maharashtra
‘Plastic Flowers Not Banned Due To Low Littering Potential’: Union Government Says To Bombay High Court
Mumbai: The Union government has informed the Bombay High Court that plastic flowers are not included in the list of banned single-use plastic items as they do not meet the criteria of “high littering potential and low utility”. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), in an affidavit, stated that the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had forwarded the matter for consideration but without any supporting analysis.
The affidavit was filed in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) by the Growers Flowers Council of India (GFCI), which sought a ban on plastic flowers in Maharashtra. The PIL argued that plastic flowers, particularly those less than 100 microns thick, contribute to environmental pollution and should be included in the list of prohibited singleuse plastic items.
The High Court had earlier issued notices to the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), CPCB, and MoEFCC, seeking their response on the demand for a ban. In October 2024, the court had asked the Centre whether it had considered CPCB’s recommendations for banning plastic flowers.
The MoEFCC, in its affidavit, clarified that an expert committee constituted by the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals (DCPC) had identified 40 single-use plastic items for detailed analysis. However, plastic flowers were not among them.
Refuting the petitioner’s claims, the affidavit stated that the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, do not specify a minimum thickness requirement of 100 microns for plastic flowers.
The government argued, “The petitioner states that… violation of this thickness requirement has resulted in difficulties in decomposing. This is wrong and misleading. There is no such provision in Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016,” the MoEFCC affidavit emphasises.
The plea also highlighted that the Maharashtra government had issued a notification on March 8, 2022, banning several single-use plastic items.
Maharashtra
Mumbai: BMC To Cut 50% Rate For Debris Service, Considers mandatory AutoDCR Integration For Builders
Mumbai: The BMC is planning to reduce the rates for its ‘debris on call service by 50%. It is also exploring a mandatory integration in the AutoDCR portal that will require builders to directly deliver their debris to BMCs plants.
The city generates 7,000 to 8,000 metric tonnes debris every day. Due to the market rates for debris disposal being lower than the BMC’s fees, compliance from builders has been low. The price cut aims to tackle the problem.
Maharashtra
Mumbaikars Brace For Another Gridlock! Elphinstone Bridge Connecting Parel & Prabhadevi To Be Shut For 2 Years Starting Feb 2025
Mumbai: South Central Mumbai is set to experience major traffic congestion as the Elphinstone Road overbridge (ROB), a crucial link between Parel and Prabhadevi over the Central and Western Railway tracks, will be closed for two years. The closure of this crucial bridge will be starting from February 2025, as per reports. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) plans to dismantle and reconstruct the bridge as part of the Sewri-Worli Connector project.
Details On The New Bridge
The new Elphinstone bridge will be a double-decker flyover, enhancing connectivity between Senapati Bapat Road and Dr BR Ambedkar Road. Additionally, an arm of the bridge will offer direct links to the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) at Sewri and the Bandra-Worli Sea Link at Worli. The redevelopment aims to improve traffic flow in the long run, but the temporary closure is expected to cause major disruptions.
Initially, the MMRDA considered constructing an underground passage beneath the Parel-Prabhadevi railway tracks to avoid delays in obtaining railway approvals. However, this plan was ultimately scrapped.
Sion Bridge Already Closed, Adding to Woes
Elphinstone bridge will be the fifth British-era bridge in Mumbai to be shut down, following the closures of the Sion ROB, Carnac Bridge, Bellasis Bridge and Reay Road Bridge. The shutdown of these bridges has already led to severe traffic congestion in various parts of the city.
Alternate Travel Options For Commuters
With Elphinstone Bridge out of service, vehicular traffic will be diverted to Tilak Bridge (Dadar) and Currey Road Bridge. However, both these routes are already heavily burdened and the additional load is expected to worsen peak-hour congestion, leading to longer commute times for Mumbaikars.
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