Maharashtra civic polls: 68 Mahayuti candidates elected unopposed, including 44 of BJP
This includes 44 of the BJP, with the highest number being from Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation in Thane district, followed by Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad, Panvel, Bhiwandi, Dhule, Jalgaon and Ahilyanagar
BJPShiv Sena Split In 15 Municipal Corporations
The BJP and Shiv Sena have formed an alliance in Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli, Panvel, Nagpur and Jalgaon municipal corporations. In Mumbai, it has been decided that the BJP will contest 137 seats and the Shiv Sena 90 seats. In Jalgaon, the BJP will contest 46 seats, the Shiv Sena 23 and the Nationalist Congress Party 6 seats.
Shiv Sena (UBT) and Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) will contest the Jalgaon Municipal Corporation elections together. The alliance has finalized seat distribution for the upcoming polls. Discussions are also underway with Congress and other like-minded parties. This move signals shifting alliances in Maharashtra's local body elections.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is among the 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra to which elections will be held on January 15, Wednesday. The counting of votes is scheduled for January 16, Friday, the State Election Commission (SEC) announced on Monday. Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Nashik, Nagpur and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar are among the other prominent civic bodies going to polls. He reportedly confirmed that the election code of conduct has now come into force in all 29 local bodies. As many as 2,869 seats in these municipal corporations will be up for grabs in these local bodies, where elections are due since early 2022. Maharashtra State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare said the nomination process will begin on December 23, Tuesday with candidates allowed to make their submissions for a week until December 30. Scrutiny of papers will be done on December 31, and January 2, Friday, will be the last date of withdrawal of nominations, he said. Symbol allocation and the final list of candidates will be published on January 3. Polling in the 29 municipal corporations spread across Maharashtra will take place on January 15 and votes will be counted the next day, news agency PTI quoted Waghmare as saying. He said these 29 civic bodies, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), have 2,869 seats on offer and 3.48 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in these major urban centres of the state. After long and tiring political blame games and court battles, the Supreme Court had finally given the deadline of January 31 to conduct the polls, reported Marathi media. Full list of local bodies heading to polls: BMC Pune Municipal Corporation Nagpur Municipal Corporation Solapur Municipal Corporation Kolhapur Municipal Corporation Thane Municipal Corporation Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation Nashik Municipal Corporation Aurangabad Municipal Corporation Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation Amravati Municipal Corporation New Mumbai Municipal Corporation NandedWaghala Municipal Corporation Ulhas Nagar Municipal Corporation Sangli-Miraj-Kupwara Municipal Corporation Malegaon Municipal Corporation Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporation Akola Municipal Corporation Bhayander Municipal Corporation Ahmednagar Municipal Corporation Dhule Municipal Corporation Jalgaon Municipal Corporation Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation Parbhani Municipal Corporation Chandrapur Municipal Corporation Latur Municipal Corporation Panvel Municipal Corporation Ichalkaranji Municipal Corporation Jalna Municipal Corporation Dates to remember: Application submission window: December 2330, 2025 Application scrutiny: December 31, 2025 Last date for withdrawal of candidature: January 2, 2026 Election symbol allocation and release of final candidate list: January 3, 2026 Polling date: January 15, 2026 Counting of votes: January 16, 2026
Violence, clashes reported in first phase of Maharashtra local body polls
The first phase of polling for 264 municipal councils and nagar panchayats in Maharashtra on Tuesday was marred by violence, clashes and allegations of malpractice across several districts, police said. Despite the BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led NCP being allies at the state level, their workers fought each other in multiple places, with some local units even tying up with Opposition parties. Violent incidents were reported from Mahad (Raigad), Gevrai (Beed), Muktai Nagar (Jalgaon), Bhor (Pune), Mhaswad (Satara), Jat (Sangli), Hingoli, Buldhana, Dahanu (Thane) and Shahada (Nandurbar). In Mahad, supporters of Vikas Gogawale, son of Shiv Sena minister Bharat Gogawale and NCPs Sushant Jabre clashed in the Nave Nagar area, where one person was seen brandishing a firearm. Stone pelting erupted in Gevrai, with vehicles vandalised near a BJP leaders residence, prompting police to resort to lathi-charge. Two bogus voters were detained in Buldhana. A major controversy surfaced in Hingoli after a video showed Shiv Sena MLA Santosh Bangar entering a polling booth, looking into the voting compartment as a woman cast her ballot and speaking to her. A case has been registered and officials have launched a probe. BJP workers and police also faced off in Jat, Sangli. Technical issues added to voters frustration, with at least four EVMs failing in Nandurbar and similar complaints emerging from Amaravati, Badlapur, Nanded, Jalgaon, Yavatmal, Bhokardan and Akluj. In Chandrapurs Gadchandur, a voter smashed an EVM. In Yeola, Nashik district, locals caught a worker of the Shinde-led Shiv Sena allegedly distributing money and handed him over to the police. Authorities said they were investigating multiple incidents even as polling continued amid heavy security. (With inputs from PTI)
Video shows Shiv Sena MLA entering poll booth while woman votes in Hingoli; probe ordered
Election officials have launched a probe after a video purportedly showed Shiv Sena MLA Santosh Bangar entering a polling booth while a woman was casting her vote during the local bodies election in Maharashtra's Hingoli district on Tuesday. Voting is underway across 264 municipal councils and nagar panchayats in the first phase of the local body elections in the state, where 6,042 seats and 264 posts of council presidents are up for grabs. A video surfaced on social media, in which Bangar can be seen entering the polling booth, peeking into the enclosure as a woman cast her vote and speaking to her. Talking to reporters, an election official said, I have seen the video. But it is incomplete. I have asked the concerned official at the booth to prepare and submit a report on this incident, as he was present on the ground. We will take action based on the report. It is stated that a member of Bangar's family is contesting the municipal council polls in Hingoli. Rs 6 lakh seized in Majalgaon In another incident, officials on Monday seized Rs 6 lakh in cash from an SUV on the last day of the campaigning for the local body elections in Majalgaon of Beed district. The cash found in the jeep has been seized. The person concerned has been asked to furnish proper accounting details, said Majalgaon Municipal Council chief officer Sundar Bondar.
Alliance Air, under the Government of India, connectssmaller cities and Tier-2 and Tier-3 towns to the main aviation network,bringing remote regions into India's aviation network. Building on this regional focus, the state-owned carrier introduced the Fare Se Fursat (One Route, One Fare) model last month, marking a significant step towards affordable, uniform ticketing across its routes. The initiative covers sectors such as Delhi-Shimla, Shimla-Dharamshala, Hisar-Chandigarh, Jabalpur-Jagdalpur, and Jalgaon-Ahmedabad, among others. These routes underscore the enduring significance of a public airline in connecting diverse geographies and fostering balanced regional development. Further connections such as Vidyanagar-Bengaluru, Kochi-Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar-Rourkela, and those in the northern and northeastern regions, including Guwahati-Aizawl, Imphal-Dimapur, and Jorhat-Tezu, demonstrate the airlines expanding network. By bringing previously unexplored destinations into focus, Alliance Air supports the governments effort to strengthen regional air connectivity. Meanwhile, the introduction of Fare Se Fursat reflects a well-structured measure to encourage domestic air travel and reinforce Indias aviation ecosystem. Industry experts view this model, launched under the broader framework of the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) regional connectivity programme, as a potential turning point for affordable and inclusive air travel nationwide. Jaideep Mirchandani, Group Chairman Sky One The purpose of aviation itself is to make air travel more people-oriented. One of the major concerns for passengers has always been the airfare. During peak seasons, they often have to pay higher prices, and when booking at short notice, they bear the impact of volatility. And if the state comes forward to address this concern, it is undoubtedly a positive step , ,said Jaideep Mirchandani, group chairman of Sky One . According to the official statement, Alliance Air will introduce a single fixed fare that remains unchanged, regardless of the booking date, even on the day of departure. This pilot initiative will be in effect from October 13 to December 31, 2025. Although it will initially apply only to selected routes, further decisions will be taken after assessing its operational feasibility and passenger response. The key question however is just who stands to benefit the most from this move? I think passengers who travel frequently between Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities will benefit the most. Alliance Air generally operates on short and medium routes under the UDAN scheme. Its fleet mainly consists of ATR 72-600 turboprop aircraft, which are suitable for smaller airports and can carry up to 72 passengers. The airline also operates a few ATR 42-600 aircraft with a capacity of 48 passengers and one Indian-made Dornier 228 aircraft that can accommodate 17 passengers. Naturally, this approach will make air travel more people-friendly, added Mr Mirchandani . The aviation expert says that measures related to fares and amenities, which may seem insignificant to high-net-worth individuals, hold great value for the common traveller. Without assigning blame, he points out that initiatives such as UDAN Yatri Cafes, offering tea for Rs 10, coffee for Rs 20, and snacks for Rs 20 at airports, can make a real difference to regular passengers. Gone are the days when air travel was seen as a privilege of the elite. It should be accessible to more people, ensuring dignity and affordability. We are now addressing one of the biggest concerns of passengers: airfare. I am curious to see howthis move will impact private airlines in the country after the pilot phase. It will be interesting to observe how they adapt and incorporate similar measures within their domestic realms , concluded Mr Mirchandani .
Family first: BJP leads in dynastic politics in upcoming Maharashtra local body polls
MUMBAI: Maharashtra this year witnessed a disappointing trend of dynastic politics as at least 33 BJP leaders fielded their spouses, children and relatives in the upcoming local body elections scheduled on December 2, 2025. The BJP, the party that always speaks against dynastic politics, has fielded the largest number of candidates related to its leaders. A politicalobserver said that the fielding of candidates chosen from the families of ruling ministers and MLAs showsthat family bonds are valued more than commitment to the party. It means the dynastic politics, rather than ending, it is growing with leaps and bounds. And, interestingly, the BJP, which is most critical of dynastic politics, has fieldedalarger number of candidates from their family in this local poll. So, the power will not be decentralised, but it will be concentrated in a few people's hands only, he added. BJP ministers who have fielded their spouses for Panchayat president posts include: Girish Mahajan whose spouse Sadhana Mahajan is contesting in Jamner Nagar, Sanjay Savkare's spouse Rajani Savkare in Bhusaval Nagar Panchayat, and Mangesh Chavan's spouse in Chalisgaon Nagar Panchayat. In Dhule district, BJP minister Jaikumar Rawal has fielded his mother Nayan Kuwar Rawal, for the president of Shindekheda Nagar Panchayat elections. Interestingly, Nayan has been declared elected as the opposition candidate nomination paper was cancelled due to some reasons. BJP MLA Tanaji Mutkule from Hingoli has nominated the candidature of his son, Shivaji Mutkule. Shiv Sena MLA Kishor Patils spouse Sunita Patil is also contesting for the president of Pachora Nagar Panchayat post elections in Jalgaon district. Another Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwads spouse Pooja Gaikwad is also contesting the president post elections in Buldhana district. MLC Satyajit Tambes spouse, Maitheli Tambe, is contesting the Sangamner Nagar Panchayat president post elections. Priyadarshani Uike, daughter of Tribal Development Minister Ashok Uike, filed her nomination in theYawatmal district. Labour Minister Akash Phundkars sister-in-law, Aparna Phundkar, is contesting from Khamgaon. NCP is not far behind the BJP, the NCP minister Indranil Naik has fielded his spouse Mohini Naik for thepresident post of Pusad Nagar Panchayat elections. In theBadalpur Nagar panchayat election, 12 couples are contesting the corporator elections, while the Shinde Shinde-led Sena has nominated six members from one family in the local body elections. Former Shiv Sena MLA Suresh Gore nominated his spouse, Manisha Gore, for the Chakan municipal council election in Pune district.
Ex-minister Eknath Khadse's house burgled in Maharashtra's Jalgaon
MUMBAI : Unidentified persons have allegedly broken into the bungalow of former Maharashtra minister Eknath Khadse in Jalgaon district, officials said on Tuesday. A man working at the bungalow, located at Ramanand Nagar in Jalgaon, found its lock broken and household items scattered on Tuesday morning. He then informed NCP (SP) leader Khadse and also alerted the police, an official said. A team from the Ramanand Nagar Police Station rushed to the spot and launched a probe into the incident, he said. The house was locked as Khadse primarily resides in the Muktainagar area of Jalgaon, the official said. Earlier this month, a robbery was reported at a petrol pump owned by Union minister Raksha Khadse, the daughter-in-law of Eknath Khadse, in Muktainagar.
'Jamtara 2' actor Sachin Chandwade dies by suicide
MUMBAI: Marathi actor Sachin Chandwade, who appeared in the popular Hindi OTT series Jamtara 2, has allegedly died by suicide, police said on Tuesday. The 25-year-old actor was found at his residence in Undirkheda village, located in the Parola area of Maharashtra's Jalgaon district, on the evening of October 23, an official said. His family members rushed him to a private hospital in Dhule (adjoining Jalgaon), where his condition deteriorated and he died in the early hours of October 24, the official said. The reason behind the extreme step was not yet known. Days before his death, Chandwade had shared a poster of his upcoming Marathi movie Asurvan on social media. The Parola police in Jalgaon registered an accidental death case and later transferred it to the Dhule police for further investigation, the official said. In addition to acting, Chandwade was an IT professional employed at a company in Pune. (If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050, Tele Manas - 14416 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.)
Bombay HC quashes illegal detention, directs Maharashtra to pay Rs 2 lakh to Jalgaon resident
The Bombay High Court has cancelled the preventive detention of Dikshant Sapkale. The court called the detention an illegal and careless exercise of power. The Maharashtra government must pay Sapkale Rs 2 lakh in compensation. This amount will be recovered from the Jalgaon district magistrate. The court found the detention order was served late, after Sapkale received bail.
Inspired by 'Shark Tank', Maharashtra launches ENIGMA to boost entrepreneurship
Jalgaon district is piloting ENIGMA, a state government initiative inspired by 'Shark Tank', to support budding entrepreneurs. This program offers a platform for pitching ideas, expert scrutiny, and networking, aiming to launch 150 entrepreneurs in its first year. This proactive approach by the district administration marks a significant step towards fostering local investment and job creation.
Four minors drown in lake while washing tractor in Maharashtra
MUMBAI: Four children drowned in a lake at Limbe Jalgaon village in Gangapur taluka of Sambhajinagar district, Maharashtra. On the occasion of Dussehra, the four children had gone to the backwaters of Limbe Jalgaon lake to wash a tractor. While doing so, a tragic incident occurred when all four drowned one after the other. The victims, aged between 9 and 17, were identified as Venkatesh Dattatray Tarak (11), Irfan Isak Sheikh (17), Imran Isak Sheikh (12), and Jain Khan Hayat Khan Pathan (9). The incident has spread grief in the local area. As soon as the information spread, the police administration and the families rushed to the spot. Local authorities then launched a search operation to recover the bodies. Officials said it was a very unfortunate incident that took place on the day of Dussehra. They added that due to heavy rains in Marathwada in recent days, rivers, canals, streams, and lakes are overflowing. Authorities have appealed to the public not to enter flowing water or play near it.
41K displaced, 65L acres of crops damaged in Maharashtra
MUMBAI: More than 41,000 people were displaced and crops over 65 lakh acres of land were damaged amid the torrential rains across Maharashtra. According to a state disaster management report, 156 people were displaced in Thane, 36 in Palghar, 13,724 in Solapur and 38 in Nasik district. Moreover, 25 people were displaced in Jalgaon district, 3,497 in Ahilya Nagar, 8,029 in Sambhaji Nagar, 8,500 in Jalna, 2,000 in Beed, 3,957 in Dharashiv, 85 in Parbhani and 1,020 in Nanded district. A total of 41,067 have been displaced across Maharashtra. The state government has set up 4,167 temporary shelters for them.
September rains hit harder, farmers to get aid before Diwali: Maharashtra Agriculture Minister
Maharashtra Minister Gulabrao Patil on Tuesday (September 23) said the State Government should declare a wet drought in Jalgaon district and parts of Marathwada
Heavy rains, dam discharge trigger flood-like situation in Maharashtras Marathwada region
CHHATRAPATHI SAMBHAJINAGAR: A flood-like situation arose along the banks of the Godavari river in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna and Beed districts on Tuesday after heavy rainfall and water discharge from dams, officials said. Heavy rains lashed the catchment areas of Jayakwadi dam in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Majalgaon in Beed, both located in the Marathwada region, since Monday night. It was like a cloud burst in some of these areas, a revenue official said. The two dams were almost full, and water discharge was underway from them due to continuous inflow, he said. Javlala and Ramoda areas in the catchment of Majalgaon dam received 160 mm and 120 mm rainfall, respectively, since Monday night, the official said. The areas of Gangapur (46 mm), Paithan (92 mm) and Bhendala (52 mm), in the catchment area of Jayakwadi dam, also received rains, he said. Therefore, water discharge from the Jayakwadi and Majalgaon dams into the Godavari river reached 1.03 lakh cusec (cubic foot per second) and 1.15 lakh cusec, respectively, on Tuesday morning, he said. Moreover, excess rainfall was recorded in Ghansawangi and Ambad talukas of Jalna and Gevrai taluka in Beed, the official said. This led to swelling of the Godavari river and a flood-like situation at several villages in Chhatrapati Sambajinagar, Jalna and Beed districts, he added.
Jalgaon cloudburst: 1 dead, 10 villages affected in Maharashtra; rescue operations underway
In a cloudburst-like situation, 452 houses were inundated, and almost 2500 hectares of land were damaged in Jalgaon. The Maharashtra State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) is distributing food as relief for those who have lost their ration.
A cloudburst in Jalgaon, Maharashtra, has impacted ten villages, causing widespread damage. Approximately 452 houses were flooded, and nearly 2500 hectares of land were affected, resulting in one reported death and significant livestock losses. The Maharashtra SDRF is providing food relief, and authorities are assessing the damage to compensate affected farmers, as heavy rains persisted for two days.
Maharashtra: Cloudburst Hits Jalgaon, 10 Villages Affected
According to primary information, 452 houses were inundated and nearly 2,500 hectares of farmland were damaged
Crops over 42.84 lakh acres damaged by heavy rain in Maharashtra
MUMBAI: Over 42.84 lakh acres ready-to-harvest crops got badly damaged in the torrential rain in Maharashtra . According to the Maharashtra agriculture minister Duttaray Bharne, the 17, 85,714 hectares (42.84 lakh acres) of standing and ready to harvest crops got damaged. Nanded is one of the worst-affected districts, where 7.28 lakh hectares of crops got badly impacted, following 2.03 lakh hectares of crops damaged in Wasim district. In Yavatmal district, 3.18 lakh hectares, while 1.57 lakh hectares in Dharashiv, 1.77 lakh hectares in Akola, 47,266 hectares in Solapur, and 89,782 hectares of crops in Buldhana district were ruined in the heavy rain. In the torrential rain, impacted affected districts are Hingoli, Parbhani, Amravati, Jalgaon, Wardha, Sangli, Ahilyanagar, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna, Beed, Latur, Dhule, Jalgaon, Ratnagiri, Chandrapur, Satara, Nashik, Kolhapur, Sindhudurg, Gadchiroli, Raigad, Nagpur, and Pune. The most suffered crops include soybean, maize, cotton, urad, tur, moong while other places, vegetables, fruit crops, millet, sugarcane, onion, jowar and turmeric crops have also been affected. 35 lakh acres of crops damaged in torrential rain in Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Bharen said that Maharashtra has been witnessing heavy rains and floods over the last two months, which havecaused huge losses to farmers. The heavy rains in August and September of this year have caused huge losses in a total of 195 talukas across 30 districts of Maharashtra. The rains during this period have caused huge losses to Kharif crops in 654 revenue circles, the agriculture minister said. He further added that the Panchnamas in some districts have been completed, and compensation has also been extended to the affected farmers. The Panchnamas in the remaining areas are going on a war footing. The state is taking all possible measures to provide financial assistance to the affected farmers. State government is standing firmly with the farmers in times of this crisis, Bharne said. Sharad Pawar , in his Nasik farmers outcry rally, criticized the state government for ignoring the farmers. He said that in the last two months, more than two thousand farmers committed suicide, but no serious attention has been given.
Maharashtra Woman Dies By Suicide Over Dowry Harassment Months After Marriage
Months after she got married, 23-year-old Mayuri Gaurav Thosar died by suicide in Maharashtra's Jalgaon, allegedly due to continuous harassment by her in-laws.
