Rebel candidates have emerged as a major challenge for both the Mahayuti and MVA ahead of the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections. While six candidates have been elected unopposed, contests in the remaining seats have exposed internal rifts within both alliances

The Uddhav Thackeray-led party claimed that nearly 80 lakh women were found ineligible for benefits after an e-KYC verification exercise, raising serious questions about the screening and verification process followed by the government