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Maharashtra

MVA Will Win 180-190 Seats In Assembly Polls, Says Shirur MP Amol Kolhe

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MVA Will Win 180-190 Seats In Assembly Polls, Says Shirur MP Amol Kolhe

NCP (SP) MP Amol Kolhe, who represents the Shirur Lok Sabha seat, on Monday claimed that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) — a coalition of Congress, Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena and NCP led by Sharad Pawar — will win at least 180-190 seats in the upcoming Assembly polls in the state.

“Looking at the trends of the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls, the MVA is ahead on at least 155 Assembly seats. I am sure this number will increase to 180-190 seats given that we are taking a lot of efforts,” Kolhe said in a video he posted on X (formerly Twitter). He captioned the video, “Ab ki baar, MVA sarkar.”

Recently, Kolhe’s party chief Sharad Pawar emphasised that the “winds of change” were blowing and said the MVA could win 225 seats.

“In the 2019 Lok Sabha election the opposition won six seats, while in the 2024 election, the MVA won 31 out of 48 seats. Winds of change are blowing. People saw the Modi administration and have decided to change it. The change was possible owing to people’s movement. I am sure the same trend will be reflected in the Assembly election too. MVA will win 225 out of 288 seats,” the former Union minister said.

The election for the 288-seat Maharashtra Assembly is likely to be held in the month of October. In order to form a government, a party or an alliance, needs a minimum of 145 seats.

In the 2019 Assembly polls, the BJP was the single-largest party with 105 seats, the undivided Shiv Sena got 56, the undivided NCP got 54 and the Congress bagged 44 seats. Despite being in a pre-poll alliance, Shiv Sena joined hands with Congress-NCP and Uddhav Thackeray became the chief minister. However, this was short-lived as Eknath Shinde rebelled along with over 40 MLAs and formed a government with the BJP. Shinde was made the CM and Devendra Fadnavis became his deputy. Following this, there was another similar rebellion in the NCP as Ajit Pawar joined hands with Shinde and Fadnavis, taking away his supporter MLAs. He was also made a deputy CM.

This coalition — Mahayuti — did not get the anticipated success in the Lok Sabha polls with BJP winning only nine seats, Shinde Sena bagging seven and Ajit Pawar’s NCP emerging victorious on just one seat. It will be interesting to see if the people continue to back the MVA as they did in the Lok Sabha polls or swing in favour of the Mahayuti in the Assembly polls.

Maharashtra

Mumbai Weather Update: City Wakes Up To Clear Skyline; Light Showers, Cloudy Skies Expected Later Today

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Mumbai: Mumbai woke up to clear skies and breezy weather on Thursday morning. The weather is expected to remain generally pleasant, with chances of light drizzle in some pockets today. Skies will stay mostly cloudy. The maximum temperature is forecast to hover around 30°C, while the minimum may remain close to 25°C. This mild trend is likely to persist for the next 48 hours, after which a shift in weather conditions is expected.

In Navi Mumbai and Thane, similar weather conditions will prevail. While certain areas could see brief spells of light rain, the overall impact is expected to be minimal. Temperatures are predicted to range between 29°C and 31°C, offering some respite from humidity. Cloudy skies will dominate through the day, ensuring that the sun remains subdued.

Palghar district is also likely to see light showers with overcast conditions. Here, the maximum temperature could touch 31°C. Some coastal belts may receive mild rain, but heavy rainfall has been ruled out.

Further down the Konkan coast, key districts like Raigad, Ratnagiri, and Sindhudurg will also see very light rainfall activity. Drizzles or isolated short showers may occur, but the possibility of heavy downpours is low. Daytime temperatures in these districts are expected to stay between 30°C and 32°C, with relatively calm winds adding to the subdued monsoon spell.

Mumbai and the Konkan coast are likely to continue experiencing subdued rainfall today, as the monsoon has taken a backseat in recent days. Instead of heavy downpours, residents are witnessing occasional drizzles and mild showers, painting a relatively calm weather picture across the region.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), no rain-related alerts have been issued for Mumbai or major districts along the Konkan coast for the day. The overall trend suggests that the Konkan region, including Mumbai, will remain under the influence of cloudy but manageable weather for the next couple of days.

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Maharashtra

Dahisar toll naka will be shifted, big relief for Mira-Bhayander residents

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Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has decided to shift the Dahisar toll naka. The move will bring relief to thousands of daily commuters, especially residents of Mira-Bhayander, who have been facing this toll for a long time.

For many years, the Dahisar toll plaza had been a cause of trouble for commuters. Long queues during peak hours and wastage of time were causing financial burden on local residents. Citizens of Mira-Bhayander were constantly demanding that short commuters should not be burdened with additional toll.

Officials have confirmed that the toll naka will now be shifted further on the highway. This will exempt local commuters from paying toll charges on short-distance journeys. This change will not only smoothen the traffic but will also reduce the daily expenses of people.

Local citizen groups and representatives have welcomed the decision. A resident said, “This was a long-pending demand. Now we will not have to pay extra toll on short-distance travel.”

The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) will soon decide the new location of the toll naka and work will start in the coming weeks.

This shifting of Dahisar toll naka is being considered as an important step towards easing urban travel and solving the problems of suburban residents.

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Maharashtra

Bombay High Court Grants Bail to Accused in 2012 Pune Serial Blasts After 12 Years in Custody

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Bom-Blast-Mubin

Mumbai, September 10, 2025 (By Kamar Ansari) The Bombay High Court has granted bail to Farooq Shaukat Bagwan, one of the accused in the 2012 Pune serial bombings, after he spent more than 12 years in judicial custody without the trial reaching a conclusion.

A division bench of Justices A. S. Gadkari and Rajesh S. Patil observed that Bagwan’s continued incarceration amounted to a violation of his fundamental right to a speedy trial. The court also noted that a co-accused, Munib Iqbal Memon, had already been granted bail last year on similar grounds, making Bagwan eligible for the same relief on the principle of parity.

Bagwan, now 39, was arrested in December 2012 and charged under multiple laws, including the Indian Penal Code, the Explosives Act, the Arms Act, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act.

The Pune blasts, which occurred on August 1, 2012, targeted locations such as Deccan Gymkhana and Bal Gandharv Rang Mandir. Five low-intensity explosions took place between 7:25 pm and 11:30 pm, injuring one person. A sixth explosive device, planted in a bicycle near Jangli Maharaj Road, was later defused.

According to the prosecution, Bagwan allegedly provided forged documents for obtaining SIM cards and allowed his shop to be used in preparations for the blasts. However, his defense, led by Advocate Mubin Solkar, argued that the trial had progressed at an unacceptably slow pace. He pointed out that only 27 out of nearly 170 prosecution witnesses had been examined in more than a decade, making prolonged custody unjustifiable.

The bench underscored that the right to a speedy trial under Article 21 of the Constitution cannot be denied. Noting that the trial was unlikely to conclude soon, the court ordered Bagwan’s release on bail upon furnishing a surety bond of ₹1 lakh.

The State opposed the plea, citing confessional statements and evidence linking Bagwan to the conspiracy. Despite this, the judges ruled that prolonged pre-trial detention and judicial parity with the co-accused strongly justified granting bail.

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