Mumbai, Jan 5: Although they remain ruling partners in Maharashtra, NCP chief and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and the BJP are engaged in a war of words over the politically-sensitive corruption issue.

Ahead of the elections to the 29 municipal corporations slated for January 15, the relationship of the Mahayuti has hit a low, with open friction being the order of the day.

In a surprising shift, Dy CM Ajit Pawar has launched a direct offensive against the BJP’s past governance.

He recently alleged that the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), which was ruled by the BJP from 2017 to 2022, was “infested with corruption” and pushed into debt.

Maharashtra BJP President Ravindra Chavan hit back, advising Pawar to “introspect” before leveling charges. Chavan warned that if the BJP started making counter-allegations, it would create “serious difficulties” for Pawar, hinting at past investigations into the Deputy CM’s conduct.

Revenue Minister and BJP incharge for municipal corporation elections Chandrashekhar Bawankule stood firmly behind Ravindra Chavan and also issued a stern warning and “advice” to Ajit Pawar.

Bawankule’s response focussed on three main points including observing restraint, honouring the alliance dharma, and avoiding personal attacks.

Bawankule reminded Ajit Pawar that as members of the Mahayuti alliance, a specific coordination agreement had been made before the January 15 civic polls.

He stated that all partners had agreed that even if they contested local body elections separately, they would not criticize each other.

He explicitly noted that Ajit Pawar had “broken this agreement” by attacking the BJP’s record in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. Bawankule publicly advised him to “observe restraint in the future.”

Bawankule dismissed Ajit Pawar’s allegations of corruption and debt in the BJP-led municipal corporations and argued that the development of cities like Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad was “derailed” due to historical mismanagement by the NCP.

He added that the Devendra Fadnavis and Modi governments were actually responsible for putting these cities back on track.

He suggested that if Ajit Pawar has legitimate concerns about corruption, he should “approach investigating agencies” rather than making political statements in the media.

Bawankule hinted that the BJP has avoided bringing up Pawar’s own controversial past (including the irrigation scam allegations) for the sake of the alliance, but warned that continued attacks could force the BJP to “start speaking,” which would create “serious difficulties” for Ajit Pawar.

The Deputy CM had, on Monday, asked the BJP to follow the alliance dharma.

This friction marks the most serious public rift in the Mahayuti since Ajit Pawar joined in 2023.

Bawankule’s comments highlight the BJP’s growing frustration with Ajit Pawar’s attempt to play a “double role” — acting as a Deputy CM in the state while acting like an Opposition leader at the municipal level.

New Delhi, Jan 5: When India reached a free-trade agreement with New Zealand in a record time of nine months towards the end of December, this was a clear signal of New Delhi’s plan to diversify the country’s exports away from the US and this approach is expected to gather pace going ahead, according to an article in the South China Morning Post.

The article highlights that ever since US President Donald Trump imposed penal import tariffs of 50 per cent on India last year, New Delhi has maintained a resolute approach to the punitive levies, even as it has kept the door open to negotiations.

The article points out that the trade deal with New Zealand last month was the third such deal that came close on the heels of the free trade agreements with the United Kingdom and Oman.

The US is India’s largest export market, receiving about 18 per cent of its total goods exports, including items such as garments and leather products, with a vast diaspora readily snapping up products shipped from their homeland.

While it remains unclear whether the two countries can negotiate a trade deal given India’s firm position on opening sensitive sectors such as agriculture and dairy to US products, experts are sceptical that Washington will significantly roll back its tariffs, the article states.

However, it observes that India is not putting all its eggs in the US basket and is actively seeking free trade pacts with other countries to diversify its export markets amid the uncertainty created by the Trump administration.

Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal has already said that India’s effort to diversify trade across geographies and sectors is paying off. There is positive export momentum that is likely to consolidate in the coming months.

The article also highlights that India’s exports in 2025 showed strong resilience and growth, reaching a record US$825.25 billion in the financial year 2024-25. The robust growth has continued into the current financial year, with exports in the April to November period rising 5.43 per cent to US$562.13 billion.

Mumbai: A horrifying case has surfaced in Mumbai’s Mira Bhayandar under Valiv police station limits, where a 15-year-old girl fell victim to abduction, forcible religious conversion and sexual assault by a local youth, officials said on Monday.

The accused has been identified as Javed.

The two developed a friendship in their neighbourhood. Javed exploited the friendship by secretly recording her explicit photos and videos, then blackmailing her into accompanying him to Madhya Pradesh.

After the minor was taken to Madhya Pradesh, she was kept there for six months, during which she faced relentless abuse, officials said.

Javed escalated the horror by creating a fake Instagram profile using the girl’s name and photos, posting a rate card for her services per night to auction her online, they added.

According to the information received, Javed also forced her to convert to Islam and attempted to make her eat beef, compounding the trauma for the minor whose father had passed away recently.

She somehow managed to escape from the single room in Madhya Pradesh and came back home to Mumbai.

Following this, she narrated the months of abuse to her family members, who then filed an FIR at the Valiv police station.

Despite the girl filing an FIR at Valiv police station, Javed remains at large.

The victim has said that this has left her terrified as the police have failed to arrest him, and she fears for her life.

Terrified, the victim is now writing a letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, seeking urgent intervention in the case.

The police said that they are investigating the case and searching for the accused.

Further details are awaited.

This incident comes at a time when Maharashtra has experienced a continuous, well-planned campaign by Hindutva groups aimed at compelling the state government to implement a strict anti-conversion law, commonly referred to as an ‘anti-love jihad’ law.