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Maharashtra Elections 2024: Bollywood Steps Back Amid Threats As Marathi Stars Shine

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Mumbai: Political parties often capitalise on the popularity of film stars to draw crowds and sway voters. Many actors are directly associated with specific parties and appear on campaign stages, with some even designated as star campaigners. The appeal of famous actors and their iconic movie dialogues plays a crucial role in capturing voter attention. However, the murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique and threats from the Bishnoi Gang to Bollywood stars like Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan have led major actors to distance themselves from election campaigns in Mumbai and across the state. As a result, there was a surge in demand for Marathi and South Indian stars at campaign rallies.

Impact of the Bishnoi Gang

In the past, Bollywood stars like Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan frequently attended rallies for political figures such as Baba Siddique, whose connections with film stars helped boost his political influence. However, following Siddique’s murder, attributed to the Bishnoi Gang, and the subsequent threats to Salman and Shah Rukh Khan, the landscape has shifted. Salman Khan’s residence has even been targeted. Meanwhile, actors like Riteish Deshmukh are actively supporting the campaign in Latur, where his brothers are contesting elections.

South Indian Stars For Specific Regions

In districts like Chandrapur and Nanded, which border Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, the BJP used Telugu actor Pawan Kalyan to attract Telugu-speaking voters. Kalyan, currently Andhra Pradesh’s Deputy Chief Minister, appeared in regions like Ballarpur to support BJP candidates.

Social Media Campaigns

All parties have intensified their online campaigns, utilising social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Celebrities were creating videos endorsing candidates, which were widely circulated to maximise outreach. While actors demand higher fees for physical campaign appearances, social media endorsements are relatively less expensive, according to sources.

Fee Structure For Artists

The rising demand for celebrities has led to an increase in their fees. Marathi stars charge between Rs 50,000-5 lakh per campaign, while Bollywood stars demand higher sums. Actors from popular TV shows like Chala Hawa Yeu Dya and Maharashtrachi Hasya Jatra are particularly sought after. Depending on the event scale and location, some actors charge Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh per day, while top-tier Bollywood stars command Rs 20-35 lakh.

Conditions Imposed By Actors

Actors often set conditions for their participation, such as refraining from delivering politically inclined speeches. Some join campaigns due to personal relationships, regardless of ideological differences, but advance payment remains a nonnegotiable clause for most.

Maharashtra

6 Afghans arrested in Mumbai accused of preparing fake documents

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Mumbai: Mumbai Police has claimed to have arrested 6 Afghan nationals residing illegally in Mumbai city. The Crime Branch Unit 1 of Mumbai Police had received information that Afghan nationals were residing illegally here, on which Unit 1 and Unit 5 formed a joint team and conducted a raid in Fort, Dharavi-Kalaba area of ​​Mumbai and arrested 6 non-Afghan nationals, who have been identified as Mohammad Rasool Nishazia Khan (24), Mohammad Jafar Nabiullah (47), Mohammad Rasool Nishazia Khan (24), Akhtar Mohammad Jamaluddin (47), Ziaul Haq Ghousia Khan (47), Abdul Manan Khan (36) and Asad Shamshuddin Khan (36). Units 1 and 5 carried out the operation on technical grounds. These Afghan nationals had obtained visas in 2015, 2016, 2017 and settled in India. During this time, these Afghan nationals prepared fake documents and settled in India. All of them are in India. They had also hidden their identity with fake names. Their real names were Abdul Samad Kandahar, Muhammad Rasool Qamaruddin Kandahar, Amilullah Jhabul, Zia-ul-Haq Ahmed Kabul, Muhammad Ibrahim Ghaznavi Kabul, Asad Khan Kabul. All of them had prepared their fake documents to prepare Indian documents and then they prepared Indian documents. In this case, the Crime Branch has taken action against Afghans on a large scale and has arrested Afghan illegal residents. The police have registered a case against them and started investigation. This action has been carried out by Joint Police Commissioner Crime Lakshmi Gautam and DCP Raj Tilak Roshan on the instructions of Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti. A case of preparing requisite documents has been registered against them and a case has also been registered under the Passport Act.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai Weather Update: City Sees Clear Skies After Heavy Overnight Downpour, Yellow Alert Issued; Overall AQI In Moderate Range At 63

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Mumbai: After heavy rains lashed the city on Friday, bringing brief waterlogging and traffic disruptions, Mumbai woke up to sunny skies on Saturday morning. However, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) cautioned that the respite may be short-lived, as the city remains under a Yellow Alert with a forecast of partly cloudy skies and a possibility of moderate rain or thunderstorms through the day.

According to the IMD, temperatures are expected to hover around 34°C during the day and dip to about 25°C at night. The brief spell of unseasonal rain not only cooled the weather but also brought a remarkable improvement in the city’s air quality, which had deteriorated sharply post-Diwali due to increased pollution and stagnant winds.

Overall AQI In Moderate Category

Real-time data from AQI.in showed that Mumbai’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 63 on Saturday morning, placing it in the moderate category, a notable recovery from the unhealthy levels recorded earlier in the week.

Among the city’s monitoring stations, Wadala Truck Terminal reported the highest pollution level with an AQI of 190, followed by BKC (75), Kurla (73), Worli (73) and Chembur (72). While mild traces of smog lingered in some of these areas during the early morning, visibility and air freshness improved significantly across most parts of Mumbai.

On the other hand, several localities recorded remarkably clean air. Thakur Village in Kandivali reported the city’s best air quality with an AQI of 25, while Parel-Bhoiwada (32), Malad West (38), Borivali East (40), and Kandivali East (43) also registered good air quality, offering much-needed relief to residents.

As per AQI.in’s classification, readings between 0–50 indicate “Good” air, 51–100 “Moderate”, 101–150 “Poor”, 151–200 “Unhealthy”, and above 200 “Severe” to “Hazardous.”

Friday’s rain marked the third unseasonal spell after the official monsoon withdrawal and was accompanied by lightning, thunder and gusty winds. The IMD had issued a Nowcast warning late Friday evening, alerting of potential thunderstorms and moderate rainfall over Mumbai and adjoining districts. Meanwhile, most parts of Maharashtra, excluding the Vidarbha region, continue to remain under a Yellow Alert for the next few days.

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Maharashtra

Brave officer risked his life to save injured girl

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Mumbai: Mumbai Police Traffic Officer has shown bravery in saving a young girl from the clutches of a cruel lover, after which this officer is being praised. He took the injured and bleeding girl to the hospital and risked his life to free her from the armed youth, after which the youth committed suicide.
‎Today at 10:17 am, a call was received from the MTP helpline of the Byculla Traffic Department Group that two-wheelers and four-wheelers were parked on the footpath in front of Meoresh Building, Dataram Lad Marg, Kalachowki, causing inconvenience to the passers-by. In response to the said call, Rider Police Constable Karan Suryavanshi of the Byculla Traffic Department reached the spot. When he was taking action at the said place, some people present there told the officer that a boy was attacking a girl with a knife in the cabin of Astha Nursing Home. Seeing the seriousness of the incident, Kiran Suryavanshi immediately went to the spot and tried to free the victim girl from the clutches of the accused boy and took her out of the nursing home. Since she was in an injured condition, he showed haste and without a moment’s delay, put the girl in a taxi and brought her to Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Hospital, Ranibag. The girl was given first aid there. Officers and personnel from Kalachowki took the injured woman to JJ Hospital for further treatment.

Besides, in this incident, the attacker also stabbed himself and was taken to KEM Hospital with the help of Kalachowki Police Station.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone 4, Assistant Commissioner of Police as well as Senior Police Inspector of Kalachowki Police Station visited Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Railway Hospital.

The girl is undergoing treatment at Sir JJ Hospital. Police officers from Kalachowki police station are conducting further investigations. The officer is being praised for protecting the girl without caring for his own life and saving her from the clutches of her heartbroken lover.

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