National News
Mumbai At Standstill: Coastal Road, Eastern Freeway, CSMT Choked As Maratha Morcha Protestors Gridlock SoBo; Traffic Police & BEST Issue Advisories
Mumbai: Mumbai came to a near standstill on Friday as thousands of Manoj Jarange Patil-led Maratha Kranti Morcha supporters marched towards Azad Maidan, choking key roads in South Mumbai. Traffic bottlenecks were reported from almost every entry point into the city’s southern precincts, with CSMT, Fort and Nariman Point witnessing heavy jams.
The Eastern Freeway was completely blocked by protesters, while the Coastal Road saw a traffic snarl stretching from Priyadarshini Park (PDP) to Nariman Point, leaving motorists stranded for hours.
Mumbai Traffic Police issued repeated advisories warning commuters to avoid South Mumbai. “Due to agitation at Azad Maidan avoid using freeway, please plan accordingly,” read one update. Another said: “Due to political agitation, people are requested to avoid going towards CST and surrounding areas.”
BEST bus services were also thrown into disarray. In an update on X, the transport body admitted that with all roads around CSMT closed, buses in every direction had come to a halt. “No alternative routes are currently available for bus services. As a result, services are running irregularly,” the statement said.
On ground, visuals from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and the Fort area showed a sea of protesters marching in unison, waving placards and raising slogans as they blocked arterial roads. The sheer turnout pushed vehicular movement to a crawl across south-central Mumbai. Videos also showed hundreds of supporters gathered on CSMT’s platforms, adding to the chaos.
Traffic disruptions had begun early in the day from Byculla, where police barricades prevented vehicles carrying protesters from entering the JJ Flyover. Convoys were diverted towards Mohammad Ali Road, creating further pressure on busy stretches. On Thursday night, vehicles carrying Maratha supporters had been halted at the Carnac Bridge, with police directing them to park at the BPT premises in Wadi Bunder and continue on foot to Azad Maidan to avoid a complete shutdown of the city.
The protest’s timing has compounded the challenge for Mumbai Police. The massive mobilisation coincides with the opening days of Ganeshotsav, a festival that already draws lakhs to pandals across the city. Adding to the strain, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is visiting Mumbai the same day for Ganesh festivities, necessitating multiple layers of security.
Maratha quota leader Manoj Jarange Patil, who has vowed to launch an indefinite hunger strike during Ganeshotsav, reached the city with thousands of followers, intensifying both the agitation and the law-and-order challenge.
National News
BMC Exit Poll Results: Thackeray brothers’ magic failed to work in Mumbai, BJP-Shiv Sena majority in exit poll
Mumbai: The BJP may have its first mayor in the country’s richest municipal corporation, BMC. This has been predicted by exit polls after the voting for the BMC elections ended. According to Axis My India, the BJP alliance can win 131 to 151 seats. UBT can win 58-68 seats. Congress alliance can win 12 to 15 seats. There are 227 wards in BMC, for which a majority of 114 seats is required.
According to Axis My India, UBT’s Marathi identity strategy worked in its favor in the BMC elections, but Shinde Sena and BJP also got the support of 30 percent Marathi voters. 49 percent Marathi voters voted for UBT-MNS. In contrast, 68% of North Indians supported the BJP-Shiv Sena, and 19% supported the Thackeray brothers. The Annamalai factor also supported the BJP. 61% of South Indian voters supported the BJP alliance, and 21% of South Indians supported the UBT. The UBT got Muslim votes in several areas. According to Axis My India, the BJP alliance is likely to win 131 to 151 seats. The UBT is likely to win 58-68 seats. The Congress alliance is likely to win 12 to 15 seats.
According to the survey, a change of guard is expected in the BMC. The BJP and Shiv Sena are likely to win 107-122 seats. Uddhav Thackeray is likely to win 68 to 87 seats. The Congress is likely to win 18-25 seats, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP is likely to win 2-4 seats. Others are likely to win 8-15 seats. BMC has a total of 227 seats, and 114 is the magic number for a majority.
According to the survey, the BJP alliance is expected to get 41% votes, while the Thackeray brothers are expected to get 33%. The Congress is likely to get 13%, the NCP 3% and others 10%. The Shiv Sena has been in power in BMC for a long time. Till now, the BJP has never been able to elect its own mayor. In these elections, the BJP led Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. If the BJP elects its own mayor, it will certainly fulfill a big dream of the party.
National News
Mumbai Local Train Update: Western Railway To Cancel 240 Trains On January 17–18 Due To Kandivali–Borivali 6th Line Work
As part of the ongoing construction of the 6th railway line between Kandivali and Borivali, Western Railway will cancel 240 suburban local trains over two days, affecting commuters on January 17 and 18, 2026.
According to railway officials, 120 suburban services will be cancelled on Friday, January 17, and another 120 on Saturday, January 18, due to a major block being undertaken in the Borivali–Malad section. The block is part of a 30-day infrastructure programme linked to the 6th line project, which commenced on the night of December 20/21, 2025, and will conclude on January 18, 2026.
As per Western Railway, a major block will be imposed during the nights of January 16/17 and January 17/18. The block will be in effect from 11:15 pm to 3:15 am on the UP fast line and from 1:00 am to 4:30 am on the DOWN fast line between Borivali and Malad.
Railway authorities stated that due to the block, suspension of the 5th line, and the imposition of speed restrictions, several suburban services will remain cancelled during this period. However, efforts are being made to minimise inconvenience to passengers.
“Detailed information regarding affected services is available with the concerned Station Masters. Commuters have been advised to check train schedules in advance and plan their journeys accordingly to avoid inconvenience” said an official.
National News
BMC Election 2026 Exit Poll Results: BJP-Led Mahayuti Headed For Landslide Victory With 138 Seats, Thackerays To Get 59
Mumbai: Spotlight shifts on the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Exit Polls 2026 as voting across 227 seats across Mumbai city was held today, January 15. The Mahayuti alliance, comprising of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and the Republican Party of India (RPI), is predicted to emerge as the largest bloc, securing around 138 seats, while the Uddhav and Raj Thackeray alliance is expected to get 59 seats. The alliance of Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) is projected to win approximately 35 per cent of the seats
In Mumbai, the BJP is contesting 137 seats, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena 90, while the NCP is fighting separately on 94 seats. The Shiv Sena (UBT) has fielded 163 candidates, the MNS 52, the Congress 143 and the VBA 46 in the city.
The polling marked the end of nearly four years without an elected civic body in Mumbai. In the 2026 BMC polls, a total of 3.48 crore voters were eligible to decide the fate of about 1700 candidates.
BMC Exit Poll Results: Thackeray brothers’ magic failed to work in Mumbai, BJP-Shiv Sena majority in exit poll
Mumbai Local Train Update: Western Railway To Cancel 240 Trains On January 17–18 Due To Kandivali–Borivali 6th Line Work
BMC Election 2026 Exit Poll Results: BJP-Led Mahayuti Headed For Landslide Victory With 138 Seats, Thackerays To Get 59
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