Police have arrested a 26-year-old man after mephedrone or MD drug worth more than Rs 41.65 lakh was recovered from his possession in Mumbai suburb of Kurla, an official said on Monday, reported news agency PTI. Mephedrone in Mumbai: Accused identified According to the Kurla police station official, the accused was identified as Fareed Rehmatullah Sheikh, who recently came out on bail in a separate case registered against him under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, reported PTI. Acting on a tip-off, the police laid a trap in Kurla and nabbed the accused on Sunday while he was delivering a consignment of mephedrone, a synthetic stimulant drug, said the official, reported PTI. Sheikh was arrested under relevant sections of the NDPS Act and further investigation was underway, he added, reported PTI. Mephedrone in Mumbai: Other cases In another case, the Customs department has seized 12.47 kg of gold and electronic items valued at Rs 8.37 crore during a four-day operation at the international airport in Mumbai and arrested 10 persons, an official said on Monday, reported PTI. The operation was carried out from April 29 to May 2 at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai, reported PTI. Gold was found concealed by various passengers as dust in wax form, gold layered clothes, crude jewellery and bars, in a water bottle, on their bodies and in the rectum. Five passengers were arrested in this connection, the official said in a release. An Indian national, working as the airport contractual staff, was intercepted by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and handed over to the Customs sleuths.During his search, gold dust in wax form (eight pieces) weighing 2.58 kg was found concealed in his water bottle. The person was arrested, the release said, reported PTI. In another case, four Indian nationals travelling from Dubai were intercepted and found carrying 3.335 kg of gold concealed in undergarments, clothes worn by them and in the rectum. The four were subsequently arrested, the release said. Six gold bars weighing 1.5 kg were also recovered from pipes below the seat of an aircraft, it said. The Customs personnel also intercepted 15 other Indian nationals, including 10 travelling from Dubai, two from Muscat and one each from Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Jeddah, reported PTI. They were found carrying 5.32 kg of gold concealed in undergarments, their jeans pockets, in the basket of the airport baggage trolley, on their bodies and in the rectum, the release said. Another Indian national travelling from Dubai was also intercepted and found smuggling high-value goods. Nine iphones and other electronic items valued at Rs 14.21 lakh and hidden inside handbags and checked-in luggage were recovered from the passenger, it added. (With inputs from PTI)
07 May,2024 11:49 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn the ongoing investigation of the Salman Khan firing case, the crime branch has apprehended a fifth suspect from Rajasthan. According to the crime branch, the suspect was identified as Mohammed Chaudhary, he is allegedly accused of providing financial support to those involved in firing five rounds outside Salman Khan's residence last month. Chaudhary, a resident of Rajasthan, is currently being transported to Mumbai, as confirmed by DCP Datta Nalawade, who heads the investigation. According to the crime branch, Chaudhary was implicated in the conspiracy and allegedly provided financial backing for the crime. The planning, which spanned over the past two months, included reconnaissance activities and the procurement of a residence in Panvel, as well as the acquisition of a two-wheeler for the execution of the crime. Officials stated that Chaudhary financed a portion of the cash amount received by accused individuals Sagar Pal and Vicky Gupta. "Once the accused is in Mumbai, we will present him in court to request custody," Nalawade added.
07 May,2024 11:18 AM IST | Mumbai | Faizan KhanA voter turnout of 6.64 per cent was recorded till 9 am on Tuesday as polling was underway in 11 of the 48 Lok Sabha constituencies in Maharashtra during the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024, reported news agency PTI. Latur recorded 7.91 per cent polling, Sangli 5.81 per cent, Baramati 5.77 per cent, Hathkanangale 7.55 per cent, Kolhapur 8.04 per cent, Madha 4.99 per cent, Osmanabad 5.79 per cent, Raigad 6.84 per cent, Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg 8.17 per cent, Satara 7 per cent and Solapur 5.92 per cent, reported PTI. Among the early voters included state Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, his wife Sunetra Pawar, who is the NCP candidate from Baramati, and his mother Asha Pawar. They cast their votes for Lok Sabha elections 2024 at a polling booth in the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency in Pune district. Sunetra Pawar is pitted against Supriya Sule, the sitting MP from Baramati. NCP (SP) head Sharad Pawar, his wife Pratibha, daughter Supriya Sule and her family, MLA Rohit Pawar and his family also voted in Baramati. Actor couple Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia Deshmukh cast their votes in Latur, while Union minister Narayan Rane voted in Sindhudurg. Ritesh Deshmukh is the son of Congress leader and former state chief minister late Vilasrao Deshmukh. Rane is the BJP candidate from Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg seat. Prominent contestants also include royal scions Shahu Chhatrapati of the Congress in Kolhapur and BJP's Udayanraje Bhosale in Satara. Voting began at 7 am across the 11 Lok Sabha seats in the state. A total of 2.09 crore persons are eligible to vote for 258 candidates in the third phase, for which 23,036 polling centres have been set up, an election official said. There are 1,07,64,741 male voters, 1,02,26,946 female voters and 929 from the third gender. The seats where polling is taking place are Baramati, Raigad, Osmanabad, Latur, Solapur, Madha, Sangli, Satara, Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg, Kolhapur and Hatkanangale. In the fourth phase on May 13, a total of 2.28 crore voters will decide the fate of 298 candidates in 11 seats, namely Nandurbar, Jalgaon, Raver, Jalna, Aurangabad, Maval, Pune, Shirur, Ahmednagar, Shirdi and Beed Lok Sabha constituencies. (With inputs from PTI)
07 May,2024 11:03 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentA chemical powder being transported in a truck spilled on a road after the vehicle met with an accident in Maharashtra's Thane district, disrupting traffic briefly on the route, civic officials said on Tuesday, reported news agency PTI. Truck accident in Thane: The incident took place at Kalyan Phata No person was injured in the incident which took place at 11.42 pm on Monday at Kalyan Phata, Thane Municipal Corporation's disaster management cell chief Yasin Tadvi said, reported PTI. The truck carrying 25 tonnes of phthalic anhydride was heading from Taloja in Navi Mumbai to Dahej in Gujarat when it hit another truck and tilted towards one side, reported PTI. Around three tonnes of the chemical then spilled on the road, the official said. Truck accident in Thane: Traffic movement affected Traffic movement on the road was affected for about half-an-hour, he said. Local firemen and the regional disaster management cell team rushed to the spot. The road was later cleared of the spillage, the official said, reported PTI. Phthalic anhydride is used for a broad range of applications spanning from the plastics industry to the synthesis of resins, agricultural fungicides and amines. Truck accident in Thane: Other incidents In another incident, a container cabin caught fire in Maharashtra's Thane district shortly after midnight on Monday, destroying decoration materials kept in it, civic officials said, reported PTI. No person was injured in the incident, Thane Municipal Corporation's disaster management cell chief Yasin Tadvi said. The blaze erupted in the container carrying wedding decoration materials near Chuha bridge on Diva-Mumbra road at 12.42 am, he said, reported PTI. After being alerted, local fire personnel and the regional disaster management cell team members rushed to the spot, reported PTI. The fire was put out by 2 am, the official said, adding that all the materials stored in the container were gutted, reported PTI. A probe was on to find out the cause of the fire, he said. Meanwhile, the police in Maharashtra's Thane district have launched a probe after a 30-year-old man was killed in a hit-and-run outside a bar on Sunday, an official said, reported PTI. Prashant Suresh Bhoir and two more persons had gone to the bar at Rajnoli village along the Mumbai-Nashik highway on Saturday night. The trio came out after the bar closed, reported PTI. Citing the FIR, the police said the two men headed home in their respective cars but soon realised Bhoir was not there in either of the vehicles. They rushed back to the bar only to find Bhoir severely injured outside the premises. (With inputs from PTI)
07 May,2024 10:46 AM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentVoting for the third phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2024 began on Tuesday morning in 93 constituencies across 11 states and Union Territories (UTs). In Maharashtra, Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar cast his vote at Gangubai Kate Zila Parishad Prathamik school, booth no. 224 Katewadi at Baramati constituency. Baramati is witnessing a star-studded fight in these Lok Sabha elections 2024. Deputy CM Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra Pawar is the candidate of the BJP led Maha Yuti alliance while his sister Supriya Sule is the Maha Vikas Aghadi candidate. The constituency is considered to be the pocket borough of the Pawar family with Sharad Pawar having represented it multiple times after first being elected to the seat in 1984. However, with a fight within the Pawar family, this seat has become a symbol of the larger fight in Maharashtra. Speaking to reporters after casting his vote the Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar said that the elections are for the development of Baramati and other constituencies in Maharashtra. Maharashtra Dy CM Ajit Pawar said, "The party leaders and the workers who campaign for their candidate always believe that their candidate will win. This is the beginning. It is still not 6 pm. I am sure people will support our candidate. This election is for the development of Baramati and other constituencies and not Pawar vs Pawar," reported ANI. He said that after 6 pm percentage voting would be decided but he was confident that people would stand behind the Nationalist Congress Party. "For the next five years there should be stability and BJP-led Mahayuti will work according to it," he added, reported ANI. The polling started for 93 Lok Sabha seats across 12 states and union territories in the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024 on Tuesday at 7:00 am. The states and union territories where the Lok Sabha elections 2024 are being held in this phase are Assam (4), Bihar (5), Chhattisgarh (7), Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (2), Goa (2), Gujarat (25), Karnataka (14), Maharashtra (11), Madhya Pradesh (8), Uttar Pradesh (10) and West Bengal (4). The BJP has bagged the Surat seat unopposed. In this phase, more than 1300 candidates, including around 120 women, are in the fray. A total of 17.24 crore voters are eligible to cast their franchise in this phase at 1.85 lakh polling stations. Seventy-five delegates from 23 countries will see the poll process, the poll panel said. (With inputs from ANI)
07 May,2024 10:02 AM IST | Baramati | mid-day online correspondentPolling began Tuesday morning for 11 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, including Baramati, where Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule is pitted against Sunetra Pawar, wife of the veteran leader's estranged nephew and Maharashtra deputy CM Ajit Pawar. Polling began at 7 am and will end at 6 pm at the 23,036 polling centres, set up for the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024, an official said, reported PTI. The seats where polling is taking place are Baramati, Raigad, Osmanabad, Latur, Solapur, Madha, Sangli, Satara, Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg, Kolhapur and Hatkanangale. Prominent contestants also include royal scions Shahu Chhatrapati of the Congress in Kolhapur and BJP's Udayanraje Bhosale in Satara as well Union minister Narayan Rane in Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg. Altogether 2.09 crore persons are eligible to vote for 258 candidates in the third phase, the official said. There are 1,07,64,741 male voters, 1,02,26,946 female voters and 929 from the third gender in the third phase, he said, reported PTI. In the fourth phase on May 13, a total of 2.28 crore voters will decide the fate of 298 candidates in 11 seats, namely Nandurbar, Jalgaon, Raver, Jalna, Aurangabad, Maval, Pune, Shirur, Ahmednagar, Shirdi and Beed Lok Sabha constituencies. Prominent candidates in the fourth phase include minister of state for railways Raosaheb Danve in Jalna and BJP's Pankaja Munde in Beed. The 13 Lok Sabha seats where polling will be held in the fifth and last phase in the state are Dhule, Dindori, Nashik in North Maharashtra and Palghar, Bhiwandi, Kalyan, Thane, Mumbai North, Mumbai North West, Mumbai North East, Mumbai North Central, Mumbai South Central and Mumbai South. Prominent candidates in the fifth phase include Union minister Piyush Goyal, lawyer Ujjwal Nikam, both of the BJP, and Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad. Polling was held on April 19 in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024 in Ramtek (SC), Nagpur, Bhandara-Gondiya, Gadchiroli-Chimur (ST) and Chandrapur seats. The first phase saw a voter turnout of 63.71 per cent. On April 26, polling was held in the second phase of Lok Sabha elections 2024 in Buldhana, Akola, Amravati, Wardha, Yavatmal-Washim, Hingoli, Nanded and Parbhani Lok Sabha constituencies. The second phase witnessed a voter turnout of 62.71 per cent. (With inputs from PTI)
07 May,2024 09:39 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe western region, encompassing Maharashtra and Goa, maintained its exceptional performance by achieving a staggering 99.71 per cent pass percentage, securing the top position among the four regions in the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) Std X exams. However, in the Indian School Certificate (ISC) Std XII exams, the western region slipped to the second position with a pass percentage of 99.32 per cent compared to the previous year. The south region claimed the top position in ISC. The Council of Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (CICSE) on Monday announced the results from both ICSE and ISC exams. Last year the results were declared on May 14. For the first time, CISCE has introduced the option for re-evaluation of answer scripts. Students can apply for a recheck through the menu link ‘Public Services’ on the CISCE website (https://cisce.org) until May 10. Results of the recheck will be announced within four weeks. Candidates who remain dissatisfied with the recheck can then apply for re-evaluation. Additionally, Improvement Exams will be conducted in July 2024 for a maximum of two subjects. This year, the ISC Chemistry and Psychology papers had to be rescheduled due to unavoidable circumstances, as stated by the board. Kavita Sanghvi, principal, Chhatrabhuj Narsee Memorial School Dr Joseph Emmanuel, chief executive and secretary of CISCE, announced that the board had decided to discontinue compartment examinations for ICSE and ISC from 2024. This year, in the ICSE exam, 2,695 schools participated, with an impressive 82.48 per cent (2,223) of them achieving a 100 per cent pass rate. Conversely, in the ISC examination, 1,366 schools presented candidates, with 66.18 per cent (904) of them attaining a 100 per cent pass rate. In the CISCE results, girls performed better in both standards; 99.65 per cent of girls passed the ICSE, while 99.31 per cent of boys passed the ICSE. Meanwhile, in ISC, the figures are 98.92 per cent and 97.53 per cent respectively. CICSE discontinued merit list Confirming the development “CISCE discontinues merit lists for Std X, XII exams to avoid unhealthy competition,” Emmanuel said. ICSE (Std X) This year, the national pass percentage for ICSE is 99.47 per cent (2,42,328 students passed), reflecting a slight increase compared to last year’s 98.99 per cent. In Maharashtra, the state pass percentage stands at 99.47 per cent (2,42,328 passed), showing a slight decrease from last year’s 99.83 per cent. ISC (Std XII) In ISC exams, the overall pass percentage this year is 98.19per cent (98,088 passed), marking a slight decrease from last year’s 96.93 per cent. The state pass percentage for ISC exams has risen to 99.71 per cent compared to 98.69 per cent in 2023. Goa has recorded 100 per cent results in both ICSE and ISC exams. Principals speak Varsha Kumta, principal, Ryan International School, Malad, said, “I am thrilled to announce 100 per cent results in both ICSE and ISC. We believe in nurturing well-rounded individuals, and our dedication to sports and performing arts has played a pivotal role in alleviating academic stress among our students. Last year we had a pass percentage of 100 per cent, and this year too, we’ve maintained the same.” Kalpana Patange, principal, Jamnabai Narsee School, said, “I am extremely proud of the 259 students for having worked sincerely and tirelessly towards accomplishing their goal. While 284 Std XII students have done us proud by securing excellent results in the ISC examination. The remarkable scores prove that anything is possible with dedication, hard work and sincere endeavour. Kavita Sanghvi, principal of Chhatrabhuj Narsee Memorial School (CNMS), said, “We are very proud of our Std X and XII results. Sannvi Chougule scored the highest with 99.4 per cent at the ICSE exam. Out of 236 students, 153 scored above 90 per cent. The teachers and students worked very hard and the results have manifested the efforts.” Sona Mattoo Dhingra, principal of Children’s Academy, Thakur Complex, said, “Kudos to our students. Their dedication coupled with the support of our diligent team of teachers, has resulted in the remarkable performance of our students.” 2,695No. of schools that participated in ICSE exam Examination in numbers India and abroadSchools that presented candidates:ICSE (Std X) 2,695ISC (Std XII) 1,366 No. of candidates who appearedICSE: 2,43,617ISC: 99,901Pass percentageICSE: 99.47%ISC: 98.19% MaharashtraNo. of candidates who appearedICSE: 28,588ISC: 3,840 Pass percentageICSE: 99.96%ISC: 99.71% Identical twins score identical marks Jil (left) and Jia Shah at their Borivli residence on May 6, 2024. Pic/Kirti Surve Parade Identical twins from Borivli have achieved identical scores in their ICSE exams. Although their marks for individual subjects may differ, Jil and Jia Shah both attained an impressive 99.4 per cent overall. The twins have topped their school, Children’s Academy at Thakur Complex. “Getting the exact percentage was not just a surprise for the two of us, but also for our parents,” said Jia. Jil added, “While we’ve sometimes obtained matching scores in the past, achieving the exact percentage in the board exams exceeded our expectations.” On their study routine, Jil said, “We never viewed each other as competitors. We prioritised not only regular study breaks but also ensured we got sufficient sleep.” Cream of the crop These are toppers who made their families proud ICSE Tithi Pravin Agarwal 99.8 per cent Dhirubhai Ambani International School Sukrit Khanna 99.8 per cent Bombay Scottish School Karan Philip 99.8 per cent Bombay Scottish School Atharv Nimkar 99.6 per cent Ramniwas Bajaj English High School Myra Chamaria 99.6 per cent Jamnabai Narsee School Saanvi Chougule 99.4 per cent Chhatrabhuj Narsee Memorial School ISC Param Ravindra Bhaiwal 99.8 per cent SciencePodar International School, Nerul Rehan Prasun Singh 99.75 per cent HumanitiesSulohanadevi Singhania School Aayati Goyal 98.75 per cent HumanitiesJamnabai Narsee School Gayatri Ashish Tambe 97.50 per cent HumanitiesLilavatibai Podar School, Santacruz
07 May,2024 07:55 AM IST | Mumbai | Dipti SinghCan a candidate affiliated with the Maratha Kranti Morcha affect the vote share of traditional candidates in the Maval Lok Sabha constituency elections? Advocate Jyotishwar Bhosale, affiliated with the Maratha morcha and contesting on a Baliraja Party ticket, feels that people will support him in good numbers as they are fed up with traditional parties—a rare scene in Maharashtra politics. Bhosale is up against Sanjog Waghere from Shiv Sena (UBT) and Shriranga Barne from Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), who has held the seat in the past for a decade.The Maval constituency has seen Shiv Sena’s power previously for 15 years, with Babar Dharamshi winning the 2009 elections with 3,64,857 votes, followed by Shrirang Barne winning the 2014 and 2019 elections with 5,12,226 and 7,20,663 votes, respectively. In 2014, Barne defeated Rahul Narwekar by a margin of 3,29,933 votes. Similarly, in the 2019 elections, Barne defeated Parth Pawar, the son of Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, by 2,15,913 votes. Bhosale says Maratha organisations have supported his candidature, making the constituency a battleground between both the Sena factions and the Marathas. “I have received support from the World Maratha Organisation (WMO) in the Maval constituency and this will definitely divert the Maratha votes towards me. Also, being a candidate from the Baliraja Party, the local farmers’ support has turned towards me. Getting reservations for Marathas which is a long fight led by Manoj Jarange Patil is one part of the fight. I want to open up a third front in the Maval constituency. Laws and policies for Maratha reservation need to be framed at the parliament and being an advocate. I can take up the fight in a legal way at the parliament level.” Speaking with mid-day, Bhosale slammed the sitting Sena Shinde faction MP. “The two-time sitting MP Shrirang Barne has not been doing any substantial work for the development of the region. When approached by people, the MP states that the local MLA is responsible for the development of his Assembly constituency, and the MLA, in return, says that the gram sabha has the task of doing the work. This has left the Maval constituency grappling with low development.” According to Bhosale, people are fed up with the monotony of the Sena in the constituency. “Also, there is no BJP candidate for the constituency, which leaves people with fewer choices, making it a Shiv Sena stronghold. People are expecting new faces in the upcoming Lok Sabha election and a proper development plan for the region. Someone has to take the forefront, and I decided to take up this stand to solve the issues of the locals.” Citing the division of the Shiv Sena, Bhosale said people are regarding whom to vote for and this will cause both factions to lose votes. “There are around 6.5 lakh to seven lakh Maratha voters in the region. My Maratha brothers fought for reservation some months back and marched to Mumbai. The fight needs to continue, and we need to bring up the issue in Parliament. I am confident that the Maratha voters in the constituency will definitely vote for a Maratha candidate to fight for their reservation rights.” 15No. of years Shiv Sena has been in power in Maval
07 May,2024 07:35 AM IST | Mumbai | Prasun ChoudhariThe Thane, Kalyan, Bhiwandi and Palghar Lok Sabha constituencies, which are part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, will see the Maha Vikas Aghadi and Mahayuti butting heads. The Thane seat, once considered a Matoshree stronghold, mainly comprises the urban area of Thane district— the base of the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Navi Mumbai and Mira-Bhayandar while the Bhiwandi and Palghar constituencies include urban and rural parts of the Thane and Palghar districts and the Kalyan Lok Sabha seat comprises urban and semi-urban areas. It will be challenging for Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray to make inroads into the Thane and Palghar districts as most former corporators and MLAs from these areas sided with the Shinde faction after the split in the Shiv Sena. Thane Political landscapeThis constituency will see a direct fight play out between Thackeray and Shinde whose respective blue-eyed boys, Rajan Vichare and Naresh Mhaske, are vying for power. The Thane Lok Sabha constituency comprises six Vidhan Sabha segments, most of which are represented by Shiv Sena and BJP legislators. Shinde and fellow Sainik Pratap Sarnaik are the MLAs of Kopri-Pachpakhadi and Ovala-Majiwada respectively while the Thane, Airoli and Belapur segments are represented by BJP’s Sanjay Kelkar, Ganesh and Manda Mhatre. Geeta Jain, an Independent who is supporting the Shinde Sena, is the Mira Bhayandar MLA. Previous victorsVichare has been the incumbent since the 2014 general election where he defeated Sanjeev Naik, a former NCP MP, by 2.81 lakh votes. In 2019, he secured 7.40 lakh votes, besting NCP’s Anand Paranjpe, whose tally was 4.12 lakh votes. Constituency and concernsWhile Navi Mumbai is renowned as a planned city, Thane and Mira Bhayandar are plagued by illegal constructions and hawkers as well as transport, water supply and solid waste management issues. Navi Mumbai facing issues such as encroachment and lacks a proper internal transport system. Rajan Vichare, Shiv Sena (UBT)A former mayor and MLA, the two-time MP became the face of the Thackeray faction in Thane following the split in the party. Vichare started his political career alongside Shinde under the leadership of the late Shiv Sena leader Anand Dighe. Declared wealthMovable assets: Rs 3.73 croreImmovable assets: Rs 26 crore Naresh Mhaske, Shiv SenaA former mayor of Thane and two-time corporator, Mhaske is known as the blue-eyed boy of Shinde. He is the Thane district head of the party. The post, once occupied by Dighe and Shinde, is among the most prestigious ones in the Shiv Sena. He is also a spokesperson for the Shinde faction. Declared wealthMovable assets: Rs 10.26 croreImmovable assets: Rs 21.08 crore Kalyan Political landscapeDr Shrikant Shinde, the chief minister’s son and a two-time MP, is contesting this seat for the third consecutive time. Now, he is up against former corporator Vaishali Darekar of the Shiv Sena (UBT). Initially, it seemed that, apart from the Opposition, Mahayuti ally, the BJP, was not in favour of Shrikant Shinde as BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad opened fire on Shiv Sena city head Mahesh Gaikwad inside a police station earlier this year. Of the six Assembly seats here, four are with the Mahayuti. MNS’s Pramod Patil is MLA of the Kalyan Rural segment. Mumbra Kalwa MLA Jitendra Awhad belongs to the NCP (SP). The Ulhasnagar, Kalyan East and Dombivli segments are represented by BJP’s Kumar Ailani, Ganpat Gaikwad and Ravindra Chavan. As the party holds sway in the constituency, party workers had demanded that its candidate be fielded from here. However, it was Shinde who was picked as the Mahayuti candidate. Previous victorsSince the formation of the constituency in 2009, Shiv Sena won it thrice. In 2014, Dr Shinde defeated former Shiv Sena MP Anand Paranjpe, who was contesting on an NCP ticket. Dr Shinde got 4.40 lakh votes as opposed to Paranjape’s 1.90 lakh. In 2019, Dr Shinde defeated Babaji Patil, the NCP by 3.44 lakh votes. Constituency and concerns Kalyan, which comprises urban and semi-urban areas, mainly faces issues involving water supply, solid waste management, illegal construction and sanitation. Public transport is problematic while Kalyan and Dombivli are plagued by traffic congestion. Citizens also mainly depend on Mumbai and Thane for medical treatment. Dr Shrikant Shinde, Shiv SenaDr Shinde is seen as the educated face of the Shiv Sena. The two-time MP is well-connected to Delhi circles as well as high-ranking government officials in Maharashtra. He started taking participating heavily in the party’s internal politics after the split. Declared wealthMovable assets: Rs 8.15 croreImmovable assets: Rs 6.77 crore Vaishali Darekar, Shiv Sena (UBT)The two-time Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation councillor was elected as a corporator for the first time in 2005. She later joined the MNS and was elected as its corporator in 2010. She also contested the 2009 Lok Sabha election as the MNS’s candidate. She secured 1.02 lakh votes. Recently, she is known for taking an aggressive stance against the chief minister. Declared wealthMovable assets: Rs 1.18 croreImmovable assets: Rs 5.06 crore Bhiwandi Political landscapeOnce a famous textile hub, Bhiwandi is now emerging a prominent chemical and goods transport hub. This constituency has been dominated by BJP for a decade with its two-time MP, and Union minister, Kapil Patil, being fielded yet again. The seat was mainly associated with the Congress, but the NCP (SP) gained it during seat sharing. The grand old party’s workers are still upset about this. Five out of six MLAs representing Bhiwandi’s Assembly segments belong to the Mahayuti. One seat, Bhiwandi East, is held by the Samajwadi Party. Previous victorsThis constituency first existed as a parliamentary seat from 1962 to 1971. Congress was dominant then. It came into existence again in 2009. Suresh Taware of the Congress won the general election that year against BJP’s Jagannath Patil. In the next two Lok Sabha polls, Kapil Patil defeated Congress’s Vishwanath Patil and Taware by 1.1 lakh votes and 1.56 lakh votes respectively. Constituency and concernsBhiwandi lacks adequate medical infrastructure and internal public transport. Apart from the proliferation of illegal constructions, air pollution due to chemical plants, obtaining drinking water and sanitation are challenges. Bhiwandi is at the crossroads between North and Western Maharashtra and Gujarat, making it an ideal goods transport junction. But due to ill planning, advantage isn’t being taken of its location. Kapil Patil, BJPThe Union Minister of State in the Ministry of Panchayati Raj had jumped to the BJP from the NCP in 2014. He was chairman of the Thane district co-operative bank. He also had a stint as the president of the Thane zilla parishad. Declared wealthMovable assets: Rs 8.74 croreImmovable assets: Rs 28.27 crore Suresh Mhatre, NCP (SP)Popularly referred to as Balya Mama, this leader is known for party hopping. He began his political career in the Shiv Sena. He was elected as a zilla parishad member. In 2014, he contested the Lok Sabha election on an MNS ticket, securing 93,000 votes. Later, he won the zilla parishad election again. He demanded a Congress ticket for the 2019 Lok Sabha election. Though NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar supported him, the grand old party denied him one. He then joined NCP, working as the party’s district president. After the split in the Shiv Sena, Mhatre joined the Shinde-led faction before finally becoming an NCP (SP) member. Declared wealthMovable assets: Rs 60.42 croreImmovable assets: Rs 46.62 crore Palghar Political landscapeThis geographically diverse district was formed in 2014 after being separated from the Thane district. It includes the Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation. The Bahujan Vikas Aaghadi (BVA) holds sway over the seat, which was part of the Mumbai North constituency before 2009. Three of the seat’s six MLAs belong to the BVA: party president Hitendra Thakur, his son Kshitij Thakur and Rajesh Patil. In 2018, Rajendra Gavit, the tribal development minister in the then-Congress-NCP government, joined the BJP and contested a Lok Sabha by-poll necessitated by the death of the BJP MP Chintaman Vanaga, who came to power in 2014. The next year, undivided Shiv Sena got this seat and Gavit contested as its candidate and won the election. Previous victorsIn 2014, Vanaga defeated BVA’s Baliram Jadhav. The former secured 5.33 lakh votes while the latter got 2.93 lakh. After Vanaga’s death, Gavit secured 2.72 lakh votes in the by-poll. Vanaga’s son Shrinivas contested the election as the Shiv Sena candidate as the BJP denied him a ticket. In 2019, Gavit contested the election as Shiv Sena candidate and secured 5.15 lakh votes while his rival, Baliram Jadhav of the BVA, secured 4.91 lakh votes. Constituency and concernsThe Palghar district has water and public transport issues. The water problem is more severe in the eastern part. There is opposition to the two projects, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project and the Vadhavan Port. Although there is diversity such as beaches and forests, adequate tourist facilities have not been developed. Declining fisherman income is another big problem. Bharti Kamdi, Shiv Sena (UBT)After losing the first Palghar Municipal Council election in 1999, she was elected twice as a member of the Palghar zilla parishad. She worked as president of the organisation for more than a year. After the Sena split, she supported Thackeray. Declared wealthMovable assets: Rs 51 lakhImmovable assets: NIL Dr Hemant Savara, BJPThe son of former minister Vishnu Savara, he fought his first Vidhan Sabha election from Vikramgad constituency in 2019 but was defeated. Declared wealthMovable assets: Rs 3.67 croreImmovable assets: Rs 4 crore Rajesh Patil, BVAThe Boisar MLA, who is contesting on Bahujan Vikas Aaghadi ticket is considered the educated face of the rural party headed by Hitendra Thakur. Declared wealthMovable assets: Rs 2.88 croreImmovable assets: Rs 7.51 crore
07 May,2024 07:35 AM IST | Mumbai | Sameer SurveAfter a gap of seven months, the banana train from Raver to Delhi resumed services for this season. The train helps local farmers connect with the national markets without delay. These trains have made three trips already since April 26. “This season the yield and inflow of bananas has increased in Raver, Yawal and Muktainagar areas. Trucks are also not easily available for shipment of bananas to North India and hence in this situation, the Banana Producers Association has opted for railway wagons to transport them to the Delhi market in a timely manner,” a local farmer and trader Ramdas Patil said. Bananas headed for Delhi loaded at Raver in Jalgaon district. Pic/Railways Sources said 3,500 quintals of bananas can be sent in the train at a go. Patil said it costs R610 per quintal to send bananas to Delhi by truck and road transport. This cost is not affordable if the rate of the yield is low. Hence, it is easier and faster to send bananas to the Delhi market and north India by train. The yield should be sent to North India every year, so we request the government of India to ask the railways to give banana farmers a subsidy of 50 per cent so that it becomes affordable,” Patil said. The cost of booking a wagon is R69,371. The banana train takes 36 hours to reach Adarsh Nagar station in Delhi. “The banana loaders want regular placement of parcel vans and once loading is done, the yield reaches the Delhi market of Azad Nagar in a timely manner without delay,” divisional railway manager Ity Pande said. Pande is the first lady divisional manager of Bhusawal division. “After a seven-month-long break, this season’s first rake of raw plantation was loaded from Raver for Adarsh Nagar railway station. It was a 22-car train with a freight of R15.66 lakh. There is a potential of two trains per week working out to 8-10 such trains per month, which will fetch a monthly contribution of R1.50 crore. This is the outcome of the joint marketing by commercial and operating departments,” senior divisional commercial manager Ajay Shakya said.
07 May,2024 07:33 AM IST | Mumbai | Rajendra B. AklekarFrom indulging in nail art to engaging with beauty salons, participating in weddings, touring colleges, and even embracing a mascot named Ekki, the Jalgaon district election office is omnipresent despite the blistering heat. Employing an innovative strategy to bolster voter turnout and awareness during the Lok Sabha elections, officials in Jalgaon district have embraced a data-centric approach to decipher and motivate voters to cast their votes at the polling stations. In 2019, there was a 56.12 per cent turnout in Jalgaon and 61.40 per cent in Raver, lower than the numbers in 2014, when it was 58 per cent in Jalgaon and 63.48 per cent in Raver. The administration this time hopes to get to the root of the cause and increase the vote count in 2024. A visitor watches paintings related to the importance of election at an art gallery “We got the data, and based on it, we were able to identify the categories of people among whom the vote count is low. We then targeted these people to bring them out this time. Who are these people? There were about five categories—youth, first-time voters, women, senior citizens, select tribal communities, and those with urban apathy. Once we narrowed down on these,” Jalgaon district collector Ayush Prasad said. “We targetted the youth and first-time voters by adopting a method called tabula rasa, where we asked students to write whatever thought came to their mind first on a blank sheet of paper. This is exactly what one will do in the election booth. Vote for a slot. This is being done in several colleges and among students to send across the message of the importance of voting,” he said. “The next group we focused on were women. We reached out to them by engaging in events where they commonly gather, such as yoga classes, beauty parlors, gatherings, and even weddings. We collaborated with beauticians to create nail art to raise awareness for our cause. Additionally, we introduced a mascot named Ekki, who went to wedding events and gatherings, delivering messages about the significance of voting and providing details about the polling venue and date,” he explained. “For the other categories of senior citizens who read newspapers, we created an inland letter conveying the message of the importance of polls and the venue and date, welcoming them all. For those with urban apathy, a bit of all of the measures were adopted,” he said. “When we approached the tribal communities and asked them why they stayed away from the voting booths and other such government machinery, they said they feared being reprimanded by officials as no one ever talked to them with respect. They were afraid that if they went to vote and ended up damaging the EVM, what would happen? I have now instructed teams to be inclusive, be humble, and cooperate with all,” says Prasad, adding that with such measures, we hope to improve the vote count. Illegal alcohol factory busted On May 6, the Jalgaon state excise department busted an illegal liquor factory in MIDC in Jalgaon. The factory was producing a specific brand of country liquor for alleged distribution during elections. The department seized items worth lakhs and arrested five suspects, including the factory’s in-charge. “The factory was shut and we found a sudden flurry of activity,” Jalgaon district collector Ayush Prasad told mid-day. 56.12%Voter turnout in Jalgaon in 2019
07 May,2024 07:30 AM IST | Mumbai | Rajendra B. AklekarADVERTISEMENT
