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Business Standard
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
MVA constituents will deliberate on contesting civic polls together: Pawar
Opposition parties have accused the BJP of trying to impose Hindi in Maharashtra through deception to wipe out the Marathi language and culture Press Trust of India Pune NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Friday said that the constituents of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will deliberate on contesting the upcoming civic elections in Maharashtra together. As the Supreme Court has directed that municipal elections be conducted in the state, the process will begin soon, Pawar told reporters in Baramati. Though we have not yet held discussions with the Congress, our party, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), the Shetkari Kamgar Paksh, and other parties will come together and explore the possibility of contesting the polls together. A final decision will be taken, as we wish to fight the polls together, he said. Asked whether the MVA would jointly contest the civic polls in Mumbai, he said no such discussion has taken place so far. Among us, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) has a strong base in Mumbai, and their opinion will be taken into consideration, he added. The Bal Thackeray-founded undivided Shiv Sena had controlled the cash-rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for more than two decades before it came under administrator rule a few years ago. After last year's assembly elections, in which the MVA could win only 46 of the state's 288 seats, the upcoming local body polls are expected to be another high-stakes contest. Responding to a query concerning Hindi as a third language in Maharashtra, Pawar said it should not be made mandatory. It should remain optional. Those who want to choose Hindi can opt for it. Just because 50 to 60 per cent of the population speaks Hindi, the language cannot be made compulsory for everyone, he said. Opposition parties have accused the BJP of trying to impose Hindi in Maharashtra through deception to wipe out the Marathi language and culture after the state government recently issued an order making Hindi generally the third language for students of Classes 1 to 5 in English and Marathi medium schools.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
4 former Sena (UBT) corporators from Nashik join Eknath Shinde-led Sena
In a yet another blow to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), four of its former corporators from Nashik district joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena along with their supporters on Monday. The induction took place in Mumbai in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Shinde, who used the occasion to launch a veiled attack against Uddhav. 'We formed a people's government in 2022 and chose to focus on development, not blame games. The public supports those who work, not those who sit idle at home,' Shinde said, addressing the gathering. The leaders who switched sides include Kiran Bala Darade, a Yuva Sena upazilla pramukh and former municipal corporator; Seema Gokul Nagal, former chairperson of the Nashik Municipal Corporation's Women and Child Welfare Committee; former committee chairperson Pundalik Aringle; and former corporator Punjaram Gamane. Several office bearers from the Nashik unit of the Sena (UBT) also joined the Shinde-led Sena. Shinde said the induction would further strengthen the Shiv Sena's base in Nashik, a region he described as emotionally aligned with the party's traditional 'bow and arrow' symbol. He was flanked by minister Dada Bhuse, MP Naresh Mhaske, former MP Hemant Godse, and party functionaries including Ram Repale and Ajay Boraste. 'You had the bow and arrow during the last election, and now it's with you again. You have returned to your rightful home,' Shinde told the new members. Since splitting from Uddhav Thackeray in 2022, Shinde has consolidated his hold over the party's rank and file, claiming the original Shiv Sena name and symbol after a protracted legal and political battle. In his speech, Shinde cited the Mahayuti alliance's recent electoral performance—232 seats won across Maharashtra—as proof of the people's mandate. 'Out of 80 seats we contested, we won 60. This shows the people's trust in our governance and our developmental agenda,' he said. Meanwhile, around 20 former corporators from various political parties are set to join the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Tuesday evening in Pimpri-Chinchwad, including Ajit Gavhane, who recently contested the Maharashtra Assembly elections from Bhosari as an NCP (SP) candidate.
Hindustan Times
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Pune, PCMC to retain four-member ward system as state kicks off process for civic polls
The state government has initiated the process for holding elections to municipal corporations, municipal councils, and zilla parishads across Maharashtra with the Urban Development Department on Tuesday directed all municipal corporations to begin the ward delimitation exercise, a crucial step ahead of the polls. Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporations are expected to continue with the four-member ward system, though ward boundaries are likely to change due to the merger of 34 villages into the Pune civic limits over the past six years. In the 2017 civic polls, both cities followed the four-member ward format. In 2021, however, the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government attempted to introduce a three-member system through a fresh delimitation exercise. That move was reversed after the Mahayuti coalition came to power, restoring the four-member panel structure. According to the latest orders from the Urban Development Department, municipal corporations in categories A, B, and C will adopt the four-member system, with a few exceptions where wards may have either three or five members, depending on the total number of corporators. Pune and Nagpur fall under Category A. The notification, signed by principal secretary KH Govindraj, states: 'This order shall be referred to as the 'Order for Delimitation of Wards in A, B, and C Municipal Corporations for General Elections as per Four-Member Ward System, 2025'.' Citing Maharashtra Ordinance No. 21 dated March 11, 2022, and Section 5 of the Maharashtra Municipal Corporations Act, 1949, the notification clarified that the government will conduct the delimitation with the approval of the State Election Commission (SEC). The responsibility for preparing the draft ward structures and finalising member counts lies with the respective municipal commissioners, who will also serve as election officers. The commissioners must now draw up the draft panel structure, align it with the voter list, and submit it to the SEC. Once approved, the draft will be published, and public suggestions and objections will be invited. After addressing these, the final ward boundaries and the revised voter list will be prepared and published. This process is expected to take six to eight weeks, following which election dates will be formally announced. Sources suggest elections may be scheduled around Diwali.
Hindustan Times
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Cong to go solo in BMC elections, decision taken at meeting in New Delhi
MUMBAI: In a major move, the Congress has decided to contest the crucial upcoming BMC elections on its own. The party leadership is of the view that going solo is necessary to safeguard the party's organisational interests, given that its position is getting weaker with every passing year. A decision in this regard was taken at a meeting held in New Delhi on May 13 where all the senior leaders from Mumbai were present, Congress insiders revealed. The decision has come at a time when the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), another Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) ally, has expressed willingness to join hands with Thackeray's estranged cousin and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray in the interest of Maharashtra and Marathi people. 'All the party leaders in Mumbai were determined that the Congress should not think of contesting the BMC polls as part of the MVA,' revealed a senior leader privy to the development. Another senior leader is believed to have told the party bosses in the New Delhi meeting that the Congress had already started losing its voter base to its alliance partners. 'If we contest the BMC elections in alliance, we will completely lose our ground in the city,' he reportedly said. Some leaders also expressed their unhappiness at the lower number of seats given to the Congress in Mumbai in the Lok Sabha and assembly elections last year. The party got two seats—Mumbai North and Mumbai North Central—in the Lok Sabha elections while in the assembly polls it had to be content with only 11 seats. A Congress MLA present at the meeting confirmed the development. 'The BMC election is directly related to the roots of the organisation,' he said. 'It helps create new leadership. To strengthen the party organisation, it is vital to contest the polls on our own.' Another leader said that the party's voter base was on the decline, for which it was necessary to go alone. 'The option for a post-poll alliance with the MVA partners is always open,' he said. The Congress' Maharashtra in-charge Ramesh Chennithala too said that the local leadership was keen on contesting the BMC polls, and a discussion had taken place in this regard. 'But first of all, I want to make it clear that the Congress will remain part of the MVA coalition though we may contest on our own,' he told Hindustan Times. 'The MVA will continue to exist.' Chennithala admitted that the predominant feeling in the party was that it should go alone. 'This is because in the Lok Sabha elections we were given only two seats in Mumbai, of which we could win only one,' he elaborated. 'In the assembly elections too, we again got only 11 seats. It is a fact that the party leaders are very unhappy. For local elections, the views of the local leadership and local issues are always considered.' The performance of the Congress, in the city where it was formed, has been in decline since 2007. In 2007, the party won 75 seats, which reduced to 56 in 2012 and even further to 31 in the last elections held in 2017. Of these, several former corporators have left the party and joined the ruling Shiv Sena and BJP. Those present at the meeting were Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, leader of the opposition Rahul Gandhi, general secretary KC Venugopal, Chennithala, CWC members Chandrakant Handore, Arif Naseem Khan, city chief Varsha Gaikwad, former city president Ashok Jagtap, MLAs Amin Patel and Aslam Shaikh, former ministers Suresh Shetty and Madhu Chavan and treasurer Amarjit Singh Manhas.
Time of India
01-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Recreating Bal Thackeray's voice and making Saamana anchor, Sena (UBT) banks big time on AI
From recreating Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray's voice to developing an Artificial Intelligence anchor for its mouthpiece Saamana , the Shiv Sena (UBT) is betting big on AI ahead of the coming civic polls in Maharashtra. The opposition party is likely to use this new-age technology to reach out to a wider section of people, specially youngsters who are tech-savvy. Elections to various civic bodies, including the cash-rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, are likely to be held later this year. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Semua yang Perlu Anda Ketahui Tentang Limfoma Limfoma Pelajari Undo Banking on AI by the Uddhav Thackeray-led party comes at a time when he is facing challenges in his political career, in view of the split in the Shiv Sena and collapse of his Maha Vikas Aghadi government in 2022 as well as poor show in the state polls last year. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Anil Desai told PTI that he uses AI as much as possible, specially for data analysis. Live Events In April, the Shiv Sena (UBT) used AI to recreate a voice resembling Bal Thackeray, in his trademark style, to address party workers at an event in Nashik, in a bid to shore up the Uddhav Thackeray-led outfit's prospects after the state assembly polls debacle last year. The speech tried to create, according to the Shiv Sena (UBT), what Bal Thackeray would have said had he been alive. The AI speech saw attacks primarily aimed at the ruling BJP and the rival Shiv Sena led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde . It also tried to have the mannerisms, tone which Bal Thackeray used during his speeches. On Friday, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP and party mouthpiece's executive editor Sanjay Raut unveiled 'Tejasvi AI', claimed to be the first Artificial Intelligence anchor in Marathi media. The AI anchor will read out news on Saamana's YouTube channel, he said. Dressed in a black suit, AI anchor appears to be a man in his late twenties or early thirties with a sharp nose and jawline. Some Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders, including its Lok Sabha member Anil Desai, are even using AI for their day-to-day use. Desai credited Uddhav Thackeray 's son and Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray behind using AI in functioning. The Mumbai South-Central MP said he has been using AI for data analysis wherever possible to understand statistics better. "I try to use the AI as much as possible. But it is not the only tool or source I use," Desai said. Last month, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) digitally recreated the voice of its founder N T Rama Rao (NTR) using AI for an invitation video for its annual conclave in Kadapa district.
