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Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024: Manoj Jarange-Patil Won’t Play Poll Spoiler; Asks His Candidates To Withdraw Their Nominations

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Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024: Manoj Jarange-Patil Won't Play Poll Spoiler; Asks His Candidates To Withdraw Their Nominations

Pune: In a dramatic move, the top leader of the Maratha reservation agitation, Manoj Jarange-Patil, announced on Monday that he had decided to stay away from active electoral politics and asked all his candidates to withdraw their nominations for the assembly polls on November 20.

Around 17 candidates had filed nominations as Independents, calling themselves supporters of Jarange-Patil in the Marathwada region; the exact number of candidates is not known. It was widely expected that these candidates would eat into the Maha Vikas Aghadi’s voter base and would indirectly benefit the BJP-led Mahayuti. Now, with Jarange-Patil’s withdrawal, Maratha candidates fielded in Marathwada by the Sharad Pawar NCP and Eknath Shinde Shiv Sena will benefit, as a division of the Maratha community votes will mostly be avoided.

Statement Of Maratha Quota Activist Manoj Jarange-Patil

“There is no point in fighting elections as we have realised that the chances of our candidates winning are slim. I don’t want my young candidates and the Maratha community to be disappointed with losses. Our candidates not winning will be a psychological blow to our people. I have taken the decision to withdraw from the polls as I feel electoral politics is not our business, But our agitation for the rights of the Maratha community and our fight for the demand of reservation for the community will continue. I have decided to ask all my candidates to withdraw their nominations. Now I am not supporting any candidate or any party. People should vote as they wish. But they should ensure that those who are against our demand for reservation are defeated,” JarangePatil told the media at a conference held on Monday morning, hours before the deadline to withdraw nominations.

Lok Sabha Elections 2024

In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, it was evident that the Maratha reservation agitation had caused a lot of damage to the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance. All of the Marathwada region was fired up by the Maratha reservation agitation and the Mahayuti lost all but the one seat of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, where Eknath Shinde’s candidate, Sandipan Bhumre, won the polls. This time, the Mahayuti has been cautious, going mainly with Maratha candidates in most of the 46 seats in Marathwada.

The Shinde Shiv Sena is contesting 16 of these 46 seats, with almost all candidates being Marathas, while the Sharad Pawar NCP is contesting 15 seats, having fielded all Maratha faces. It is obvious that now, with the possibility of Maratha votes staying undivided, Shinde and Sharad Pawar will be the biggest gainers of Jarange-Patil’s decision to withdraw from the race. The BJP has fielded a combination of Maratha and OBC candidates in the region, while the Ajit Pawar NCP has mainly focussed on western Maharashtra in their candidate list.

In the initial days of Jarange-Patil’s agitation, he was flanked by Rajesh Tope and other leaders from Jalna who are close to Sharad Pawar; however, in recent phases of the agitation, some of Eknath Shinde’s leaders have been seen discussing strategy with Jarange-Patil, giving rise to speculation about whether he was influenced at various times, by Sharad Pawar’s deputies and Eknath Shinde.

Both Sharad Pawar and Eknath Shinde have repeatedly denied in the media that they have had anything to do with the agitation. NCP leader Ajit Pawar has been keeping away entirely, even avoiding visits to Jarange-Patil’s agitation sites. The Maratha quota stir has gained a lot of ground in the past two years, with its impact majorly seen in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Maharashtra

Maha political showdowns at Dussehra rallies today as Shinde, Uddhav stage shows of strength

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On the auspicious occasion of Vijayadashami, rival factions Shiv Sena(UBT) and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena are holding their respective rallies in Mumbai on Tuesday. This event is set to witness a barrage of political accusations and counter-accusations.

The Uddhav Sena has built up momentum for the gathering by releasing two to three teasers on social media. The annual event, a cornerstone of Maharashtrian politics originally initiated by Balasaheb Thackeray, has transformed into a fierce battle of legacy, political survival, and strength-assertion following the historic split in the party.

Ever since the split in the Shiv Sena, the Dussehra rallies of both parties have transcended into mere shows of strength, turning into platforms to claim the political legacy of Balasaheb Thackeray. This year’s rallies remain crucial in terms of organisational strength, grip over party cadres, and the future political roadmap.

During the gathering at the Nesco Center in Goregaon, Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief leader Eknath Shinde is expected to counter criticism from the Thackeray faction while highlighting the achievements of the Mahayuti government. In light of severe drought conditions across the state, he has urged party workers to visit the homes of drought victims to tie auspicious torans of aid rather than travelling to Mumbai for the Dussehra rally.

The Uddhav Sena’s Dussehra rally will take place at Shivaji Park. Uddhav Thackeray is likely to target the state and central governments over several issues, including the BJP, SIR, alleged irregularities in voter lists, the law and order situation following the firing incident involving actor Tiger Shroff, and police crackdowns on protesting students.

While Thackeray’s camp remains aligned with the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), Shinde’s faction shares power within the state government. Both camps claim the authentic ideological legacy of Balasaheb Thackeray, setting the stage for a fiery exchange of political rhetoric. The political atmosphere across Mumbai has been dominated by aggressive banner-wars, teasers, and hectic preparations.

Fresh off a fiery, combative speech at the Mumbai Press Club on Saturday, Uddhav Thackeray openly declared, “Yes, we want to overthrow this regime achieved through vote theft; we stand for regime change.” Thackeray is expected to scale up his attack. All eyes are on his stance concerning the Central government, the Election Commission, and the ruling coalition.

In light of severe drought conditions across parts of Maharashtra, Deputy CM Shinde has urged party cadres to avoid massive travel to Mumbai and instead focus ground-level efforts on reaching out to distressed farming families with relief material. Shinde’s faction has framed its gathering around public welfare and state development, aiming to counter Thackeray’s anti-establishment narrative.

With fierce exchanges expected over governance, constitutional integrity, and the true ownership of the Shiv Sena identity, Tuesday’s rallies are less about traditional festive greetings and more about a high-stakes rehearsal for future electoral dominance in Maharashtra. As political heavyweights take the stage, the ultimate question for observers is not just who draws the larger crowd, but whose message will ultimately capture the pulse of Maharashtra.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai Police recover five empty shells, two live cartridges in Tiger Shroff firing case

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Mumbai Police have recovered five empty bullet shells and two live cartridges from the site of the firing incident involving Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff in Mumbai’s Juhu area. According to police, the live cartridges fell out of the firearm used by the accused, Rehan, after his gun jammed.

Phool Singh, who was initially described as a minor, has also been confirmed to be an adult by Mumbai Police. He allegedly fired five rounds during the incident.

A senior Mumbai Police official said investigators have been examining CCTV footage from the football ground and surrounding areas over the past several weeks to establish the accused’s movements and determine whether they had conducted reconnaissance before the incident.

Some CCTV footage reportedly shows the accused conducting a recce of the location. Police are also examining footage to identify any other suspicious individuals who may have visited the Juhu football ground to conduct reconnaissance.

Investigators are gathering information about Tiger Shroff’s daily routine and the people who were aware of his movements, particularly his schedule related to public appearances and events. The police are examining whether this information could have helped the accused plan the attack.

The Mumbai Police Crime Branch is scheduled to bring the three arrested accused from Rajasthan to Mumbai on Tuesday after obtaining transit remand from a court in Kota on Monday.

In view of the security concerns, the police team decided to remain in Rajasthan overnight and travel to Mumbai with the accused on Tuesday. The Mumbai and Rajasthan Police conducted a security assessment before finalising the arrangements.

The accused were kept overnight in the lock-up of the Kota Railway Colony police station under tight security amid concerns about a possible escape.

Rehan, Phool Singh and Hrithik Kumar were arrested in Rajasthan’s Kota on Monday in connection with the firing incident involving Tiger Shroff.

The three men have been charged with an attempt to murder and are accused of firing multiple rounds at the actor’s car on Sunday evening as he was leaving after playing a football match in Mumbai’s Juhu area.

Investigators are also probing the suspects’ movements following the incident. According to sources, the accused allegedly planned to travel by train to Jaipur, continue to Delhi by bus and, then escape to Nepal.

However, Kota Police intercepted them at the railway station before they could proceed with the alleged plan.

The Mumbai Police Crime Branch is continuing its investigation to establish the sequence of events, determine the motive behind the firing and identify whether anyone else was involved in planning or executing the attack.

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Maharashtra

Bollywood in the Crosshairs After Firing at Tiger Shroff; Legal Action Initiated Against Bishnoi Gang, Three Shooters Arrested

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Mumbai: The Crime Branch has claimed to have solved the case involving a shooting incident targeting Tiger Shroff in the Juhu area of ​​Mumbai. Addressing a press conference, Mumbai Crime Branch DCP Raj Tilak Roshan stated that two unidentified individuals on a motorcycle carried out the shooting. The Crime Branch received information that, following the incident, the shooters abandoned their Pulsar motorcycle at Andheri station and traveled by train toward Kota. The Crime Branch alerted the Kota police, who subsequently arrested three suspects. The police have now taken all three individuals into custody. Additionally, Anil Pandit had circulated a post online referencing the ‘Bishnoi gang,’ a matter that is currently under police investigation. Regarding the targeting of Bollywood figures by the Bishnoi gang, DCP Raj Tilak Roshan noted that action has been taken against the group—including in the earlier case involving the shooting incident at Salman Khan’s residence. In the current case, the Crime Branch has registered a case under charges of attempted murder and the Arms Act. Legal proceedings are also underway concerning the Lawrence and Anmol Bishnoi gang, with efforts being made to secure the custody of Lawrence Bishnoi. The DCP explained that comprehensive information was provided to the Kota police, as Crime Branch teams had been actively pursuing the shooters. To date, no weapons have been recovered from the suspects. Authorities are currently verifying a post circulating on social media to determine whether it originated from the Bishnoi gang, and action is being taken against those involved. The suspects spent 10 to 15 minutes surveying the scene before carrying out the shooting. One of the suspects, 22-year-old Ritik (alias Roshan), has completed his education up to the 12th grade. None of the three suspects are minors; therefore, they will all be held in custody for further interrogation. Five rounds were fired. Prior to this incident, no complaints regarding threats against Tiger Shroff had been received; the police are investigating every aspect of the case and have already begun questioning the three suspects while they remain in custody. The three individuals—Ritik (alias Roshan), Rehan Rashiduddin, and Paul Singh—have been arrested. Rehan, who previously worked as a ‘Rapido’ (ride-hailing) driver in Mumbai, eventually became a shooter. The suspects were apprehended from the general compartment of a train; they were attempting to flee toward Delhi and Nepal. DCP Raj Tilak Roshan stated that, in light of their involvement in past shooting incidents and their ties to the Bishnoi gang, the MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act) has been invoked against these shooters.

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