Mumbai: A total of 2,516 nominations submitted for 227 seats for the BMC elections, including all party candidates and independents. Out of the total 167 nominations were found invalid, and rejected on technical grounds. The total number of candidates comes to 2,231, as some have filled forms for more than one ward.

As the deadline for nominations submission ended on December 30, the election department scrutinized the forms and affidavits on December 31, and the final list of nominations was published.

The last date for withdrawal of nominations is Friday, January 2, 2026 from 11 am to 3 pm. Thereafter, election symbols will be distributed to the valid candidates from 11 am on Saturday, January 3. The voting for all 227 seats for BMC elections will be held on January 15, and votes will be counted on January 16.

The election department has appointed 23 Returning Officers (RO) for 26 administrative wards. The nomination process began on December 23, and as per the data from the state election commission and BMC, a total of 11,392 forms were distributed by the ROs, of which 2,516 were submitted.

The ROs office which got highest number of candidates nomination for the BMC elections include: M East ward RO with 182 nominations, M East+M West wards (Mankhurd, Govandi, Chembur East) with 164 nominations, A+B+E wards (Colaba, Cuffe Parade, Byculla) with 150 nominations, G North (Dadar, Mahim) with 137, K West (Andheri, Jogeshwari, Vile Parle West) with 133, H East (Bandra, Juhu, Sanatcruz East) and S ward (Bhandup, Kanjurmarg) with 125 each and N ward (Ghatkopar, Vikhroli) with 123.

The lowest number of candidate nominations has been submitted for R Central (Borivali) with 51, C+D wards (Kalbadevi, Girgaon, Malabar Hill) with 58 and R North (Dahisar) with 60 nominations.

The wards with highest number of nominations were found invalid include: S ward (Bhandup) with 34, M East + M West (Mankhurd, Govandi, Chembur East) with 23, R South (Kandivali) with and 16 and K West (Andheri, Jogeshwari, Vile Parle West) with 11 nomination forms rejections.

All the political parties saw defections and discontent among their workers due to the denial of ticket or loss of seat under the seat-sharing formulas. They have time till January 2 to tackle the rebellion in their ranks.

New Delhi, Jan 1: Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw announced on Thursday that the first-ever Vande Bharat sleeper train will operate between Guwahati in Assam and Howrah in West Bengal.

He stated that the complete trial, testing, and certification of the Vande Bharat Sleeper Train have been completed. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the first Vande Bharat Sleeper Train on this route this month.

The Minister said that this development represents a significant milestone for Indian Railways, the nation, and its rail passengers. He also mentioned that 2026 will be a year of major reforms for Indian Railways, with several passenger-centric initiatives set to be introduced.

The districts that will benefit from the launch of the Vande Bharat Sleeper Train include Kamrup Metropolitan and Bongaigaon in Assam and Coochbehar, Jalpaiguri, Maldah, Murshidabad, Purba Bardhaman, Hooghly, and Howrah in West Bengal.

The train will have 16 coaches, including 11 three-tier AC coaches, 4 two-tier AC coaches, and 1 first-class AC coach, with a total capacity of around 823 passengers.

The semi-high-speed train has a design speed of up to 180 kmph. It is fitted with ergonomically designed berths that have improved cushioning, automatic doors with vestibules for smooth movement and CCTVs in all coaches.

Vaishnaw further stated that a completely newly designed bogie with new suspension has been developed. The design parameters have been taken to a new level. Its interiors and ladders feature an ergonomic design, with special parameters implemented throughout for safety and security.

The Vande Bharat Sleeper Train will offer a comfortable, safe, and high-quality travel experience for overnight journeys. The timetable of the Vande Bharat Sleeper Train will be planned in such a way that it departs from its origin in the evening and reaches its destination early the next morning.

Passengers on the Vande Bharat Sleeper Train will enjoy region-specific culinary offerings during their journey. The train originating from Guwahati will feature authentic Assamese cuisine, while the train starting from Kolkata will serve traditional Bengali delicacies, ensuring a delightful and culturally rich dining experience on board.

The train is also fitted with the modern KAVACH safety device and has an emergency talk-back unit for communication between the passenger and train manager or loco pilot in case of emergency.

It is equipped with an improved fire safety aerosol-based fire detection and suppression system in electrical cabinets and lavatories.

New Delhi, Jan 1: GAIL Gas Limited on Thursday announced to reduce the cost of domestic Piped Natural Gas (PNG) and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) by Rs 1 per SCM (Standard Cubic Meter) and Rs 1 per kg respectively, across all its authorised areas in the country.

The price cut comes into effect from January 1 in GAIL Gas Geographical Areas (GAs) in Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Odisha.

“The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) continue to implement progressive policy measures that are fostering a favourable and financially sustainable ecosystem for the growth of the CNG and domestic PNG market in India,” said GAIL Gas Chief Executive Officer.

“The recent revision of the Unified Tariff by PNGRB, from January 1, 2026, including the applicability of Zone-1 tariff to City Gas Distribution (CGD) entities for CNG and domestic PNG segments, is set to significantly reduce the transportation cost of natural gas, the GAIL Gas executive added.

The decision to reduce prices is in line with the Government of India’s vision of a gas-based economy and to further encourage the adoption of clean fuels.

GAIL Gas Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Maharatna PSU GAIL (India) Limited and is implementing City Gas Distribution networks in 16 Geographical Areas (GAs).

Meanwhile, GAIL (India) Limited, the country’s largest natural gas company, reported a consolidated performance marked by steady revenue growth and improved profitability in the second quarter of FY 2025-26.

According to a recent Crisil report, city gas distribution (CGD) companies in India are projected to clock an operating profit of Rs 7.2–7.5 per standard cubic metre (scm) this fiscal — up 8-12 per cent compared with the second half of last fiscal when margins dropped because of a sudden and steep decline in gas allocation under the administered price mechanism (APM) for the compressed natural gas (CNG) segment.

Consequently, distributors had to take recourse to the spot gas market for supply, which exerted upward pressure on cost. The companies have, thereafter, transitioned to contracted supplies, which is expected to burnish margins.