महाराष्ट्र में 20 नवंबर को विधानसभा चुनाव के लिए वोटिंग होनी है, इसे लेकर प्रधानमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी ने गुरुवार को मुंबई के दादर स्थित शिवाजी पार्क मैदान में रैली की, लेकिन इस रैली में डिप्टी सीएम अजित पवार और उनकी पार्टी के अन्य वरिष्ठ नेताओं ने हिस्सा नहीं लिया. साथ ही NCP उम्मीदवार सना मलिक, नवाब मलिक और जीशान सिद्दीकी भी महायुति गठबंधन की रैली में शामिल नहीं हुए. जबकि शिवसेना (शिंदे गुट) और रामदास अठावले की अगुवाई वाली आरपीआई समेत महायुति के सभी उम्मीदवार रैली के दौरान मंच पर मौजूद थे.

पीएम मोदी ने रैली के दौरान कहा कि महाविकास अघाड़ी के लोग तुष्टिकरण के गुलाम हो चुके हैं. ये वो अघाड़ी है, जो राम मंदिर का विरोध करते हैं. भगवा आतंकवाद शब्द गढ़ते हैं. कश्मीर में 370 की वापसी के लिए प्रस्ताव पारित करते हैं, आज महाराष्ट्र विधानसभा चुनाव की मेरी आख़िरी सभा है. हर क्षेत्र के लोगों से मेरा संवाद हुआ है. उन्होंने कहा कि पूरे महाराष्ट्र का आशीर्वाद आज महायुति के साथ है. 

‘सरकार बनाने के लिए कांग्रेस बिना पानी के मछली जैसी तड़प रही’

उन्होंने कहा कि महाविकास अघाड़ी वालों के लिए देश से ऊपर उनका दल है. जब भारत आगे बढ़ता है, तो अघाड़ी वालों को तक़लीफ होती है. ये लोग भारत की उपलब्धि पर सवाल उठाते हैं. अघाड़ी के लोग जाति के नाम पर लोगों को लड़ाने में लगे हैं. सरकार बनाने के लिए कांग्रेस बिना पानी के मछली जैसी तड़प रही है. 

‘एससी-एसटी की जातियों को लड़ाना चाहती है कांग्रेस’

पीएम ने कहा कि कांग्रेस एससी-एसटी की जातियों को आपस में लड़ाना चाहती है. मैं बार-बार कह रहा हूं कि जिस प्रकार से महाविकास अघाड़ी के लोग कारनामे कर रहे हैं, जिस प्रकार से ‘कांग्रेस के शहज़ादे’ तबाही की भाषा बोल रहे हैं, ऐसे में एक बात बहुत ज़रूरी हो गई है- ‘एक हैं तो सेफ हैं’.

महाविकास अघाड़ी पर साधा निशाना

पीएम मोदी ने कहा कि अघाड़ी में एक ऐसा दल है, जिसने बालासाहेब का अपमान करने वाले दल के हाथ में अपना रिमोट सौंप दिया है. हिम्मत है तो एक बार को ‘कांग्रेस के शहज़ादे’ के मुंह से निकलवाइए- हिंदू हृदय सम्राट बालासाहेब ठाकरे. उन्होंने कहा कि ‘आज देश में मोदी की सरकार है, आतंक के आकाओं को पता है, इन अघाड़ी वालों को पता हो या ना हो कि भारत के खिलाफ कुछ किया, मुंबई के खिलाफ कुछ भी किया तो पाताल में भी मोदी नहीं छोड़ेगा.’

Ajit Pawar says there is “absolutely” no chance of him rejoining his uncle Sharad Pawar in the future.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar politically broke away from his uncle Sharad Pawar almost a year ago. His claims on the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and its symbol were accepted by the Election Commission but the matter is now with the Supreme Court. He contested as a partner of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the Lok Sabha election and could win one seat out of four. This time, in the State Assembly election, Ajit’s party is contesting 55 seats. He believes that the Mahayuti has improved its election position in the last four months and is going to win this election. He spoke to Frontline during his campaign in Marathwada. Excerpts.

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Before the formation of the BJP in 1980, the Congress dominated Maharashtra’s politics with the formidable support of Marathas, Dalits, Kunbis, tribal people, and Muslims. The appeal of the BJP’s predecessor, the Jana Sangh, was limited to Brahmins and, very nominally, some other castes. In order to break this equation, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the ideological parent of the saffron parties, decided to change tack. It brought its ideologue and full-time member Vasantrao Bhagwat to the helm of organisational affairs in the State. Bhagwat, a Brahmin from Ratnagiri district of the Konkan region, was asked to make the BJP a statewide party. Towards this, he introduced the Ma-Dha-Va formula.

Ma-Dha-Va is a Marathi acronym for Mali (gardener), Dhangar (shepherd), and Vanjari (a semi-nomadic caste from Marathwada). Bhagwat understood the crux of the politics of the time: the Marathas, the State’s ruling caste, which accounted for 32 per cent of the population, made up the majority of the Congress vote bank. The BJP had little scope for getting Muslims, Dalits, and tribal people into its fold. What remained were the smaller castes, which had no political representation in the Congress.

Those were the days of the Mandal Commission (its recommendations were submitted in 1980), which laid emphasis on the “Other Backward Classes”. With many smaller communities eyeing OBC status, Bhagwat focussed on the Malis, Dhangars, and Vanjaris, which were the dominant communities in that category. Thus emerged the first generation of BJP leaders in Maharashtra: N.S. Farande (Mali), Anna Dange (Dhangar), and Gopinath Munde (Vanjari).

The BJP’s strategy to consolidate the non-Maratha smaller castes, or OBCs, paid off. It helped the party expand its influence among the Bahujan. The term “Bahujan” was in use a thousand years ago in the Pali language to describe the non-elite classes. In modern India, the social reformer Jyotirao Phule, himself from the Mali community, used it in his path-breaking essay on the history of non-Brahmins. Babasaheb Ambedkar expanded the concept further in his works.

Also Read | Maharashtra Assembly Election 2024: The talking heads

Bhagwat’s outreach gave the BJP, hitherto known as a Brahmin-dominated party, a Bahujan tag. In 2024, following the defeat of the Mahayuti (grand alliance) led by it in the Lok Sabha election held in April-May, and with the Maratha reservation movement emerging as a dominant political issue, the party has returned to the social engineering days of the Ma-Dha-Va formula to save the day.

The Maratha reservation demand

The Maratha reservation demand is not new, but it gained fresh momentum under the leadership of Manoj Jarange-Patil. On October 1, 2023, following a police lathicharge on protesters that Jarange-Patil led in the Jalna district of Marathwada, the agitation for Maratha reservation turned violent for the first time in its 20-year history (“Maratha quota agitation: A cat among the pigeons”, Frontline, published online on November 11, 2023).

The protest by the dominant community of Marathas put pressure on the State government. Jarange-Patil’s demand was to include the Marathas from the Marathwada region in the Kunbi category. The Kunbi community, which is predominant in the Vidarbha region, comes under the OBC category. In a way, Jarange-Patil was demanding OBC status for the Marathas too. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde accepted his demand and announced a committee headed by a retired judge to look into it.

At this point, the government faced a backlash from the OBCs in the State, who were against sharing the space with the Marathas. In late 2023, Chhagan Bhujbal, a Cabinet Minister in the Shinde government, opposed the government decision publicly. He addressed rallies in Marathwada, where the Maratha reservation issue was central to the political discourse. Jarange-Patil’s rallies demanding Kunbi status for Marathas and Bhujbal’s rallies opposing it split the State vertically along caste lines.

The BJP was already in trouble because of careless remarks made by its members ahead of the Lok Sabha election that the party wanted a three-fourths majority in Parliament in order to change the Constitution. This angered Dalits; Muslims were already preparing for tactical voting, and tribal communities were exploring alternatives after incidents of atrocities against them in Manipur and Madhya Pradesh. With the Maratha bloc also turning against it, the Mahayuti won only 17 seats in Maharashtra as against the Maha Vikas Aghadi’s (MVA) 31. This prompted the BJP to introspect.

Interestingly, the plot thickened soon after the Lok Sabha election results were announced when a protest by Lakshman Hake and Navnath Waghmare on June 13 over the dilution of the OBC quota grabbed the headlines. The protest venue was Vadi Godri village in Ambad tehsil of Jalna district, barely 4 km from Jarange-Patil’s village and his protest venue at Antarvali Sarathi.

Hake was a little-known OBC leader who contested the Lok Sabha election from the Madha constituency and secured just 5,134 votes. He comes from the Dhangar community, a large section of which has been demanding reservation under the Scheduled Tribes category. He highlighted a promise made by the BJP in 2014 to give the community reservation under the ST status if it came to power. Hake’s protest against the inclusion of Marathas in the Kunbi category saying that it will reduce the existing share of OBCs resonated among members of the latter.

The Lok Sabha results came as a shocker not just to the Mahayuti, which won just one of the eight seats in the Marathwada region, but to the OBCs too. Two OBC leaders, Mahadev Jankar of the Dhangar community and Pankaja Munde of the Vanjari community, lost the elections from Parbhani and Beed, respectively. In this context, Hake’s protest became immediately popular among OBC youth. Over the past three months, a perception has been created that Hake has consolidated OBC support across the State.

Hake has asked his supporters to defeat the “wrong candidates”, specifically naming Rajesh Tope and Rohit Pawar, both MLAs of the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) faction, which is a constituent of the MVA along with the Congress and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction.

Meanwhile, in the Maratha camp, Jarange-Patil, who had refused to contest the Lok Sabha election on the grounds that he would not enter electoral politics, was under pressure to field candidates for the Assembly election. He held talks with Muslim leaders, mainly the Islamic scholar Sajjad Nomani, with a view to fielding joint candidates in a few seats. But, by the morning of November 4, Jarange Patil seemed to realise that by doing so he would be dividing the Maratha vote, which would ultimately help the BJP. He decided not to contest the election and asked his supporters “to vote for anyone of their choice while keeping the community’s interests in mind”.

A clear picture emerges

From the outset, Jarange-Patil was seen as a front for the NCP (Sharad Pawar). Many BJP MLCs such as Pravin Darekar, Sadabhau Khot, and Prasad Lad had called him a mask for Pawar. The tallest Maratha leader in the State, Pawar was widely believed to be the hand behind the Maratha movement. However, with Jarange-Patil appealing to his supporters to defeat the BJP’s candidates and Hake asking his followers to defeat Pawar’s candidates, the picture is beginning to get clearer in Maharashtra.

Given the widespread opinion that a Jat-versus-non-Jat binary helped the BJP retain Haryana for a third consecutive time in the recently held Assembly election, it seems likely that the Maharashtra election is being worked along the same lines.

The BJP has tasted success with its social engineering formula on many occasions. In 2016, when Devendra Fadnavis was Chief Minister, the Maratha community hit the streets in large numbers over the sexual abuse of a Maratha girl from Ahmednagar (now Ahilya Nagar) district. The community held 52 rallies across the State, which were seen as attempts by the opposition parties to stir public sentiment against the BJP. At that time too the BJP’s strategy of consolidating non-Maratha Hindu votes in the State paid off. Within four months, in the local body elections (2016-17), the BJP emerged a clear winner, securing almost 200 municipal councils of 320 and 21 municipalities of 26.

Also Read | This battle is for the soul of Maharashtra: Balasaheb Thorat

Political observers, however, point to one difference between 2017 and 2024. Jaydeo Dole, a senior journalist from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, said: “In 2017, the BJP’s novelty factor under Prime Minister Modi was intact. Also, Dalits and tribal people were not a part of the anti-BJP consolidation at that time. This time, Dalits, Muslims, and tribal people are strongly against the BJP. That is why the 2017 non-Maratha consolidation formula is no longer useful for the BJP.”

According to the 1931 Census, Marathas account for 32 per cent of the State’s population, with Dalits at 14 per cent, Muslims at 11.54 per cent, and tribal communities at 9.35 per cent. Although OBC leaders claim that they constitute 54 per cent of the population, there is no authentic data to substantiate this. However, it is clear that if the Maratha–Muslim–Dalit–Tribal consolidation takes place, accounting for more than 60 per cent of the population, any counter-consolidation will not work.

Recognising this, the BJP has focussed on consolidating OBCs along non-Maratha lines while still trying to get a big chunk of the Maratha vote. To achieve this, it has deployed its Maratha leaders to take aggressive stands on religious lines. Leaders such as Nitesh Rane and Pravin Darekar have been vocal on right-wing Hindutva issues, aiming to appeal to religious sentiments.

Another shrewd move by the BJP is to deploy its alliance partners strategically. Chief Minister Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, both Marathas, are campaigning in every constituency where the party has a Maratha candidate. Of the 152 seats the saffron party is contesting, it has given an almost equal number to OBCs (46) and Marathas (44), which shows its intent to avoid antagonising the Maratha community while appealing to the OBCs.

Maharashtra has around 100 Assembly seats where Maratha voters constitute 25 to 40 per cent, 40 constituencies where Kunbi voters constitute 20 to 30 per cent, and around 35 constituencies where non-Kunbi OBC voters make up 20 to 30 per cent. Polarisation along caste lines will matter in these 170 Assembly constituencies, a significant segment of the total 288 Assembly seats. The outcome of this election will depend solely on which caste consolidation strategy proves successful this time.

As the Maharashtra Assembly elections approach, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has ramped up its campaign with the slogan ‘batenge toh katenge’ (If divided, we perish), aimed at invoking Hindu unity. However, Ajit Pawar, a prominent leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and an alliance partner of BJP in Mahayuti, has voiced strong opposition to the slogan, asserting it will not resonate with the people of Maharashtra.

Ajit Pawar’s Response to BJP’s Campaign Slogan

Maharashtra Deputy CM, Ajit Pawar stated that he did not support the slogan, which has been echoed by BJP leaders such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra leader Devendra Fadnavis.

“I have said this several times. It will not work in Maharashtra. This may work in UP, Jharkhand, or some other places,” Pawar told India Today.

The slogan, first introduced by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and BJP leader Yogi Adityanath in the wake of anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh, has become a central element of the BJP’s campaigning in Maharashtra.

Ajit Pawar, who is set to contest the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections 2024 from Baramati, emphasised that the focus in Maharashtra should be on development. “We should be concentrating on ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas’, not divisive politics,” Pawar told India Today, distancing himself from BJP’s polarising narrative.

‘Batenge toh katenge’ faces backlash

The BJP’s slogan has faced criticism not only from Ajit Pawar but also from the opposition, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accusing the BJP of promoting divisive politics. Congress, in particular, has condemned the slogan as an attempt to pit one religion against another.

Ajit Pawar, a seven-time MLA and former Deputy Chief Minister, pointed out that Maharashtra’s political culture is shaped by figures like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj, and Mahatma Phule, who stood for unity and social harmony. “You cannot compare Maharashtra with other states; the people of Maharashtra do not like this,” Pawar said in response to CM Adityanath’s rally.

Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024: A New Battle

This year’s Maharashtra Assembly elections, scheduled for November 20, will see the Mahayuti alliance, consisting of the BJP, Shiv Sena (led by Eknath Shinde), and Ajit Pawar’s NCP, face off against the Maha Vikas Aghadi, which includes Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena, Sharad Pawar’s NCP, and Congress.

The elections have become even more significant due to the split within regional parties, with Ajit Pawar and his uncle, Sharad Pawar, leading separate factions of the NCP.

For Ajit Pawar, this election is personal as he faces his uncle’s faction and the larger challenge of establishing his leadership credentials. Despite the recent split, Ajit Pawar has maintained that his decision to part ways with Sharad Pawar was not a mistake. “I did not leave him. All the MLAs wrote to him and he gave his permission,” Ajit Pawar told Hindu.

The Maharashtra Assembly election, marking the first since the vertical split of the Shiv Sena and NCP, is set to be a decisive moment for the state’s political future. Ajit Pawar’s NCP will contest 56 of the 288 constituencies, and the results, to be counted on November 23, will determine which faction emerges dominant.

महाराष्ट्र में विधानसभा चुनाव की तारीख जैसे-जैसे नजदीक आ रही है, सूबे का सियासी पारा हाई होता जा रहा है. यूपी के सीएम योगी आदित्यनाथ के ‘बंटेंगे तो कटेंगे’ नारे को लेकर अजित पवार ने सवाल उठाए हैं. अजित ने कहा कि महाराष्ट्र शिवाजी, आंबेडकर, शाहू जी महाराज की धरती है. महाराष्ट्र में बाहर के लोग आकर ऐसे विचार बोल जाते हैं, दूसरे राज्यों के बीजेपी सीएम तय करें कि उन्हें क्या बोलना है. इसके साथ ही उनकी पार्टी के नेता नवाब मलिक ने आजतक से खास बातचीत में कहा कि जो लोग इस तरह के बयान दे रहे हैं, उन्हें इसका फायदा नहीं, बल्कि नुकसान होगा.

शिवसेना नेता संजय निरूपम ने कहा था कि अजीत दादा नहीं समझ रहे हैं, लेकिन आगे समझ जाएंगे. ‘बंटेंगे तो कटेंगे’ ये लाइन बिल्कुल ठीक है. इस पर नवाब मलिक ने कहा कि शिवसेना का नजरिया बदल रहा है. 

‘कोई नकारात्मक राजनीतिक करेगा तो लोग उसे स्वीकार नहीं करेंगे’

अजित पवार के बयान को लेकर नवाब मलिक ने कहा कि हमारी पार्टी की विचारधारा साफ है, हम धर्म पर आधारित राजनीति नहीं करते. हमें ऐसी पॉलिटिक्स स्वीकार नहीं है. हमार धर्मनिरपेक्षता औऱ लोकतांत्रिक मूल्यों में विश्वास रखते हैं. हमारा स्पष्ट मत है कि अगर कोई ऐसा बयान देता है तो वह गलत है. उन्होंने कहा कि धर्मनिरपेक्षता ही भारत की एकता का मूलमंत्र है. चुनाव में ऐसे बयान देने से उसकी चर्चा हो जाती है, लेकिन मुझे लगता है कि एकता ही सबसे बड़ा मंत्र है. अगर कोई नकारात्मक राजनीतिक करेगा तो लोग उसे स्वीकार नहीं करते, यूपी का नतीजा दर्शाता है कि ऐसे बयानों को लोगों की सहमति नहीं है.

‘हम बंटवारे की राजनीति नहीं करते’

एनसीपी कैंडिडेट नवाब मलिक ने कहा कि हमारी राजनीति साफ है कि महाराष्ट्र में जो भी ऐसी राजनीति करता है, अजितजी उसके खिलाफ खड़े होते हैं. उन्होंने कहा कि कुछ दल ऐसे भी हैं जो मुस्लिमों का वोट चाहते हैं, लेकिन उनके मुद्दों पर बोलने से परहेज करते हैं. उन्होंने कहा कि हम सभी को साथ में लेकर चलना चाहते हैं. जो भी बंटवारे की राजनीति करते हैं, उन्हें भी हम मैसेज देना चाहते हैं कि आप ऐसी राजनीति न करें, ये देशहित और जनहित में नहीं है. हम ऐसी राजनीति नहीं करते.

‘मोदीजी की पार्टी मेरे खिलाफ चुनाव लड़ रही’

एनसीपी अपनी चुनावी रैली में पीएम मोदी की तस्वीर का इस्तेमाल नहीं कर रही है, इस पर नवाब मलिक ने कहा कि मोदीजी की पार्टी तो मेरे खिलाफ चुनाव लड़ रही है. उन्होंने कहा कि ये हमारी मर्जी है कि हम किसका फोटो इस्तेमाल करें, किसके नाम पर वोट मांगें. हम अपनी विचारधारा पर वोट मांग रहे हैं, हम अपने नेताओं का फोटो इस्तेमाल करेंगे. हम अपने विचारों पर डटकर खड़े हुए हैं. विचारों से हमारा कोई समझौता नहीं है.

Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday hinted at retiring from politics. The senior politician said that he had fought elections 14 times and stressed the need to hand over responsibility to the new generation.

Pawar made the remark during his visit to Baramati to campaign for party candidate and grandson Yugendra Pawar, who will take on his uncle Ajit Pawar in the November 20 Maharashtra assembly polls.

Pawar stated that after completing his Rajya Sabha tenure, he would consider whether to leave his parliamentary position.

“I am not in power. I am in Rajya Sabha and the last one and a half years are left. I have already contested 14 elections. How many more shall I contest? Every time you have made me win the elections. I should stop somewhere. A new generation should be brought in,” reported ANI, quoting Pawar.

The former chief minister said that he would continue to do social work and would not need any elections for that, adding, “I will not contest in the Lok Sabha. I will not contest any election.”

Pawar’s Rajya Sabha tenure will be completed in 2026.

Meanwhile, addressing a public meeting in Shirsuphal, Pawar acknowledged Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s contribution to Baramati but asserted that the region needs new leadership for its development for the next three decades.

“Now, it’s time to prepare for the future. We need to groom leadership that will work for the next 30 years,” the former Union minister said, adding that everyone should get an opportunity, and he had never held anyone back.

In an apparent dig at Ajit Pawar, he said if someone keeps saying he will take everything, people may not say anything but will disapprove of it.

Pawar further said that though he hadn’t come to ask for votes recently, the people of Baramati have never disappointed him.

In this candid conversation with Frontline, Ashish Shelar, the Mumbai BJP chief and former Minister, discusses his party’s strategy and vision for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly election. Shelar discusses several contentious issues, including the BJP’s relationship with former ally Uddhav Thackeray, the controversial Dharavi redevelopment project, and the party’s electoral prospects in Mumbai’s 36 Assembly seats. Shelar articulates the BJP’s development-focussed agenda while addressing challenges from the opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance.

The conversation also touches on sensitive issues such as religious polarisation and the changing political dynamics in Maharashtra’s capital city. Shelar defends his party’s positions while critiquing the leadership and performance of former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, particularly regarding Mumbai’s infrastructure development. Edited excerpts:

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In this photograph taken on July 2013, then Congress leader Baba Siddique is flanked by actors Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan at an Iftar party in Mumbai.
| Photo Credit: PTI

This story has all the elements of a crime thriller. Former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique (66) was killed in Mumbai’s Bandra East on Saturday evening. He was shot outside his son and Bandra East MLA Zeeshan Siddique’s office. A day later, a gangster jailed in Gujarat for multiple cases, Lawrence Bishnoi, claimed to have killed Baba. Reason? Baba’s proximity to Bollywood superstar Salman Khan.

Four people have been arrested by the Mumbai police. But the motive behind the murder remains a mystery, sparking some astonishing theories. If one thing is clear, it is that Baba’s gruesome murder is reminiscent of crimes in Mumbai of the 1990’s.

Also Read | Rise in crimes involving politicians and criminals in Maharashtra is a direct result of political instability

Baba Siddiqui was the MLA of Bandra West, Mumbai’s posh western suburb. This is where the biggest Bollywood stars, including Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan live. Baba entered politics in the late 1970s under the mentorship of Bollywood legend and politician Sunil Dutt. Baba was the MLA of Bandra East for 15 years, and was a State Minister for Food and Drug Administration between 2004 to 2008.

Bandra West is part of the Lok Sabha constituency that Sunil Dutt—a respected name in Bollywood as well as in politics—and his daughter Priya Dutt represented in 2004 and 2009. Sunil’s son, also a Bollywood superstar, Sanjay Dutt has been Baba’s close friend. When there were rumours of rivalry between Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan, it was Baba’s Iftar party where both the Khans met and reconciled. Such was the aura of Baba Siddique in Bollywood.

Bishnoi’s claim is based on this proximity. Bishnoi, a gangster, the story goes, wants to kill Salman Khan, because he believes that Salman is guilty in the blackbuck hunting case of 1998. The Bishnoi community of Rajasthan respects the blackbuck as a deity. Lawrence Bishnoi is from Punjab. Lawrence reportedly said that those are friends with Salman Khan will meet with the same fate.

Lawrence’s attempts to target Salman are not new. On April 14, 2024, gunshots were heard near Salman Khan’s apartment in Bandra West. A Bishnoi group claimed responsibility. The Mumbai police arrested Vicky Gupta and Sagar Pal from Bhuj, Gujarat, for this shooting. They reportedly told police that they had been ordered to fire 10 rounds aimed at Galaxy apartment, where Salman Khan lives. In 2018, the Bishnoi gang had conducted recce of Salman’s house .

This is where the Bishnoi story turns bizarre. And if true, it exposes the poor governance, law and order in Maharashtra, Gujarat and the country as a whole. Bishnoi is now in Sabarmati jail, Gujarat, booked for 12 different cases. Some of his alleged crimes are being investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). If Bishnoi was able to execute his plan in Mumbai, it reflects the gross failure of the Gujarat jail administration, the Maharashtra police as well as the NIA. As per reports, Baba’s killers stayed in Kurla, adjoining to Bandra, for many weeks. They rented a house and watched Baba’s movements. Mumbai’s financial hub, Bandra Kurla Complex, falls within Bandra East, the constituency Baba’s son Zeeshan won in 2019 on a Congress ticket.

One of the theories on the motive behind Baba’s killing points to a real estate feud. Historically, Mumbai’s real estate sector was marred by violent conflicts involving underworld gangs and contract killings. However, this narrative changed around 2005. As the city’s middle and upper-middle classes grew, the real estate market saw substantial financial growth, leading to a gradual decrease in sector conflicts.

Reports in the local media suggest that Baba was possibly involved in a dubious slum rehabilitation project in Mumbai. There was a strong claim by another real estate giant on the same slum. Baba was thoroughly opposing this and so he was allegedly killed in this conflict.

But could Baba, with his stature, be killed for a mere friendship with a superstar, or over a real estate tussle? This is not today’s Mumbai. So the big question remains unanswered.

Also Read | With ECI recognising Ajit Pawar’s NCP, stage set for high-stakes Maharashtra election

In February this year, Baba switched from the Congress to join Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), a part of NDA. There was a buzz that by joining NCP, Baba ‘earned ‘impunity’ against the Enforcement Directorate and the Income Tax. Baba’s switch was a shock for the Mumbai Congress. This move also served as a political message for Muslims. As Muslims hesitated to vote for the BJP, they now had a choice within NDA.

Clearly, Baba’s murder has come as big blow to Maharashtra’s ruling alliance. The opposition is now using the law and order situation as an issue for the upcoming Assembly elections. NCP chief and veteran politician Sharad Pawar stated, “This government has lost the moral right to remain in power. They should step down immediately. Baba Siddiqui’s murder serves as a warning that the ruling parties are incapable of maintaining law and order in the State.”

Mumbai’s real estate and Bollywood industries are worth millions of crores of rupees. With the murder occurring less than five kilometers from India’s financial hub, BKC, identifying the killers and their mastermind is crucial for preserving ‘Brand Mumbai’. Baba’s killing cannot push Mumbai back into the violent 1990’s.

Indian actor Sayaji Shinde joined Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Friday. The addition of the famous actor is likely to benefit the party in the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections.

Sayaji Shinde has been featured in several Bollywood and Tollywood films. After joining the party, Shinde mentioned that he had never planned to join politics but had always been impressed with NCP’s Ajit Pawar’s strategies. The Indian film industry’s actor had earlier praised the Maharashtra government’s Ladki-Bahin scheme.

“I never thought I would join politics. My decision may also be a shock for many. If I have gone to Mantralaya for 25 times, at least 15 times I met Ajit Pawar. I have liked the strategies of the NCP-Ajit Pawar,” said the actor after joining the party.

Sayaji Shinde joined the political party in the presence of Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, working president of the party Praful Patel, and state NCP chief Sunil Tatkare.

Maharashtra deputy CM Pawar welcomed Sayaji Shinde into the political party and announced him as the star campaigner of the NCP during the upcoming state assembly elections. “Shinde will be given due respect in the party,” PTI quoted Ajit Pawar as saying.

“We feel proud that he is being associated with us. Shinde is also a social activist,” said NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal while welcoming the actor into the party.

Sayaji Shinde is a versatile actor whose work is not limited to any specific language. He has worked in films in several Indian languages, including Hindi, Marathi, and Telugu.

Need to be a part of the system to work more effectively, says Shinde

The 65-year-old Shinde applauded Ajit Pawar’s style of functioning and said joining politics would help him work more effectively. “I was impressed by Ajit Pawar’s style of functioning,” the actor said, adding that he interacted with Pawar when working for his favourite cause of tree plantation.

Sayaji Shinde was born in Maharashtra’s Satara district and started his career in Marathi theatre. He achieved his first milestone in the Bollywood industry when he played the role of an antagonist in Hindi film “Shool” released in 1999. Apart from acting in several Marathi and Hindi movies, Sayaji Shinde has also worked in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, English, Gujarati and Bhojpuri films.

In addition to being a versatile actor, Shinde is also a social activist who has also worked for spreading awareness related to environment protection.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Ajit Pawar is expected to make a “big announcement” during a press conference at 6:30 pm on Friday. The development comes just a day after Ajit Pawar reportedly “walked out of the” state cabinet meeting within 10 minutes. Around 38 decisions were taken during the cabinet meeting on Thursday.

Ajit Pawar’s NCP is part of the ruling Mahayuti government in Maharashtra. Other members of the Mahayuti are the BJP and Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena. Ajit Pawar’s “big” announcement comes at a time when seat-sharing talks are going on between Mahayuti parties ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly Elections. The elections to the 288 assembly seats in Maharashtra will take place in November-December this year.

NCP’s working president Praful Patel, state president Sunil Tatlare, and Chhagan Bhujbal are expected to be present at the press conference. “He will make a big announcement regarding upcoming Assembly elections,” the NCP was quoted by the Indian Express as saying on Friday.

What’s expected?

The speculation is rife that the announcement could either be related to the Maharashtra elections or that prominent leaders may join the party on Friday.

Ajit Pawar and his NCP have been under the scanner after Mahayuti’s poor performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections. He had even expressed shock at the Baramati election result when his cousin Supriya Sule defeated his wife Sunetra Pawar by a margin of over 1.58 lakh votes.

Speaking at the India Today conclave in Mumbai in September, BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “It is true that BJP’s core voters disapproved of the alliance with NCP as we have been traditional rivals. But now, we have succeeded in convincing our stand to 80 per cent.”

Fadnavis was quoted by PTI as saying that the BJP got more seats than Shinde’s Sena (7) and Ajit Pawar’s NCP (1) – in the Lok Sabha polls – which he said were breakaway parties and, in a way, new parties.

Rumours have it that the NCP may have now been sidelined by the BJP and the Shiv Sena during the seat-sharing talks for the upcoming Maharashtra elections.

Ajit Pawar had rebelled against his uncle Sharad Pawar and joined the BJP in July 2023. He was appointed the deputy CM of Maharashtra by the BJP-Shiv Sena government in the state.