Among the 25 dead in the bus fire on the Samruddhi Expressway were three members each of two families. The private bus in which they were travelling caught fire after hitting a pole near Buldhana in Maharashtra early Saturday.
Kailash Gangawane (52), a teacher with Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru School in Nirgudsar village of Ambegaon taluka in Pune district; his wife Kanchan (41) and their daughter Rutuja (21), a medicine graduate, died in the bus accident and were together “till the last moment”, said a close relative.
As per the statistics maintained by the state highway police till date, as many as 39 fatal accidents have occurred on the Samruddhi Mahamarg in which 88 people have died. Nearly 87 serious accidents occurred in which 232 people were left with severe injuries and 215 accidents occurred in which 428 people sustained minor injuries, while 275 accidents occurred in which motorists escaped with no injuries.
The officials of state highway police said that of the total 616 accidents, the majority of the incidents (188) occurred due to highway hypnosis, followed by other causes such as speeding (105) and tyre burst (103). Till June 30, 2023, speeding was the biggest cause of fatal accidents on the new expressway claiming 25 lives. The highway police have also recorded that the majority of the accidents (180) have occurred between 6am and 12pm.
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Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said, " What ever has happened is in the larger interest of Maharashtra. Under the leadership of CM Eknath Shinde, Ajit Pawar and I will work for the rapid growth and holistic development of Maharashtra."
NCP chief Sharad Pawar said he is not worried about Ajit Pawar's switching sides and will travel across the country to connect with people.
"I am not worried. I am going to step out tomorrow to Karad. I will travel the state and country and connect with people. This is my strategy for the future. I am going to reach out to the public," he said.
After nine NCP leaders, including Ajit Pawar, joined the Eknath Shinde government, party chief Sharad Pawar convened a meeting on July 5 to discuss the developments.
Dilip Walse Patil and Chhagan Bhujbal joining the Eknath Shinde government is being seen as a shocker in NCP circles as the two are considered the staunchest supporters of Sharad Pawar.
Bhujbal belongs to the Mali community and was previously a firebrand Shiv Sena leader before leaving it in 1991 to join the Congress. In 1999, when Pawar split from the Congress to form the NCP, Bhujbal, who was leader of opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council at the time, followed the Maratha strongman. The MLA from Yeola in Nashik has been deputy chief minister of the state earlier and was also the first NCP state unit chief in 1999.
Walse Patil started his political career as the personal assistant (PA) of 83-year-old Sharad Pawar and is considered his closest aide. He has served as speaker of the assembly, held the energy, excise and home portfolios and is a seven-time MLA from Ambegaon constituency. (PTI)
A week after the onset of Mumbai’s monsoon, the city and its suburbs experienced moderate rains throughout Sunday. BMC data showed that between 8 am and 1 pm on Sunday, the island city recorded 9.87 mm of rainfall, while the eastern suburbs and the western suburbs received 23 mm and 18.81 mm of showers respectively.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a green alert for Mumbai and Thane, stating the possibility of moderate rainfall which is in place for today and Monday. On Sunday, for the city’s neighbouring districts of Palghar and Raigad, the weather bureau sounded a yellow alert, implying heavy rainfall in isolated pockets.
Furthermore, after a week of incessant rainfall, BMC data released on Sunday showed that water stock level in all seven lakes has risen to 15.4 per cent. Before the onset of monsoon, lake levels had dipped below seven per cent, with the levels standing at 6.49 per cent until 6 am on June 25.
Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule claimed 40 of 53 MLAs of the Nationalist Congress Party are supporting the state government.
Bawankule was speaking to reporters after NCP leader Ajit Pawar was sworn in as deputy chief minister while eight MLAs of the Sharad Pawar-led party took oath as ministers in the government led by Shiv Sena and BJP.
The swearing-in of NCP leader Ajit Pawar and several of his colleagues as deputy chief minister and ministers, respectively, on Saturday has meant Maharashtra has seen four oath-taking ceremonies in as many years at its stately Raj Bhavan.
In November 2019, after the Assembly polls and the split between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiv Sena, Devendra Fadnavis and NCP's Ajit Pawar were sworn in as CM and Deputy CM, respectively, in an early morning ceremony in Raj Bhavan. The government lasted just 80 hours as Pawar was unable to cause a split in his party.
Within a month, Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray was sworn in as CM after his party joined hands with the NCP and Congress to form the Maha Vikas Agahdi government. Incidentally, Ajit Pawar, who had returned to the NCP, was the deputy CM in this government.
The MVA government fell in June last year after minister Eknath Shinde and 39 MLAs revolted against Thackeray and split the Shiv Sena. Shinde was sworn in as CM on June 30 with the support of the BJP. This time, Fadnavis as made deputy CM.
While Bhagat Singh Koshyari was the governor when the first three oath-taking ceremonies took place, Saturday's political developments have come when Ramesh Bais is occupying the gubernatorial chair. (PTI)
NCP leader Ajit Pawar, who took oath as the Deputy chief minister of Maharashtra after joining the Eknath Shinde-led government, is the son of Sharad Pawar’s elder brother Anantrao. He made his first foray into politics by being elected to the board of a sugar cooperative in 1982.
In 1991, Ajit became the chairman of Pune District Cooperative Bank, a post he served for the next 16 years. Elected as an MP to the Lok Sabha from Baramati in 1991, Ajit later vacated the seat for Sharad Pawar who was the defence minister in the P.V. Narasimha Rao government. He later went on to become an MLA from the Baramati Assembly Constituency. Read the full story here
As Ajit Pawar took oath as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, joining the Eknath Shinde-led government along with eight Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLAs, the Congress and Sharad Pawar led the charge against his move.
“What has happened today is not new to me. There have been instances in the past where people have left me. I was left with only 5 MLAs. Some of those who have left have done so against the principles of the party,” Sharad Pawar said.
Opposition leaders have hit out at the move, with Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut saying that the induction of NCP leader Ajit Pawar as deputy chief minister was the beginning of the process of Eknath Shinde losing his chief minister's post. Read more
The Nationalist Congress Party appointed Jitendra Awhad as Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly after incumbent LoP Ajit Pawar joined the Eknath Shinde government as deputy chief minister.
The MLA from Mumbra-Kalwa in neighbouring Thane district said NCP state unit president Jayant Patil had appointed him chief whip of the party and LoP in the Assembly. "All the MLAs will have to abide my whip," he asserted in an apparent reference to defection and disqualification angles that are bound to come up in connection with Sunday's developments brought about by a vertical split in the NCP.
Queried on Enforcement Directorate and Central Bureau of Investigation probes against some NCP leaders and its role in them switching sides, Awhad said, "I don't see any other reason behind these leaders deciding to join the state government. There was no need to do such a thing. Those leaders could have sat aside. These leaders should not forget the party made them ministers in the past 25 years. Now, they are deserting their leader (83-year-old Sharad Pawar) in his twilight years." (PTI)
NCP leader Ajit Pawar was sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra on Sunday afternoon (July 2), after recent political developments in his party reportedly left him disgruntled, resulting in him joining the BJP-Shiv Sena (Shinde) government.
A longstanding feature of Indian politics, the appointment of a Deputy Chief Minister represents a political compromise that often follows the formation of a coalition government, or when no single leader commands unchallenged authority in the party in power, and loyalty across all the key interest groups in the state. Read more here
A march was led by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray to protest against "corruption" in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in the last one year. The 'morcha' began from Metro Cinema and culminated outside the civic body's headquarters.
In a tweet, Aaditya said the march showed that Mumbai will never bow down.
Newly sworn-in Deputy CM Ajit Pawar said the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), BJP and NCP will contest the 2024 Lok Sabha polls together.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray lamented the political environment in Maharashtra and said Ajit Pawar's move today was the first act of a process to "discard the burden of Uddhav Thackeray". "The first team from the NCP camp has left to join hands with power. The remaining team will join in soon," he said.
"The Maharashtra BJP was not liking the unnecessary importance being given to Eknath Shinde and they have now found a counter to him. What this has highlighted is the muddied political environment in Maharashtra. I feel heartbroken to see the political state or Maharashtra which has provided direction to the country," he said.
NCP leader and newly sworn-in minister Chhagan Bhujbal said that Sharad Pawar has himself said that PM Narendra Modi-led BJP will come back to power in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. "If that is the case, we should go along with them with a positive mindset and work towards solving issues of the people by taking the help of the government and helping them in return. Fighting on the streets is not going to solve problems. Our endeavour is to be inside the government and address the issues of people," Bhujbal said.
NCP leader Ajit Pawar said that he and eight party MLAs have joined the Shinde-Fadnavis government as the NCP and will continue to fight all future elections under the party's name and symbol.
"For last 24 years, many leaders of the NCP worked to grow it. We all worked under guidance of Sharad Pawar. We will now promote young blood. I don't care about criticism and will work towards the welfare of people of Maharashtra. We have joined the government as NCP. All future elections will be fought under the symbol and name of the NCP. If we can go with Shiv Sena in MVA, we can join BJP too. We have done it in Nagaland as well," he said.
After being sworn in as the Deputy CM of Maharashtra, NCP leader Ajit Pawar said another Cabinet expansion in the future will see the induction of more NCP leaders as ministers. "We were discussing for many days and decided to prioritise development. PM Narendra Modi has been strongly working for last nine years and he is taking the country forward. We should also support that effort."
Speaking about the Opposition's attempts to form a united front against the BJP, Pawar. said, "Many opposition parties are trying to come together at a national level. But there are many contradictions and these meetings give no output. The country needs a strong leadership. Hence, we decided to join the government."
The induction of Hasan Mushrif in the Maharashtra cabinet is the second time a Muslim has been made a cabinet minister in a BJP-led government. The other Muslim minister in CM Eknath Shinde's Cabinet is Abdul Sattar.
The only other BJP ruled state which has a Muslim minister is Uttar Pradesh where Danish Ansari is the MoS in charge of Minority Welfare. Ansari is however a junior minister and not a cabinet minister like Mushrif.
Of the nine Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders who were sworn in as Cabinet ministers in Maharashtra’s Eknath Shinde – Devendra Fadnavis government on Sunday, at least three – Ajit Pawar, Chhagan Bhujbal and Hasan Mushrif – are facing a probe by the Enforcement Directorate in cases linked to money laundering.
Here are the details of the cases against them
While drawing political strategies, stitching pre-poll alliances, evolving seat-sharing formula, rolling out campaigns, booth mobilisation, and public outreach are ongoing processes which have begun, there are in-house issues which have kept CM Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis on toes—Maharashtra cabinet expansion.
After Shinde and Fadnavis took the oath of office as CM and Deputy CM, respectively, on June 30, 2022, the two of them ran the government by themselves for almost 41 days. In the first cabinet expansion, they inducted 18 MLAs—nine each from the BJP and Shiv Sena (Shinde). 23 vacant berths in the council of ministers remained unfilled in the last year. Read Shubhangi Khapre's full story here
Ajit Pawar has become the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra for the fifth time. This is the largest number of times that a politician has been appointed a DCM in the state since the position was created in 1978.
Following Ajit Pawar's swearing in as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister, CM Eknath Shinde said the double-engine government "got a third engine". "Now this government will run at a bullet train's speed. I welcome Ajit Pawar and his colleagues in the government," Shinde said.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar confirmed that Ajit Pawar has submitted a resignation as the leader of opposition in state Assembly.
NCP MLA Anil Bhaidas Patil, who took oath as a minister, represents Amalner assembly constituency in Jalgaon district. Patil is the chief whip of NCP in the state legislative assembly.
For all his actions in the past few years, Ajit Pawar has earned the sobriquet of being the “enfant terrible” of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). On Sunday, four years after he tried to cause a split in the party and entered into a short-lived political alliance with the BJP to form the government in Maharashtra, Ajit Pawar repeated the move and took oath as Deputy Chief Minister.
This comes days after a war of words between Pawar and Deputy CM Fadnavis over the 2019 episode ended with the BJP warning the NCP to watch out for Fadnavis’ “bouncers”. Read the full story here
Aatram Dharamraobaba Bhagwantrao is NCP MLA from from Aheri Assembly constituency in Gadchiroli city. He is a tribal community leader.
Aditi Tatkare, is the daughter of NCP leader and Lok Sabha MP Sunil Tatkare. She is a first time MLA from Shrivardhan and was minister in the MVA government.
Sanjay Baburao Bansode is a first term MLA from Latur and was the cabinet minister of the Maharashtra from December 30, 2019 to June 29, 2022. Bansode is considered to be a close associate of Ajit Pawar. Bansode had also accompanied Ajit Pawar during the 2019 early morning swearing in ceremony.
NCP MLA Hasan Mushrif is a five time MLA from Kagal assembly constituency in Western Maharashtra and a prominent Muslim face in the party.
Dhananjay Munde represents Beed assembly constituency and is a first time MLA. He was earlier the leader of opposition in the legislative council. Munde, the nephew of BJP leader Gopinath Munde, had split from the BJP to join the NCP and is a close associate of Ajit Pawar. He was earlier the leader of opposition in the legislative council. Munde was social justice minister in the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.
MLA Chaggan Bhujabal, an OBC leader, took oath as a minister in the Shinde-Fadnavis government. Bhujbal joining hands with this government seems to be a big blow for NCP especially when OBC reservation case pending in Supreme Court. Bhujbal represents Yeola and is a prominent OBC face in the largely Maratha-centric NCP. Bhujbal is a five time MLA who had split from the Shiv Sena in the early 90s to join Congress at the behest of Pawar.
Dilip Walse Patil is seven-time MLA from Ambegaon assembly constituency from western Maharashtra and is a close aide of NCP founder Sharad Pawar whom he has served as a political secretary.
Praful Patel, who was appointed as the national working president of the NCP by Sharad Pawar, accompanied Ajit Pawar to Raj Bhavan along with Devendra Fadnavis and Eknath Shinde.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader sanjay Raut said that NCP chief Sharad Pawar told him he has the support of the people and will rebuild everything with Uddhav Thackeray. "People will not tolerate this game for long," he tweeted.
Amongst the leaders who switched sides include Ajit Pawar, Chhagan Bhujbal and Hasan Mushrif, who are facing probes in ED cases
List of NCP MLAs likely to be sworn in:
Industries minister Uday Samant said Ajit Pawar's move to their side is a positive development. "We welcome all those who join us to strengthen the BJP-Shiv Sena government," minister Shanbhuraj Desai said.
The past few months have seen at least three instances when the party probably did not pay attention to Ajit Pawar's ambitions and sidelined the Leader of Opposition.
Almost 30 to 40 MLAs out of total 54 attended NCP lawmakers attended a meeting held at Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar's official bungalow 'Devgiri'.
NCP leader and Sharad Pawar's nephew Ajit Pawar will take oath of deputy CM. Additionally, Chhagan Bhujbal, Dhananjay Munde along with other NCP MLAs are present at Raj Bhawan.
CM Eknath Shinde, who was at Varsha Bungalow reaches Raj Bhavan along with five ministers
Ajit Pawar calls urgent meeting of NCP MLAs
Ajit Pawar, the Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra, called for an urgent meeting of NCP MLAs on Sunday. The meeting comes amid rumours of his unhappiness on being denied the post of party's state unit chief. The meeting was earlier slated to be held on July 6 in the presence of NCP chief Sharad Pawar, who is currently in Pune.
NCP's state unit chief Jayant Patil held a telephonic converstaion with Sharad Pawar, who has cancelled his scheduled tour and program. Party working president Supriya Sule is also reported to be present for the meeting.
Earlier, Ajit Pawar had offered to resign from the post of Leader of Opposition, seeking an organisational responsibility. The party discussed the matter on Wednesday at the national executive of the party in Delhi and the final decision is expected in two months.
Mass cremation of those lost in Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway begins
Two dead, one injured after two buses collide, ram into auto rickshaw
Two people died and one was injured after two Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) buses collided and rammed into an auto rickshaw near Goregaon Check Naka bridge on Eastern Express Highway in the wee hours of Sunday. The deceased have been identified as Johny Sankharam (42) and Sujata Panchaki (38). The autorickshaw driver sustained minor injuries on his left cheek.
According to preliminary reports, the buses were heading from Poisar depot to Ghatkopar depot and one of the buses applied brake. The second bus followed suit, however, owing to the slippery road, both the buses bumped into each other and then rammed into the auto rickshaw which passed beside.
Speeding car falls on railway track in Nagpur, five injured
In other news, a speeding car fell on the railway track from Borkhedi flyover in Nagpur. Butibori police was quoted as saying in an ANI tweet that five people who travelled in the car were admitted to local hospital following injuries.
Kin of those lost in Mumbai-Nagpur expressway accident pay a last visit to their loved ones
Welcome to today's live blog! As condolences pour in for the lives lost in Mumbai-Nagpur expressway accident, we bring you the latest updates.