A viral video of a Chinese youth mocking burqa-clad women in Islamabad's F-10 Markaz has triggered a national debate on cultural respect and legal accountability. A video clip of a Chinese national making derogatory remarks and harassing burqa-clad women in the F-10 Markaz area of Islamabad has
Black garlic neither has the same features as its white variant nor the same intended health benefits. Rather than the familiar ivory-hued clove used to enhance the taste and aroma of Indian dishes, black garlic is dark and comes with a subtle and balsamic sweetness. Unlike regular garlic
Gold and silver have seen a rollercoaster end to a year in which their prices are on track to record their biggest annual gains since 1979. The price of gold soared by more than 60% this year to hit a record high of more than $4,549 (£3
Mumbai: Unlike the first phase of local body elections that largely saw a straight contest between the ruling Mahayuti alliance and the opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the municipal corporation polls in major cities across Maharashtra have thrown up a different picture
Bihar Public Service Commission, on Monday, said that the written examination for the post of Assistant Education Development Officer (AEDO), scheduled to be held from 10-16 January next year, has been postponed. Why the AEDO written exam is postponed?Bihar Public Service Commission
As BJP tightens grip in Maharashtra, cracks deepen in Shiv Sena
A year after the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance swept Maharashtra with 235 seats, political fault lines are widening within the ruling coalition even as the opposition remains disoriented. The Congress is distancing itself from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena, while tensions have intensified between the BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
A year after the Bharatiya Janata Party with its allies the Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party stormed into power in Maharashtra virtually wiping out the opposition winning 235 out of the 288 seats, the opposition is still to gather its wits. The drubbing has put the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance in a disarray with the Congress now trying to distance itself from the Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray Sena (UBT Sena). While the opposition camp in disarray there are also deep fissures from within the Mahayuti alliance, especially the Shiv Sena as the BJP has emerged stronger under Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
The BJP has got 132 seats just 12 seats short of the 144 number for a majority, the BJP's big numbers has meant problems within the alliance as the Shiv Sena and BJP are at loggerheads as the former feels that the BJP now wants to expand its footprint in the state at its expense.
ALSO READ: Click here to check the biggest stories of 2025
In late November Nilesh Rane, the Shiv Sena's Kudal MLA, barged into the home of a BJP party functionary along with the police where they found a bag filled with cash. As the opposition on the sidelines cheered on, Nilesh claimed that the BJP was using money power to win the Kankavli local body polls. He accused none other than state BJP president Ravindra Chavan of supplying money to BJP workers. The Shiv Sena and BJP were already estranged after the BJP refused an offer for an alliance for the Kankavli Municipal council polls. The two parties contested separately with the Shiv Sena cobbling up an alliance to take on the BJP in the Kankavli civic polls. The Shiv Sena supported alliance eventually won the Kankavli civic poll but Nilesh Rane's allegations against the state BJP chief Chavan have demonstrated how brittle relations between the two allies are.
ALSO READ: 2025 in the rearview: A year of tumult and triumphThe biggest showdown, however, came from Kalyan Dombivli, where the BJP last month inducted some long-time Shiv Sena functionaries who were close to Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, son of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
The move angered the Shiv Sena as the BJP had already eyeing the Kalyan Lok Sabha constituency from where Shrikant Shinde is an MP. The Shiv Sena read it as a sign that the BJP was building its base in Kalyan and would stake its claim for the Kalyan seat forcefully in the 2029 Lok Sabha polls.
Which is why the response from the Shiv Sena was immediate, Shiv Sena ministers boycotted the weekly cabinet meeting of the Maharashtra government. They later met Chief Minister Fadnavis to complain on the issue, Fadnavis however retorted that the BJP was just following the Sena as the latter had a few days back poached some of its cadres in Ulhasnagar. Not satisfied with Fadnavis, Eknath Shinde flew to Delhi to meet Home Minister Amit Shah to complain to him about the poaching.
While the Shiv Sena claimed it now had a mutual understanding that the three ruling parties will no longer poach functionaries from each other's party, Ravindra Chavan again inducted two Shiv Sena functionaries from Kalyan-Dombivli on December 3. The Shiv Sena protested that the BJP had violated the alliance dharma, but the BJP again claimed that the Shiv Sena first broke the rule by inducting a female party cadre from Ambernath in their party.
Significantly alarm bells have been ringing in the Shiv Sena not just because of the BJP poaching key party functionaries from Kalyan Dombivli. The BJP in the last few days has inducted in several candidates who had contested against Shiv Sena MLAs in the 2024 assembly polls.
For instance, the party has inducted Satyajit Patankar and independent candidate from Patan who had contested against Shiv Sena Minister Shambhuraj Desai. Similarly, in Malegaon Outer Assembly constituency the BJP has got Advay Hire from the UBT, who had contested against Dada Bhuse, another Shiv Sena minister. Another UBT candidate Raju Shinde, who had contested against Sanjay Shirsat, another Shiv Sena minister, has also been brought into the BJP.
The inductions have led to fears from the Shiv Sena that the BJP is strengthening itself and is already planning to stake claim on its seats for the 2029 assembly polls.
While both Fadnavis and Shinde praise each other in public, the tensions between the Maharashtra BJP unit and the Shiv Sena primarily stems from the tug of war between the CM and his deputy CM.
Things between Shinde and Fadnavis were initially good after the latter gave up the chief minister's post in favour of Shinde in 2022. However, things have soured as Shinde consolidated his hold in the party and began taking decisions unilaterally. Sources said that there were frequent run-ins between Fadnavis and Shinde over running the government.
BJP leaders claim that Shinde used his proximity to Home Minister Amit Shah to browbeat the BJP leadership in the state. Things however changed after the 2024 assembly polls when the BJP nearly reached the majority figure on its own. Even then, Shinde first staked claim on the chief minister's post claiming it was due to his mandate that the Mahayuti alliance got so many seats. Things between Fadnavis and Shinde have soured so much that when Shinde realised that he was not getting the top job, he tried to reach out to the BJP leadership warning them about the drawbacks of Fadnavis being the CM.
Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now!
Source: EconomicTimes
Related Posts: "Hate being normalised by BJP BJP Announces First List Of 66 Candidates For BMC Elections Give BJP another 5 years to ensure infiltrator-free Assam BJP, Shiv Sena Finalise Seat-Sharing Pact For Mumbai Civic Body Polls Can BJP’s Anti-Dynasty Move In Maharashtra Deliver Long-Term Gains Can BJP’s Anti-Dynasty Move In Maharashtra Deliver Long-Term Gains Heavy vehicles banned during New Year celebrations in Maharashtra’s Raigad Only BJP Can Seal Borders Maharashtra civic body polls BJP won't cross 50-mark in Bengal polls
It had seemed like Arsenal were starting to wobble. After starting December with defeat by Aston Villa, they were far from convincing as they beat Wolves, Everton and Brighton by narrow margins. But the Gunners ground out vital results and they answered any lingering doubts over their title
Just now
The UAE rejected Saudi claims over Yemen, denied involvement in tensions or arms supply, reaffirmed support for Saudi security, called for restraint, coordination, and de-escalation to preserve regional stability. The United Arab Emirates expressed concern regarding the statement issued by the
Just now
Global trade is slowly shifting from dollar dominance. Using local currencies is no longer an economic choice, it is becoming a strategic tool. Local Currency Trade: For decades, the global economy revolved around the US dollar, but the dynamics are now changing. Rising geopolitical tensions
Just now
Pisces experiences a deeply emotional yet disciplined love year in 2026. Saturn remains in your first house, making you more serious and introspective in relationships. This placement can delay emotional expression but strengthens long-term commitment
Just now
British boxing star Anthony Joshua was injured in a fatal highway crash in Nigeria, just ten days after defeating Jake Paul in a Netflix bout. The former heavyweight champion, who has a significant fan base and a decorated career including an Olympic gold medal
Just now
Director Sriram Raghavan is taking on the war epic genre for the first time with his upcoming film, Ikkis. Over the years, the filmmaker has established a reputation for telling stories in thrillers and dark spy films. In a day and age when that has become the norm with films like Dhurandhar
Just now
Aries: Emotionally, today might feel an intense need for security. Take the time to bond with those who respect your space and who do not rush your feelings. Sometimes, silence is even more powerful than the spoken word. If you are in a relationship
Just now
Bollywood icon Rekha once again reminded the fashion world why she remains unmatched in elegance. Celebrating Christmas in a striking Manish Malhotra ensemble, the 71-year-old actress effortlessly blended festive glamour with her signature old-world charmBollywood icon Rekha once again reminded the
Just now
The process of conducting a special intensive revision of the voter rolls in Uttar Pradesh has been extended again, the state chief electoral officer said on Tuesday. The draft voter list will now be published on January 6, while the final list will be published on March 6
Just now
A street confrontation in Maharashtra has drawn attention after visuals showed a delivery agent being assaulted following a minor road incident. The episode reportedly occurred in Nagpur and was captured on camera by bystanders. The footage shows the delivery worker being attacked by occupants of a
Just now
Not every powerful scene comes easily, even when it ends up leaving a deep mark on audiences. One of the most unsettling moments in Dhurandhar — involving Ranveer Singh's character Hamza — almost didn't happen at all. Actor Naseem, who played Lulli in the film
Just now
I spent the early years of my career at a university campus working as a student counsellor. Those years gave me a chance to experience belonging and warmth, and develop my skills of active listening sprinkled with capacity and opportunities for fun. The campus offered me the gift of community
Just now
Even some of those who supported the rate cut acknowledged "the decision was finely balanced or that they could have supported keeping the target range unchanged," given the different risks facing the U.S. economy, according to the minutes released on Tuesday
Just now
The wife of an Indian man who died after waiting for nearly eight hours to see a doctor at a Canadian hospital has demanded justice. On December 22, Prashant Sreekumar reached Grey Nuns Hospital in Edmonton complaining of severe chest pain and loss of vision in one eye
Just now
Television superstar Hina Khan has stated what intimacy means to her and has expressed her immense love and gratitude for her husband, Rocky Jaiswal, who never fails to make her feel special, even after 13 years of togetherness. The couple, who are on a vacation to the Maldives
Just now
It was late May and I was in Darjeeling district of West Bengal interviewing tea estate managers and workers about the struggles their world famous industry was facing due to climate change and competition. On my first day there I had joined protesting activists and workers at Longview tea estate
Just now
East Bengal FC's Fazila Ikwaput and Soumya Guguloth both scored hat-tricks as the footballing powerhouse beat Sesa Football Academy 9-0, bagging their largest-ever victory in the Indian Women's League on Tuesday. Fazila (9′, 22′, 25′, 72′) scored four goals, Soumya (6′
Just now
At a time when fraud attacks on the Indian financial services ecosystem is going up, banks are pushing the adoption of video KYC instead of electronic KYC as a way to open digital accounts, according to people in the know. The central bank allows lenders to open digital savings accounts with just a
Just now
As the New Year rolled in, I felt like refreshing my setup, not just for better sound, but for something that actually looked fun and modern on my desk. Plain headphones did the job, but they never quite matched the energy of late-night gaming sessions, movie breaks, or music breaks
Just now
New Year celebrations often mean full homes, shared meals, and a kitchen that never seems to rest. In such moments, dishwashers play a quiet yet important role. After hosting friends or family, the focus should remain on conversations and memories, not piles of dirty utensils
Just now
Dense to very dense fog is set to persist across large parts of north and east India over the next several days, accompanied by cold wave and cold day conditions in multiple regions, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced. In its latest weather bulletin
Just now
The Special Court for People's Representatives in Bengaluru on Tuesday granted conditional bail to Congress MLA from Challakere constituency KC Veerendra, also known as Pappi, four months after his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case linked to online betting
Just now
India's Gen Z, numbering 380 million, is a powerful force driving change. This generation is impacting innovation, politics, and spending habits. Their direct and influenced spending is set to grow significantly. Gen Z's evolving preferences for celebrations, online expression
Just now
Caballero defends Maresca after Palmer substitution sparks jeers Chelsea assistant coach Willy Caballero defended Enzo Maresca's decision to replace Cole Palmer after the controversial substitution sparked jeered from angry fans during the 2-2 draw against Bournemouth on Tuesday
Just now
Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh's first woman prime minister, died after a prolonged illness, said her Bangladesh Nationalist Party. She was 80. She had been suffering from advanced cirrhosis of the liver, arthritis, diabetes, chest and heart problems.Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh's first woman prime minister
Just now
A dynamic new “consumer class” emerging from Africa is attracting international attention. With the prospect of rising incomes and a young population, international consulting firms see the continent as the next frontier for consumer goods
Just now
Eventful as it was, 2025 was also a year of profound loss, with several celebrated personalities who contributed greatly in the fields of art and politics bidding the world a goodbye. From advertising legend Piyush Pandey to 'He-man' Dharmendra, India lost some great gems in 2025.Eventful as it was
Just now
