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Maharashtra Political Deadlock Ends As Eknath Shinde Accepts Deputy CM Post

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Mumbai: Maharashtra can heave a political sigh. Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde has finally veered round to the view that he must reclaim his political space in the Mahayuti government by joining the Devendra Fadnavis cabinet as a Deputy Chief Minister. The denouement came in the form of an extended meeting when Fadnavis called on Shinde for the second time in two days, at Varsha, the caretaker Chief Minister’s official residence.

Shinde has purportedly relented to pressure from party colleagues and allies and will go with the political flow, for the time being. Shinde, who was initially insisting on the Home Department, appears to have resolved the dilemma in his own mind by accepting other crucial portfolios. Political exigency and compulsions of coalition dharma have essentially prevailed.

Eknath Shinde Likely To Get Urban Development Portfolio

Shinde is tipped to get the Urban Development portfolio, which is expected to assuage his pride. Sources familiar with the matter revealed that Fadnavis and Shinde took their discussion forward and also finalized a list of ministers who are expected to take oath on Thursday. That should set at rest the speculation that government formation is in a state of limbo.

Shinde was reportedly hesitant to accept the Deputy CM’s post without the Home Department; the BJP leadership convinced him that the portfolio would remain with Fadnavis, who had managed the key portfolio from 2014 to 2019. The latter also made a cryptic statement, that ‘‘the Chief Minister’s post is just a technical agreement between us… We have been together to take decisions and will continue to do so”. Shinde can join the dots at leisure.

Party leaders, including Shiv Sena MLAs and BJP allies, underscored Shinde’s role as being pivotal for political stability and the party’s future. They cautioned that his absence from the cabinet could result in creation of another power center, potentially destabilizing the alliance. Despite lingering doubts, Shinde’s colleagues, including Uday Samant, Sanjay Shirsat, and Shambhuraj Desai, were eagerly awaiting the meeting’s outcome. Voices within the Sena stressed Shinde’s inclusion as essential for Maharashtra’s governance.

During a press conference at Raj Bhavan, Fadnavis expressed optimism. “All Mahayuti MLAs want Shinde to join the cabinet. I met him on Tuesday and tried to convince him,” he stated. Addressing the media alongside Fadnavis, Shinde said, “Two and a half years ago, Fadnavis proposed my name for CM. Now, I have the opportunity to propose his name for CM. As Devendraji mentioned, everything will be clear soon, so please wait.” Shiv Sena leader Uday Samant echoed this sentiment, stating, “All Shiv Sena MPs and MLAs believe Shinde should be sworn in as Deputy CM. While Shinde Saheb is willing to focus on organizational tasks, we hope he accepts our request to join the cabinet for Maharashtra’s benefit.”

With Shinde relenting, the political stalemate appears to have reached a resolution, paving the way for the swearing-in ceremony of the new cabinet on Thursday.

Entertainment

1000 Cops To Be Deployed At Coldplay Concert Venue In Navi Mumbai

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Thane: Nearly 1,000 cops will be deployed to maintain law and order during the Coldplay concert in Navi Mumbai, police said on Friday.

As part of their ‘Music of the Spheres World Tour’, the British rock group has three shows scheduled at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on January 18, 19 and 21.

Nearly 45,000 fans are expected to attend the event, for which elaborate security arrangements have been made, said a release by the Navi Mumbai police.

The release said 70 officers and 434 policemen will be inside the stadium as part of their bandobast. Also, 21 officers and 440 policemen will be deployed outside the stadium each day, it said.

Heavy vehicles from Uran, Nhavasheva, Pune and Thane have been banned in the area during these days. The Thane city police have also issued similar directives, restricting the movement of heavy vehicles within their jurisdiction.

There are designated parking areas during the event, the release added.

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Maharashtra

Police Issues Traffic Advisory Ahead Of TATA Mumbai Marathon 2025; Check Details

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Mumbai: The Mumbai Traffic Police department has issued a traffic advisory for residents ahead of TATA Marathon 2025 which will take place on January 19. The Mumbai Traffic Police has issued an advisory, to inform commuters about the traffic arrangements and road closures. The authorities have appealed to citizens to cooperate and plan their travel accordingly to avoid any inconvenience.

According to the advisory issued, a total of 63 routes have been blocked by the Mumbai traffic police issuing ‘no entry’ to vehicles on the route due to marathon.

The TATA Marathon is all set to take place on January 19, 2025, across Greater Mumbai with thousands of runners participating in the event. To ensure a seamless and safe experience for the runners, the authorities have made special traffic arrangements along the marathon route.

The Marathon will take place from 3 am to 2 pm on January 19, Sunday. The marathon route will be closed to regular traffic, providing a free way for the runners to complete their journey.

The traffic restrictions will be in place to prevent any disruptions or congestion that might hinder the progress of the runners. The police has informed about alternative routes that can be taken to avoid congestion.

In their advisory, Mumbai Traffic Police has informed about the categories of marathon and the routes that are to be taken for each category leads to closure of a few routes.

The TATA Marathon 2025 will have seven categories, Full Marathon (Amateur) which will take place from CSMT Dr D N Road to OCS Junction covering 42.195 kilometers, Full Marathon (Elite) which will take place from CSMT Dr D N Road to CSMT Junction covering 42.195 kilometres, Half Marathon and Police Cup will take place from Mahim reti bunder to OCS junction, 10 KM Run starting from CSMT to OCS Junction, Senior citizen run starting from CSMT to OCS Junction covering 4.2 kilometers, champions with disability run covers 1.30 Kilometers from CSMT to OCS junction and Dream Run Marathon from CSMT to Metro Junction covering 5.9 kilometers.

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Maharashtra

Coldplay Mumbai Concert: Bombay HC Dismisses PIL, Says Only State Can Act On Ticket Scalping

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Mumbai: Though, there is a ‘need for robust regulatory mechanisms’ against the unethical practices in the online ticketing ecosystem, the responsibility for creating a statutory framework lies with the legislature, the Bombay High Court has said in its order dismissing the a public interest litigation (PIL) against black marketing and ticket scalping at major events.

The division bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar had on January 10 dismissed the PIL filed by a city based lawyer Amit Vyas alleging foul play during the online ticket sales of British band Coldplay scheduled in Navi Mumbai later this month.

Vyas had sought directions to the state government to frame laws, rules and regulations to prevent the practices of ticket scalping, touting and black marketing concerning the sale of tickets for major events.

Additionally, a request was made to the court to order the formation of a committee to conduct an inquiry into the matter and to issue directions to online ticketing companies to cooperate with the committee.

Dismissing the plea, the HC observed that the power to enact a law doesn’t lay with the judiciary. “In keeping with the constitutional scheme, courts can only guide the executive to comply with duties explicitly cast by constitutional provisions. They cannot assume a supervisory role over lawmaking powers, which remain within the exclusive domain of duly elected legislative bodies,” the court said.

The HC said they can, however, issue such directions only in case of violation of fundamental rights. “However, the practices of ticket scalping, hoarding and resale by private entities and individuals, without any direct or substantial involvement of the state or its instrumentality, do not per se violate fundamental rights of citizens,” HC observed.

“While Article 19(1)(g) guarantees the freedom to practise any profession or to carry on any occupation, this provision neither creates a fundamental right to access privately organised events nor does it prohibit all profit-driven endeavors,” the court further said adding, “No unreasonable restriction has been shown to be imposed by the state in relation to ticket scalping or resale activities by private entities.”

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