Maharashtra Mumbai News LIVE Updates: After DGP Rashmi Shukla’s transfer ahead of polls, NCP-SP chief Sharad Pawar says EC did ‘right thing’

Maharashtra Assembly Election 2024: Senior leader and former MP Gopal Shetty has announced the withdrawal of his independent candidacy for the Borivali assembly seat and Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Ranjit Patil to withdraw his nomination from Paranda seat.

Maharashtra Mumbai Live News Updates: Following complaints from the Indian National Congress (INC) and other political parties, the Election Commission of India has ordered the immediate transfer of Rashmi Shukla, the Director General of Police (DGP) for Maharashtra. Ahead of the elections, NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar said, “Election Commission did the right thing by ordering the transfer of Maharashtra DGP Rashmi Shukla with immediate effect”. Till a new DGP is appointed, Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar, the senior most IPS officer after Rashmi Shukla, will hold charge as DGP.

With Monday being the the final day to withdraw nominations ahead of the November 20 Maharashtra Assembly polls, a clearer picture is expected on the number of rebel candidates in the fray. Political parties continued to engage in hectic discussions on Sunday in an attempt to persuade rebel candidates to withdraw and prevent vote splitting. After the nomination window closed on October 29, there were at least 50 rebels from both sides — ruling Mahayuti and Maha Vikas Agadhi (MVA) — with the potential to damage the electoral prospects of their party’s official candidates.

MVA, Mahayuti last-minute push: According to sources in Ajit Pawar’s NCP, talks were held with allies, especially the Shiv Sena, to find a way out of a deadlock in seats such as Dindori and Deolali the two party’s leaders have filed nominations. The BJP managed to persuade some of its recalcitrant leaders in Vidarbha, Mumbai, and Western Maharashtra. Meanwhile, to convince the ruling Mahayuti alliance’s rebels, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis held talks with CM Eknath Shinde for more than three hours on Sunday to chalk out a strategy, said a source.

Live Updates
21:28 (IST) 4 Nov 2024
Gopal Shetty, Madhurima Raje withdraw, Sarwankar stays put

Former BJP MP Gopal Shetty and royal scion Madhurima Raje Chhatrapati of Congress were among the prominent candidates for Maharashtra assembly election who pulled out of the race on the last day of withdrawal of nominations.

However, braving pressure from his party leadership to withdraw, Sada Sarvankar, the Shiv Sena candidate from the Mahim assembly constituency in Mumbai, failed to pull out and is now pitted against Amit Thackeray, son of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray.

BJP's Gopal Shetty withdrew his nomination as an independent candidate from Borivali and announced he will support the party's official nominee Sanjay Upadhyay from the seat.

19:13 (IST) 4 Nov 2024
Fadnavis praises Gopal Shetty for withdrawing his nomination

Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis praises Gopal Shetty for withdrawing his nomination from Borivali seat and setting an example as committed Karyakarta who works for the organisation's interest.

19:12 (IST) 4 Nov 2024
Congress loses Kolhapur North.candidate

In a public display of major disagreement within Congress, official party candidate Madhurimaraje Chhatrapati withdrew her nomination from Kolhapur north. She is the daughter in law of Kolhapur LS MP Shahu Maharaj Chhatrapati.

Congress leader Satej Patil was visibly upset after the withdrawal and was heard telling her that she should have informed the party earlier that she didn't want to contest and he was being made scapegoat.

Congress now has no official candidate in Kolhapur North.

19:11 (IST) 4 Nov 2024
CPI(M) withdraws from Nasik West

CPI(M) withdraws from Nasik West seat after discussion with MVA leaders. Party's Maharashtra Secretary Uday Narkar said that the party has decided to withdraw to avoid splitting of anti-government votes.

17:09 (IST) 4 Nov 2024
'Whistle' symbol to be allotted to BVA following due procedure: ECI tells Bombay HC

The Election Commission of India told the Bombay High Court on Monday that the 'whistle' symbol would be allotted to Hitendra Thakur-led Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly polls following requisite guidelines.

The ECI in January this year allotted the 'whistle' symbol to the Janata Dal (United).

A BVA candidate contested the 2024 general polls on the 'whistle' symbol from Maharashtra's Palghar Lok Sabha seat as the JD(U) did not have a candidate.

A division bench of Justices Somasekhar Sundaresan and Arif Doctor was on Monday hearing a petition by the BVA for allotting the symbol to the party.

During the hearing before the court, the ECI submitted a letter received from the JD(U) informing the poll body about its decision to not contest the November 20 Maharashtra assembly elections.

15:53 (IST) 4 Nov 2024
Mahauyuti govt intentions to win elections through discrepancies have been foiled: Vijay Wadettiwar on DGP Maharashtra transfer

Maharashtra Leader of the Opposition and Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar on Monday welcomed the Election Commission's decision to transfer Rashmi Shukla, DGP Maharashtra and said that Mahauyuti Government intentions to win elections through discrepancies have been foiled.

"We welcome this decision of the Election Commission. What was the compulsion of Mahauyuti Government to appoint her? What was the need to give her an extension? It was meant to see that the elections were not transparent. They wanted to win elections through discrepancies. Those intentions have been foiled. Pawar Sahab had also expressed his views on the same. We too had sent two letters over the same," Vijay Wadettiwar said.

15:26 (IST) 4 Nov 2024
Pawar, Patole welcome EC's decision to transfer Maharashtra DGP

NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar and his MVA allies Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress on Monday welcomed the Election Commission's move to direct the Maharashtra government to transfer DGP Rashmi Shukla with immediate effect.

The EC, which took the decision after complaints from political parties, directed the Maharashtra chief secretary to hand over Shukla's charge to the next senior-most IPS officer in the cadre. The chief secretary was also directed to send a panel of three IPS officers by Tuesday afternoon for appointment as DGP, sources said.

The chief secretary has asked Mumbai police commissioner to hold the additional charge of the post, they said.

Maharashtra goes to polls on November 20.

14:40 (IST) 4 Nov 2024
Ahead of polls, a look back at the 14th Maharashtra Legislative Assembly: Key statistics

📌 Three individuals were sworn in as Chief Minister: Since 2019, the state has seen three chief ministers – BJP’s Devendra Fadavis, Shiv Sena’s (Maha Vikas Aghadi) Uddhav Thackeray, and now Shiv Sena’s (Mahayuti) Eknath Shinde.

📌 Assembly met for 27 days, with 7-hour sittings on average: Statistics in PRS Legislative Research showed that the Assembly met for 27 days a year, with sittings lasting for 7 hours on average. This is more days than the national average of 27 other Legislative Assemblies.

Read more statistics here

13:56 (IST) 4 Nov 2024
Maharashtra Mumbai Live News Updates: CPI(M) withdraws from Nashik West seat to 'unite anti-government votes', says Uday Narkar

CPI(M) withdraws from Nasik West seat after discussion with MVA leaders. Party's Maharashtra Secretary Uday Narkar said that the party has decided to withdraw to avoid splitting of anti-government votes.

13:49 (IST) 4 Nov 2024
Maharashtra Mumbai Live News Updates: Rebel Cong leader Mukhtar Shaikh withdraws from polls, to support Aghadi's Ravindra Dhangekar

Rebel Congress leader Mukhtar Shaikh has withdrawn his nomination as an independent from the Kasba Peth assembly constituency and lent support the official Maha Vikas Agadhi (MVA) candidate Ravindra Dhangekar for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections.

He said that he had received several calls of reassurances from Congress' leadership, which led to the withdrawal of his nomination.

"I have decided to take the nomination back as an independent candidate. I had recieved calls from State President Nana Patole, in-charge Ramesh Chennithala and MP Syed Naseer Hussain, that there should be a secular force. After their assurance, I took the decision and took back my nomination. I will also support and work for the MVA Candidate Ravindra Dhangekar in Kasba Assembly constituency," he told ANI.

Shaikh further claimed that as he wanted to have Muslims represented in Pune, and that he had been assured by party leaders of getting the nomination from his constituency before.

He further said that he will continue to work for the party in the upcoming assembly elections and after that too.

The Kashba Peth assembly contest will mainly be between Bharatiya Janata Party's Hemant Narayan Rasane, Congress' Ravindra Hemraj Dhangekar and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena's (MNS) Ganesh Somnath Bhokre.

(With ANI inputs)

13:33 (IST) 4 Nov 2024
Maharashtra Mumbai Live News Updates: Vivek Phansalkar to hold charge as Maharashtra's DGP

Rashmi Shukla was the first DGP of Maharashtra who was given a two year tenure as per the Prakash Singh judgement which recommended a two year tenure for a DGP to insulate them from political interference

Till a new DGP is appointed, Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar will hold charge as DGP since he is the senior most IPS officer after Rashmi Shukla in Maharashtra

While Shukla was due to retire in June this year, with a two year tenure given in January, she would have ideally continued till January 2026

12:31 (IST) 4 Nov 2024
Mumbai police release woman held for sending threat message about UP CM Adityanath

The Mumbai police have released the 24-year-old woman apprehended for allegedly giving a death threat to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath after interrogating her, an official said on Monday.

Fatima Khan, an IT graduate living with her family in Ulhasnagar, Thane district, was nabbed in a joint operation by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad and police.

The official said she was brought to Mumbai for interrogation, served a notice, and later released on Sunday.

According to the police, Khan is well-qualified but mentally unstable. Her father works in the timber business.

The Mumbai traffic police on Saturday received a WhatsApp message from an unknown number threatening that if Adityanath did not resign as Uttar Pradesh chief minister in 10 days, he would be killed like NCP leader Baba Siddique, who was gunned down last month.

During the probe, it was found that Khan had sent the message, and she was apprehended from Ulhasnagar in a joint operation by the ATS and police.

The police are on alert as Adityanath is expected to visit Maharashtra to campaign for the November 20 assembly elections.

(With PTI inputs)

12:19 (IST) 4 Nov 2024
Maharashtra Mumbai Live News Updates: Election Commission orders immediate transfer of Maharashtra DGP Rashmi Shukla

Following complaints from the Indian National Congress (INC) and other political parties, the Election Commission of India has ordered the immediate transfer of Rashmi Shukla, the Director General of Police (DGP) for Maharashtra. The Chief Secretary has been instructed to hand over her responsibilities to the next senior-most officer in the Indian Police Service (IPS) cadre. Additionally, the Chief Secretary must submit a panel of three IPS officers by 1 PM on November 5, 2024, for the appointment of a new DGP.

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar had previously emphasized the necessity for officials to maintain impartiality and fairness, as well as to be perceived as non-partisan while executing their duties during the assembly elections.

11:47 (IST) 4 Nov 2024
Maharashtra Mumbai Live News Updates: CM Eknath Shinde's Sena rebel Swikruti Sharma to withdraw from Andheri East seat

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde led Sena's rebel candidate Swikruti Sharma (wife of encounter specialist cop Pradeep Sharma) to withdraw her candidature from the Andheri East seat.

The ruling alliance has fielded Muraji Patel as its official candidate from the seat.

11:39 (IST) 4 Nov 2024
Maharashtra Mumbai Live News Updates: Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Ranjit Patil to withdraw his nomination from Paranda seat

Shiv Sena - UBT candidate Ranjit Patil to withdraw his nomination from Paranda assembly seat in Dharashiv district against minister Tanaji Sawant of Shiv Sena.

NCP-SP leader and former MLA Rahul Mote will be the official candidate of MVA from Paranda against Sawant.

Both Patil and Mote had filed their nominations as official candidates making it a triangular fight. But with Patil's withdrawal, the fight will be directly between Sawant and Mote.

11:39 (IST) 4 Nov 2024
Maharashtra Mumbai Live News Updates: BJP rebel Gopal Shetty withdraws nomination for Borivali Seat

Senior leader and former MP Gopal Shetty has announced the withdrawal of his independent candidacy for the Borivali assembly seat in Mumbai, following the BJP's decision to nominate Sanjay Upadhyay for the upcoming elections. Shetty had initially filed his nomination after being denied a ticket by the BJP, expressing dissatisfaction with the party's decision-making process, which he felt lacked consultation with local party workers. His withdrawal comes on the last day allowed for such actions before the November 20 state assembly polls.

(With PTI inputs)

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