Mumbai: Who won? Maratha activist Manoj Jarange Patil or the Mahayuti government. While the former has claimed a thumping victory, sources say the BJP-led Mahayuti government is all set to reap the agitation’s political benefits in the impending local body elections. The government has taken subdued credit for the decisions that successfully ended the five-day agitation, while claiming that it has also protected its core vote back – the Other Backwards Classes (OBCs).

So cleverly has the political manoeuvring begun that OBC leaders like Chhagan Bhujbal have begun consolidating their political base by opposing the two c (GRs) by the government. Surprisingly, a cabinet member cannot oppose a decision taken by the government he is part of.

Since the OBCs have been the core voter base of the Mahayuti in general, and the BJP in particular, nobody from the alliance, not even Bhujbal’s party boss, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar (a Maratha), is likely to question him about his posturing.

Furthermore, the muchtalked-about boycott of cabinet meeting by Bhujbal on Wednesday does not fit into the rulebook of the code of conduct for ministers. But nobody will question him on this as well.

As things stand now, the Mahayuti is clearly trying its best to outsmart the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). However, the opposition stalwarts such as Sharad Pawar fully understand how effective the decision taken by the government was for Maratha protesters as no leader can speak against the OBCs while taking Jarange Patil’s side.

When reviewed carefully, the Maratha community has not received anything significant, as the process for acceptance of the Hyderabad Gazetteer and distributing Kunbi certificates to Maratha families engaged in farming is not going to be smooth due to multi-level scrutiny and the caste validity process as per law. In the end, the Mahayuti will reap the political benefits from both the Marathas and the OBCs. So who won?

Mumbai: Mumbai woke up to cloudy skies and scattered showers on Thursday. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast cloudy skies and spells of moderate to heavy rainfall across Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) today. The weather department also issued a yellow alert for today and tomorrow, September 5.

According to the forecast, the city is likely to witness light showers in the morning and afternoon, with heavier downpours expected in the evening and late night hours. The IMD attributed this increase in rainfall activity to a low-pressure belt currently active over the Bay of Bengal, which is pushing moisture-laden winds towards the western coast.

In Navi Mumbai, light rainfall is expected through the early hours, followed by moderate to heavy showers later in the day. Thane and Kalyan-Dombivli are likely to witness intense spells by evening, which could lead to water accumulation on several roads. Officials have warned commuters to plan their travel accordingly, as traffic congestion may worsen during peak hours.

In the western suburbs, including Vasai-Virar and Mira-Bhayander, moderate rain is expected through the day. However, IMD has not ruled out the possibility of heavy showers in some pockets, particularly along coastal areas.

The advisory further states that rainfall activity may remain high across Mumbai and MMR through the day, before easing between September 5 and 7. Cloudy conditions, however, will persist across the region during this period. The monsoon’s influence is likely to continue until mid-September, after which the intensity of rainfall will gradually decline, according to the weather department.

The Konkan region stays under orange alert with districts like Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg expected to see heavy rains today. The weather department has warned of very heavy showers in isolated areas.

Thane: An 88-year-old senior citizen residing in a building opposite Bal Bhavan in Ramnagar, the busiest area of Dombivli East, was cheated by a thief posing as a technician. The incident occurred on Monday evening.

The thief entered the house under the pretence of repairing the internet connection. He then asked the senior citizen to heat some water, claiming it was needed to clean a corroded laptop pin. When the elderly man went to the kitchen to boil water, the thief took advantage of the distraction and fled with cash and a wallet, stealing a total of Rs 9,000.

The victim, Bhalchandra Shridhar Walimbe, a retired resident of Sushila Society on Chiplunkar Road, has filed a complaint at the Ramnagar Police Station. According to his statement, the thief was a man around 30 years old, who rang the doorbell and claimed to be there to repair the internet. As a technician had recently visited for internet issues, Walimbe allowed him in.

Once inside, the man pretended to check the internet connection and examined a laptop, claiming the charger pin was rusted and needed cleaning. He requested hot water to clean it. While Walimbe was occupied in the kitchen, the thief opened a compartment in the house, stole Rs 9,000 kept for regular use, along with a wallet, and escaped, as reported.

When Walimbe returned with the hot water, he found the man missing. A quick search inside and outside the house revealed that the man had fled. It became evident that he was not a technician but a thief who had tricked and robbed the senior citizen. Police Sub-Inspector Waghmode from Ramnagar Police Station is currently investigating the case.