Mahayuti’s big win: Mumbai’s next Mayor will be ours, says Dy CM Eknath Shinde

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Thane, Jan 16 (IANS) Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief leader Eknath Shinde on Friday announced that the Shiv Sena-BJP Mahayuti alliance is on the verge of a majority in the state’s municipal elections.

Speaking at a press conference, Shinde expressed firm confidence that Mahayuti mayors will be installed across several municipal corporations in Maharashtra, including the prestigious Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Shinde highlighted that the alliance has made significant inroads across Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli, and the entire Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). He confirmed that Shiv Sena has secured a clear majority in Thane, and the Mahayuti is very close to the magic figure in Mumbai.

“The Mahayuti will definitely have its Mayor in Mumbai. We are inches away from a full majority and will form the government in various parts of the state,” Shinde stated.

Taking a swipe at the opposition, the Deputy CM remarked that despite attempts to use emotional appeals and corruption allegations as campaign tools, the voters prioritised growth.

“Mumbaikars and voters across the state have chosen development over emotional politics. Those who opposed progress have been rejected. The public has accepted ‘Development’ as the only true brand,” Shinde asserted.

He noted that while the Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) faction contested over 150 seats and won approximately 60, the overall mandate remains firmly with the Mahayuti’s development agenda.

Shinde emphasised that a “Triple Engine” government—led by PM Narendra Modi at the Centre, CM Devendra Fadnavis in the State, and Mahayuti in the BMC—will be immensely beneficial for Mumbai. He revealed special plans to ensure Mumbai contributes significantly to India’s goal of becoming a $5 trillion economy, with an aim to transform it into a world-class international city.

He said major Mumbai roads will be concretised by May next year to ensure a pothole-free city. Seven new Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) are being built to make Mumbai pollution-free. There is rapid progress on Metro lines 2 and 3; implementation of Pod Taxis as a new transport mode.

Projects like the Thane-Saket-Gaimukh-Frontran route, Goregaon-Mulund Link Road, and the Borivali Tunnel are set to decongest the city.

Shinde reiterated that the alliance is focused on healthcare, sanitation, and redevelopment. He highlighted the upgrading of ‘Balasaheb Thackeray Aapla Dawakhana’ clinics and the acceleration of redevelopment for dilapidated buildings and slums.

“Our goal isn’t just the Mayor’s chair; it’s to change the lives of Mumbaikars. We want those who moved out of Mumbai to be able to return,” he said. He also extended special thanks to the “Ladki Bahin” (beloved sisters) for their significant contribution to the election results.

–IANS

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On Thursday, the Delhi BJP unveiled a series of posters and social media posts targeting the AAP government’s track record while projecting itself as the only solution to the capital’s woes.

One poster declared: “Now, Delhi’s air will also be clean, and every household will have access to safe drinking water because BJP is coming to power in Delhi.”

The BJP accused the AAP government of mismanagement and neglect in several key areas. The party labeled the AAP government as “Aap-da for Delhi” and alleged, “In the rain, Delhi turns into a city of lakes; Mohalla Clinics have turned into clinics of deaths; AAP promised schools but opened bars instead; less medicine, more alcohol; The capital is parched for clean drinking water, while pothole-riddled roads endanger lives;” Garbage mountains have sprung up in the streets since AAP-controlled MCD took charge.”

The BJP asserted that it will fix these issues and will replace “Aap-da” with efficient governance.

One poster emphasized the benefits of a “double-engine government,” claiming that a BJP-led administration in both Delhi and the Centre would ensure faster and more effective development.

“Delhi’s development will gain momentum when there is a double-engine government. Dilli ke dil mein Modi,” it said in one of the posts

The Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP won Assembly elections in 2015 and 2020 with huge margins. In the last two elections, the BJP was left with single-digit seats in the Delhi Assembly and the Congress was wiped out.

The Assembly elections in Delhi will take place on February 5 and the votes will be counted on February 8.

The Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is pushing hard for a third consecutive term, while the BJP has pulled out all stops to turn the tables. Also in the fight is the Congress, which is going alone. The grand old party is trying to make its presence felt in the national capital where it could not win a single seat in the Assembly. It is targeting both the BJP and the AAP. Congress was in alliance with the AAP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

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Gujarat to get 5th veterinary college in Himatnagar, admissions from next month

Gandhinagar, Aug 13 (IANS) The Central government has approved the establishment of the Kamdhenu Veterinary College in Himatnagar under Kamdhenu University, with admissions for 80 seats set to begin next month for the academic year 2025-26.

Spread over 23 acres, the modern campus will offer high-quality education and residential facilities at affordable government-regulated fees, creating new opportunities for aspiring veterinarians in Gujarat.

This will be the state’s fifth veterinary college after Anand, Navsari, Junagadh, and Dantiwada. Admission will be granted based on NEET scores to students who have passed Class 12, with the college offering a Bachelor of Veterinary Science (BVSc) and Animal Husbandry degree.

Recruitment for academic and non-teaching staff is complete, including one principal, four professors, seven associate professors, 34 assistant professors, and 23 support staff members. Officials said the college will not only strengthen veterinary education but also advance livestock healthcare initiatives, such as cattle health cards, livestock health fairs, and cataract surgeries for animals.

The institution is expected to play a vital role in continuing these programmes, improving animal health services, and supporting rural livelihoods across the state. Apart from the newly announced veterinary college, Gujarat has implemented a suite of impactful livestock welfare programmes.

The Mukhyamantri Gau Mata Poshan Sahay Yojana — backed by a Rs 500 crore budget in 2025-26 — offers Rs 30 per cow per day to registered gaushalas and panjrapols, currently benefiting over 84,800 cattle in 188 shelters and 22 asylum centres in Banaskantha alone.

The state continues aggressive vaccination campaigns and early surveillance against diseases like lumpy skin disease, with over 6.29 lakh cattle inoculated and milk-based testing enabling quick detection.

Under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission, Gujarat fosters conservation of indigenous breeds such as Gir and Kankrej through Gokul Grams and artificial insemination facilities, while allocating Rs 8 crore for a Gir cattle sanctuary in Porbandar aimed at scientific breeding and farmer training.

Additionally, the state promotes biofuel innovation by converting dairy byproducts and cattle dung into bioethanol and compressed biogas (CBG) projects powered by cooperatives like Amul and Banas Dairy that not only expand renewable energy but also provide new income streams for farmers.

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Naga bodies impose ‘trade embargo’ over border fencing issue, FMR

Imphal, Sep 10 (IANS) The indefinite “Trade Embargo” enforced in Manipur by the state’s apex Naga organisation, United Naga Council (UNC), continued for the second day on Wednesday affecting the supply of essentials and food grains to this Northeastern state from outside the state.

The UNC and other Naga organisations enforced the “Trade Embargo” in all Naga people inhabited areas in protest against the fencing along the India-Myanmar 1,643-km long international border and the scrapping of the Free Movement Regime (FMR).

Officials in Imphal said that hundreds of goods laden and empty trucks along with transport fuel carrying tankers stranded at different places of Imphal-Jiribam National Highway (NH-37) and Imphal-Dimapur National High (NH-2).

Maximum number of loaded trucks remained stranded at Mao Gate on NH-2.

The UNC and two other Naga organisations initiated the embargo by halting the movement of commercial goods along NH-2 and NH-37, particularly in Naga people inhabited areas.

The blockade has disrupted supply chains to several parts of the state, affecting both the Imphal Valley and southern Kuki-dominated hill districts.

The “Trade Embargo” has significantly impacted Senapati, Ukhrul, and Tamenglong districts, with trucks carrying essential goods remaining stuck at various checkpoints.

The UNC expressed disappointment over what it termed the Centre’s “lack of response” to their concerns, highlighting a failed meeting with the Ministry of Home Affairs on August 26.

According to the Naga organisations, the government’s decision to fence the border and repeal the FMR would physically divide Naga tribes across Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, and Myanmar, threatening their cultural identity, traditional and ancestral ties.

A UNC statement alleged that the indifferent attitude of the government necessitated a stringent agitation to register the rigid stance of the Naga people against the scrapping of FMR and the erection of fencing along the India-Myanmar border for defending the Naga homeland and identity, and the inherent rights over land, the statement said.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) last year announced that the FMR, which earlier allowed people residing along the India-Myanmar border to travel 16 km into each other’s territory without a passport and visa, would be scrapped.

Instead, the MHA had decided to adopt a new scheme to issue a pass to the border residents of both India and Myanmar living within 10 km on either side of the frontier to regulate cross-border movements.

The Nagaland and Mizoram governments and a large number of political parties and civil societies in the two northeastern states have been opposing both border fencing and the scrapping of the old FMR.

Four northeastern states — Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, and Mizoram — share a 1,643-km unfenced border with Myanmar. The MHA had earlier decided to put up fencing on the entire porous border, known for the smuggling of arms, ammunition, narcotics and various other contrabands, for Rs 31,000 crore.

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