Maharashtra
Shinde Vs Thackeray: Thackeray faction seeks reference to 7-judge bench in SC
Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray faction on Tuesday asked the Supreme Court to refer the judgement in the Nabam Rebia case to a seven-judge bench of the apex court.
The judgment restricted the power of the Speaker to decide disqualification petitions if a resolution seeking his removal was pending.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the Thackeray faction, contended before a five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, that the court may refer the Nabam Rebia judgement (2016) to the seven-judge bench, “if we are able to persuade the court to do so”.
However, the bench — also comprising Justices M.R. Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli, and P.S. Narasimha — said this would be decided by the five-judge bench and arguments can be addressed regarding this. Senior advocate Neeraj Kishan Kaul assisted by advocate Abhikalp Pratap Singh, represented Eknath Shinde’s group, while Solicitor General Tushar Mehta represented the Governor to assist the court on question of law only. Mehta said he would like to submit a note as well.
Sibal said when the matter is taken up, he will be arguing on the reference to the 7-judge bench. The bench asked both sides to prepare a brief note on issues and submit it to the court. After hearing the brief arguments, the top court scheduled the matter for hearing on January 10.
In August this year, a three-judge bench of the apex court had said that a five-judge constitution bench will hear a batch of petitions filed by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray factions on queries related to defection, merger and disqualification. A three-judge bench of the apex court, in its reference order, had framed first issue whether notice for removal of a Speaker restricts him from continuing with the disqualification proceedings under Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, as held by this court in Nebam Rabia (by a five-judge bench).
Thackeray suffered a major setback after Eknath Shinde and other MLAs rebelled against him and ousted him as the Maharashtra CM. They also laid claims to the Shiv Sena party and its symbol as well.
The top court restrained the Speaker from proceeding on disqualification petitions against Shinde and other MLAs and subsequently allowed a fresh vote of confidence in the Assembly, after which Thackeray resigned. The apex court, on July 11, asked the newly appointed Maharashtra Assembly Speaker not to go ahead with proceedings on the disqualification petitions.
Maharashtra
Heavy rain ravages Maharashtra: 13 dead, 10 injured, ‘Red Alert’ issued for hill stations

Over the past two days, torrential rains accompanied by strong winds have battered Maharashtra, claiming 13 lives and injuring 10 others. The State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) reported that around 100 houses have been damaged, leaving hundreds of people homeless due to severe flooding.
Data from the last 24 to 48 hours highlights the intensity of the downpour across the coastal and western regions. Lonavala recorded a staggering 625 mm (24.71 inches) of rain in the last 48 hours. Raigad received 236 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours, Thane got 161 mm, Ratnagiri clocked 152 mm, Palghar averaged 132 mm and Mumbai registered between 100 mm and 161 mm across various sectors.
Water bodies across the state are overflowing rapidly. The Ulhas, Kalu, and Pinjal rivers have crossed their warning levels. Amba, Savitri, Kundalika, Patalganga, Jagbudi, and Ulhas rivers have breached their danger marks. Consequently, flood alerts have been issued for Badlapur, Mohane, and Jambhulpada.
Tragic incidents were reported from multiple districts as infrastructure buckled under the pressure of the storm.
In Mumbai, six people were killed and one was injured in the Mankhurd area when a building collapsed onto a slum cluster.
Additionally, one person died in the suburbs due to a tree falling. In Thane, two people sustained injuries when a portion of a building collapsed. In Palghar and Sindhudurg, one drowning fatality was reported in each district. High-velocity winds also caused the collapse of 30 houses in Sindhudurg. In Satara, a landslide resulted in one death and left four people injured.
A ‘Red Alert’ has been issued for hill stations including Matheran, Lonavala, Khopoli, and Lohagad due to an imminent threat of landslides caused by continuous heavy rainfall.
Two National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been deployed to these areas. In the Mawal taluka of Pune district, four citizens were trapped after a landslide hit a house in Patan.
In another incident near Talegaon-Dabhade, a bus carrying 25 passengers got stranded in floodwaters. All passengers were safely rescued by the NDRF.
In the Sudhagad taluka of Raigad district, six members of a family—including a six-month-old infant—were stranded on their roof due to rising floods. Since the roads leading to the village were completely submerged, rescuers used boats to safely evacuate them.
Traffic disruption was reported on major highways due to blockages. On Mumbai-Goa Highway, traffic ground to a halt after a landslide in the Kashedi Ghat. On Mumbai-Pune Expressway and Khopoli Highway, landslides and heavy waterlogging suspended traffic, though authorities managed to restore movement by the afternoon.
The Mawal and Tamhini Ghat was affected heavily by landslides and flooding, prompting traffic to be diverted to alternative routes.
Meanwhile, in stark contrast to the deluge hitting the rest of the state, the Vidarbha region is still awaiting its monsoon spell. Districts including Wardha, Akola, Amravati, Yavatmal, and Chandrapur have recorded no rainfall during this period.
Maharashtra
BMC machinery is operating round-the-clock amidst heavy rainfall to keep Mumbai’s daily life running normally

Mumbai Mumbai region has been receiving continuous rain for the last five days. Even in these conditions, officers and staff of BMC’s Mumbai Fire Brigade, storm water drains, roads and traffic, gardens, public health, solid waste management, and other departments are working on the ground to ensure smooth daily life in Mumbai. Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide has expressed satisfaction over the tireless efforts of all these officers and staff who are making continuous efforts to maintain normalcy amidst the heavy rain. However, he has urged them to take all necessary measures while keeping their health and safety in mind. Mumbai has been receiving heavy rains for the past few days. Even in such difficult circumstances, necessary measures are being implemented immediately through constant coordination between all the concerned departments of BMC. BMC engineers, officers, staff, and workers along with Mumbai Fire Brigade, Storm Water Drainage Department, Roads and Traffic Department, Health Department, Solid Waste Management Department, and other concerned units are ready round the clock to provide immediate services to the citizens. Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide praised the dedication and sense of duty shown by all the officers and staff for maintaining the smooth functioning of daily life in Mumbai, even in the face of adverse weather conditions. He has also directed the field level teams to be extra vigilant and proactive, noting that the coming days are critical in terms of rainfall. He has directed that special emphasis should be given to works like drainage of water, running dewatering pumps at waterlogging points, regular cleaning of roads, trimming of trees, immediate removal of garbage and construction/demolition, immediate cleaning of possible water bodies and waste affected areas, effective monitoring during field operations and timely provision of effective arrangements. Coordination should be maintained with the concerned departments as per the requirement. In the context of rainy season, the staff is advised to take care of their personal safety and health. Furthermore, all employees should take necessary precautions to avoid leptospirosis. They are advised to take 200 mg doxycycline tablets as a preventive measure against leptospirosis. The administration has informed that these tablets are available in municipal dispensaries.
Maharashtra
Additional Municipal Commissioner (City) inspects various areas amid heavy rain, directs BMC to remain on high alert

Amidst the ongoing heavy rains in Mumbai, Additional Municipal Commissioner (City) of Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Smt. Prajakta Varmalongare today (July 6, 2026) visited various parts of Mumbai City Division to take stock of the situation arising out of the rains. She also reviewed in detail the measures being implemented by the Municipal Corporation’s monsoon management machinery. During the visit, she directly interacted with the officers and staff of the concerned departments and issued necessary instructions.
On Monday morning, Lavangare personally inspected the areas including Malabar Hill, Ambivadi (Kala Chowki), Mahim, Maheshwari Adhan (King’s Circle) area, Ravindra Natya Mandir area, Hindmata and other places. He carefully reviewed the rain-related situation, waterlogging hotspots, drainage system in operation, preparedness of emergency response mechanism and civic services provided to the citizens. Furthermore, he directed the concerned authorities to immediately mobilize municipal teams to clear fallen trees or branches during the rain. He also directed all the concerned departments to work together to ensure that the rain does not cause any disruption to traffic or the daily life of the citizens. He also directed the ward-level officials and staff to remain constantly alert and ensure that all operational systems function at full capacity. He issued instructions to prioritize immediate resolution of issues like waterlogging, uprooted trees, drainage issues and other emergencies. He stressed that all departments should work together and take prompt and effective action on every complaint so that the citizens do not face any hardship or inconvenience. Furthermore, Prajakta Verma Lovengare appealed to Mumbaikars to contact the Mumbai Municipal Corporation’s emergency helpline number, 1916, for immediate assistance in emergencies.
Deputy Commissioner (Zone-1) Ms. Chanda Jadhav, Deputy Commissioner (Zone-2) Shri Prashant Sapkale, Assistant Commissioner Smt. Swapnaja Kshirsagar, Assistant Commissioner Shri Gajanan Belle, Assistant Commissioner Shri Arun Kshirsagar and other senior officers and staff of the concerned departments were present during the inspection.
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