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Maharashtra Civic Polls 2026: State Election Commission Orders Probe Into 69 Unopposed Municipal Wins Amid Coercion Allegations

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Mumbai: With just 12 days remaining for the 29 Municipal Corporation elections in Maharashtra, the State Election Commission (SEC) has launched a high-level inquiry into the “unopposed” election of 69 candidates across the state.

The SEC has initiated this move as it is mandatory to submit detailed reports presented by the District Collectors and Municipal Commissioners about the elections, and only after that, the poll panel examines and decides whether to declare the concerned candidates elected or otherwise.

The SEC sources told Media on Saturday, “The SEC has taken a serious note of the declaration of unopposed wins by political parties and ordered a probe.

According to the stipulated norms, the victory of any candidate, even though unopposed, is officially declared only on the counting day based on the report of the Municipal Commissioner in case of these 29 municipal corporations. As per the SEC’s norms, it is verified that the candidates have not withdrawn under any pressure or due to lurement or any other coercive measures.”

The SEC’s intervention follows serious allegations from opposition parties, including the Congress, Janata Dal (S), and AAP.

Candidates in three wards of Mumbai’s Colaba (Ward ‘A’) alleged they were unlawfully prevented from filing nominations or were pressured to withdraw under duress.

The SEC has directed the Mumbai Municipal Commissioner to examine CCTV footage from the Ward ‘A’ office to verify claims of interference.

Reports have been sought from Returning Officers, Municipal Commissioners, and Police Commissioners following the January 2 withdrawal deadline.

“The election results for these BMC seats will not be officially announced until the investigation is complete,” said SEC sources.

While officials can face action if found guilty of bias, current laws do not allow for the re-filing of nominations.

The SEC’s move is crucial, especially as even before the polling, the Mahayuti claimed it wrested 68 out of 69 seats, which went unopposed in the Municipal Corporations elections in Maharashtra.

On the last day of withdrawals of candidature, the BJP struck maximum gain with candidates in 44 seats having no opponent in the contest. Thus, giving it a cakewalk.

The BJP has taken the lead with 44 candidates unopposed out of a total of 69 in the 29 municipal corporation elections.

The elections for municipal corporations, including BMC is scheduled on January 15 and counting on January 16. Even before the polling, the candidate scrutiny showed a total of 69 candidates in the fray across parties, with no contestant in the elections.

While the BJP has the highest unopposed 44 candidates, Shiv Sena 22, NCP 2 and the Islamic Party one.

The Municipal Corporation data showed that the BJP has the highest 15 unopposed candidates in Kalyan. It is followed by Bhiwandi six, Pune two, Pimpri-Chinchwad two, Panvel six, Dhule four, Jalgaon six and Ahilyanagar three.

The Shiv Sena registered seven candidates unopposed in Thane, also the home turf of Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, Kalyan (seven) and Jalgaon (six) and two in Bhiwandi.

Whereas Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s NCP managed two unopposed contests in Jalgaon.

The Islamic party bagged the lone seat in Malegaon.

Crime

Two apprehended for firing at house in Nand Nagri to create fear

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New Delhi, Sep 14: The Anti-Auto Theft Squad (AATS) of North-East District Police worked out a firing incident reported under the jurisdiction of Nand Nagri Police Station by apprehending two accused persons who allegedly fired at a complainant’s house to create fear.

The accused were identified with the help of extensive CCTV footage analysis and technical investigation.

According to police, on September 4, two unidentified persons riding a scooty fired at the complainant’s house in the Nand Nagri area with the intention of creating fear and fled from the spot.

Following the incident, FIR No. 485/26 dated September 4 was registered at Nand Nagri Police Station under relevant Sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Arms Act, and an investigation was initiated.

Considering the seriousness of the incident, the AATS team of North-East District was tasked with identifying and apprehending those involved.

A dedicated team led by Inspector Deepak Pandey, In-charge of AATS/NED, analysed numerous CCTV recordings and developed clues through technical investigation and other sources. Sustained efforts and detailed examination of the available evidence helped the team identify the suspects.

On September 12, acting on a specific tip-off, the AATS team conducted a raid in the Sunder Nagri area and apprehended Azim Khan. During interrogation, his associate Imran alias Rahul was also apprehended at his instance. Both accused were subsequently handed over to the local police for further legal proceedings.

Police said Imran alias Rahul, 25, son of Ibrahim and a resident of Bhopra Chowk, Siddqi Building, Uttar Pradesh, was previously involved in two theft cases.

Azim Khan, 36, son of Illiyas and a resident of Gali No. 1, Sunder Nagri, Delhi, has nine previous cases registered against him, involving murder, attempt to murder, culpable homicide, robbery, snatching, rape, kidnapping, theft and offences under the Arms Act. He is a Bad Character of Nand Nagri Police Station.

Further investigation into the case by the police is underway.

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Business

India okays 18 hours a day power supply to Nepal till Dec 31

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New Delhi, Sep 14: India has approved a proposal to supply power to Nepal for 18 hours a day till December 31 this year, following the extensive damage caused to the Himalayan country’s hydropower projects in the devastating flash floods, an official statement said on Monday.

“The Ministry of Power has accorded approval for the export of power, for 18 hours a day to Nepal Electricity Authority till December 31, 2026,” according to the statement.

Approval has been given for up to 600MW of export through Muzaffarpur-Dhalkebar 400 kV D/c line and up to 54 MW through Tanakpur-Mahendranagar 132 kV S/c line. The quantum of power to be exported from January 2027 will be reviewed in December, 2026, the statement said.

The recent floods have caused significant damage to hydropower infrastructure in Nepal, reducing its domestic power generation capacity and creating an additional requirement for electricity.

The approval will help Nepal meet its power requirements during this difficult period and further strengthen the close and longstanding energy cooperation between India and Nepal, the statement explained.

“India remains committed to supporting Nepal and strengthening bilateral cooperation in the energy sector,” the statement added.

India also intensified its humanitarian assistance to Nepal in the wake of the floods, delivering relief material and deploying personnel to support search, rescue, and forensic operations. Indian Air Force aircraft were used to carry relief and rescue supplies to Kathmandu.

The country also dispatched specialised technical gear, including mud rescue suits, gas detectors, breathing apparatus, inflatable walkways, portable generators, lighting towers, and dewatering pumps. India has provided DNA kits, reagents, and equipment for DNA profiling to aid in victim identification.

Meanwhile, the death toll from flash floods has risen to 1,386, with more bodies recovered from eight affected districts.

The floods, triggered by an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, devastated towns and villages in northern and central Nepal.

According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, 104 of the recovered bodies have so far been identified and handed over to families. Around 5,130 people are still reported missing.

Security forces continue search and rescue operations. More than 13,700 people have been rescued so far, while 339 people are undergoing treatment in hospitals.

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Crime

‘Felt unsafe’: Woman biker alleges car attack after asking occupants to maintain distance in Gurugram

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Gurugram, Sep 14: A woman biker in Haryana’s Gurugram has alleged that a car repeatedly followed her before hitting her motorcycle and fleeing the spot, leaving her shaken and raising concerns over road safety in the city.

“I have nothing to say, but today I felt unsafe on Gurugram roads. People like these aren’t afraid of hitting people and running away,” the woman said after the incident.

The rider, who identifies herself as Sia and operates the Instagram page ‘rebelwheels_sia_’, uploaded footage of the incident on social media and described what she said happened before the collision.

According to Sia, the incident occurred on Sunday while she was riding her Aprilia RS 457 sports bike along Golf Course Road with members of her biking group.

In the video, she alleged that the occupants of a car had been following her from the beginning of the ride. She claimed that the people inside the vehicle behaved aggressively and attempted to get close to her motorcycle.

Sia said she asked the occupants to maintain a safe distance, but instead, they allegedly asked her to stop. She also claimed that the men appeared to be under the influence of alcohol.

The rider said she continued moving ahead in an attempt to prevent the car from cutting her off. A friend riding behind her also tried to intervene by positioning his motorcycle in a way that prevented the car from repeatedly coming alongside her.

Despite this, Sia alleged, the car continued following her. She claimed that at one point, the driver attempted to cut across the path of her motorcycle, resulting in a collision.

The impact knocked Sia off her bike, while her motorcycle was dragged several metres along the road. The car then reportedly left the area.

The incident was captured on an action camera fitted to Sia’s motorcycle.

She further alleged that one of her friends pursued the car and attempted to stop the driver. The vehicle eventually halted at a traffic signal, where the friend confronted the driver and allegedly told him that he was responsible for the collision.

However, according to Sia, the driver denied causing the accident and subsequently drove away from the traffic signal.

In a social media post, Sia appealed to the Gurugram Police to take action against motorists who allegedly put other road users at risk and flee after causing accidents.

She also shared the vehicle’s registration number and identified the registered owner mentioned in the vehicle’s registration certificate.

The video subsequently gained significant attention online, with social media users expressing support for the rider and calling for action against the alleged driver. Several users tagged the Delhi Police, Gurugram Police, Gurugram Traffic Police and Haryana Police, urging authorities to investigate the incident.

Some users also called for an FIR to be registered, while others highlighted concerns over rash driving and the safety of motorists, particularly on busy roads in Gurugram.

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