Mumbai this week: From Sharad Pawar’s resignation drama to ‘rumours’ of Ajit Pawar joining BJP, NCP’s affairs create tumult in MVA corridors

The other Maha Vikas Aghadi constituents – Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress – said Sharad Pawar’s guidance is crucial in uniting the Opposition at the state and national levels. But firm on his stand, the 82-year-old veteran politician said a successor would be chosen by May 5. Here is how this development cast a shadow on the prospects of this alliance

A panel set up to choose Sharad Pawar’s successor spread cheer across the party as it rejected the leader’s resignation. Ajit Pawar, the assumed in-charge after the announcement of the resignation, was not present at the press meet where Sharad Pawar announced that he will continue as NCP chief and prepare a succession plan. Ajit Pawar, who backed the decision to resign, went silent

Here are the other top news developments from Mumbai in the past week (May 1-7):

Protests against refinery project in Barsu-Solgaon continue

➡️ While chaos surrounded his own party, Sharad Pawar talked to activists protesting a refinery project in Barsu Solgaon and later met state industries minister Uday Samant.

➡️ The minister assured that the government won’t go ahead with the proposed refinery without clearing the doubts and misconceptions of the villagers opposing the mega project. The Maharashtra government also told the Bombay High Court that it will withdraw the orders prohibiting eight residents from entering their villages in Ratnagiri.

➡️ The Shiv Sena (UBT) continued its attack, with Uddhav Thackeray demanding that the refinery be moved to Gujarat, while Tata Airbus and Vedanta Foxconn be shifted to Maharashtra. Here is what Sanjay Raut said about the involvement of the Saudi prince in the project

India’s first undersea twin tunnels to open in November

The Indian Express took an exclusive look at the progress of the twin undersea tunnels and the Coastal Road Project they are a part of. Read on to know how it will fundamentally change the way Mumbai drives

Take  a deeper look into the project and find out how the tunnels were completed more than two years after 35 men and a giant Chinese Tunnel Boring Machine began cutting though complex geological strata

The largest tunnel-boring machine ever deployed in India was used for the project. (Express photo by Pradip Das)

Other important news this week:

1. Water stock drops to 24%, BMC says no immediate plan to impose supply cut
2. Citing Aryan Khan’s clean chit, model seeks discharge from cruise drugs raid case
3. Nirmal Lifestyle developers Dharmesh Jain, Rajiv Jain arrested for cheating 54 homebuyers; took Rs 80.93 crore from 461 buyers
4. Gokhale Bridge to be made fully operational by Nov, says BMC
5. Actor Sheezan Khan allowed to travel to South Africa for reality show shoot
6. With Bilawal Bhutto’s Goa visit, spotlight on his grandfather’s legacy in Mumbai
7. Prisoners aspire to pursue law, defend themselves; write entrance
8. Chrisann Periera drug planting case: Police add destruction of evidence charge against three accused

Photo of the week

Leaders of the Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP and Congress are seen during the MVA’s Vajramuth rally at BKC on Maharashtra Day. This is the third MVA rally this year. (Express photo by Amit Chakravarty)

News to watch out for next week:

1. BMC to hold a high-level meeting to identify the issue of garbage and waste disposal in the drains and rivers in Mumbai, which eventually clogs the drains and leads to waterlogging during monsoon.
2. Chrisann Pereira expected to return to India.
3. The Vajramuth joint rally of opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, scheduled to be held in Kolhapur on May 14, has been postponed along with the other scheduled rallies in Pune, Nasik, and Amaravati.
4. Maharashtra Cabinet meeting to be held.
5. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar will meet NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray.
6. Supreme Court likely to pass its order in the coming week on the matter of disqualification of 16 MLAs belonging to Eknath Shinde group

Obituary

Prashant Nadkar, The Indian Express’s principal photographer based in Mumbai, died of a cardiac arrest on Friday evening. He was 48. Nadkar had done exemplary work covering the Mumbai deluge of 2005, the blasts in Mumbai local trains the following, the Malegaon blasts of 2006, and the 26/11 attacks in 2008.

Here are some of Nadkar’s works for The Indian Express:

News from Mumbai: April 24-30

News from Mumbai: April 17-23

News from Mumbai: April 10-16