Maharashtra
Who Is Ritu Tawde? BJP’s Ghatkopar Corporator Named As Mahayuti’s Candidate For Mumbai Mayor Post
Mumbai: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has named corporator Ritu Tawde as its candidate for the post of Mumbai Mayor, signalling the party’s preference for a grassroots leader with a strong local connect. Tawde is expected to file her nomination shortly. As part of the Mahayuti alliance arrangement, the Shiv Sena has nominated corporator Sanjay Ghadi for the post of Deputy Mayor.
Tawde is a two-term corporator from Ward 132 in Ghatkopar, an area with a sizeable Gujarati voter base. Despite belonging to the Maratha community, she has managed to win support across communities in the ward, a factor party leaders say reflects her accessibility and consistent local presence.
Her electoral journey has seen both victory and defeat. In the 2017 civic polls, she contested from Ward 127 but lost to Tukaram Krishna Patil of the then United Shiv Sena by a margin of 4,024 votes, according to data from My Corporator. She later returned to electoral politics and secured wins from Ward 132, establishing herself as a key BJP face in the Ghatkopar belt.
Formally, she was a part of the Congress but in 2012, she made her shift to the BJP. Her total movable and immovable assets were valued at Rs 5.26 crore in 2025, up from Rs 3.58 crore in 2017.
The election for the Mumbai mayor post will take place on Wednesday February 11. The selection of the mayoral category is based on a lottery system introduced after the 74th Constitutional Amendment, which mandates rotational reservation of leadership posts in local bodies. Under the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, the mayor’s post rotates among Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, women (both reserved and open), and the general category.
The process takes place at Mantralaya (the State Secretariat) in Mumbai, usually overseen by the Minister or Secretary of the Urban Development Department. The procedure is as follows:
– Preparation of Chits: The Official prepare a list of eligible categories based on historical rotation. For instance, if the previous term was ‘Open,’ that category may be excluded or deprioritised in order to ensure that every group gets an oppotunity.
– The Public Draw: In a transparent public ceremony, the categories are written on a piece of paper and is folded and placed in a glass jar or box.
– The Selection: Traditionally, a child is called to pick a chit from the jar. This ensures that the chit is picked at random. The category written on the selected chit becomes the official reservation for the mayoral term.
– Official Notification: Once the draw is complete, the UDD issues a formal gazette notification.
The lottery result dictates which corporators can contest the election. If the post is reserved for an ST woman, only an elected corporator meeting, both criteria can run. Following the notification, the Municipal Commissioner will call a special meeting of the 227 elected corporators. The Mayor is then elected through a show of hands, requiring a simple majority of 114 votes.
Maharashtra
Drug dealer arrested in Mumbai with 1.5 kg of charas (cannabis resin)

On October 24, Crime Branch Unit 9 (Bandra West, Mumbai) intensified its crackdown on drug peddlers, resulting in the arrest of an individual involved in the sale of narcotics. The police had received information that the accused was selling charas (cannabis resin) and other intoxicating substances from his residence. Acting on this intelligence and following the guidance of senior officers, a team from Crime Branch Unit 9—accompanied by independent witnesses (panches)—raided the premises on October 24. During the operation, 1.505 kilograms of charas were seized in accordance with legal procedures; the estimated value of the contraband is 15 million rupees (1.5 crore INR) based on international market rates.
A case has been registered in connection with this incident under the NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act. One individual, aged 40, has been arrested. Additionally, another person has been identified as a wanted suspect, and a search is currently underway to locate him.
This notable operation was carried out under the supervision of Police Commissioner Deven Bharti, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Anil Kumbhare, Additional Commissioner of Police Krishnakant Upadhyay, and Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Nonath Dhole.
Maharashtra
Lawrence Bishnoi gang shooters had practised shooting in the Aarey Colony forest before opening fire at Tiger Shroff’s residence.

Following the firing incident involving Tiger Shroff, an investigation has revealed that a businessman in Pune and a film star in Mumbai were on Lawrence Bishnoi’s target list. The gang’s objective is to instill fear among the film industry and the business community in order to extort money—specifically, to collect protection money or ransoms. The primary goal of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang is not necessarily murder, but rather the creation of terror and fear within the film industry and among business circles.
Currently, 56 operatives of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang are incarcerated in various Mumbai jails; they have been linked to over 10 criminal incidents in Mumbai and Pune over the past 2–3 years. Targeting Bollywood is a key objective for the Lawrence gang, and they have been involved in conspiracies to target film actors specifically to spread fear and terror throughout the business community.
In the Tiger Shroff case, it has emerged that the shooters underwent firearms training in the Aarey Colony forest. A shepherd witnessed the shooters practicing and serves as an eyewitness; according to him, three to four individuals trained there, and he saw them firing weapons. New revelations continue to surface in the case involving Tiger Shroff, with the Crime Branch making significant progress in its investigation.
Weapons have also been recovered in connection with the matter. Furthermore, the interrogation of the shooters arrested by the police has led to the discovery of a link to Anil Pandit—a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang—with whom the shooters were in contact.
Maharashtra
Major action by Mumbai ANC: Drug peddlers arrested.

On October 25, the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) of Mumbai claimed to have arrested individuals—who were also wanted in a murder case—while they were in possession of narcotics. During a patrol near the main gate of Shri Krishna Complex, opposite the National Park in Borivali West, Mumbai, the Ghatkopar unit of the ANC apprehended three individuals who were allegedly selling ‘MD’ (Mephedrone). Upon searching them, 1.028 kilograms of Mephedrone was recovered. The police registered a case (Kasturba Marg Police Station, Case No. 728/2026) under Sections 8(c) read with 22(c) and 29 of the NDPS Act, 1985. During the subsequent interrogation, it was revealed that the arrested individuals were also involved in a murder case. They had brought the narcotics from Nalasopara with the intent of selling them at this location.
The arrested individuals include a 28-year-old man, another 28-year-old man, and a 39-year-old man. A total of 1.028 kilograms of Mephedrone was seized from the three suspects.
This successful operation was carried out under the guidance of Police Commissioner Deven Bharti, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Anil Kumbhare, Additional Commissioner Kant Upadhyay, and DCP Purnima Chougule-Shringi.
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