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By:

Quad Najmi and PTI

17 June 2026 at 5:11:32 pm

Uddhav faces another rebellion; decision today

Six Lok Sabha MPs trying to move away; picture may be clear at today’s Parliamentary party meeting in New Delhi AI generated image Mumbai: A cloak-and-dagger crisis engulfing the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena has landed at the door of the Lok Sabha Speaker, with the party urging him to guard against any unlawful defection and issuing a whip directing its MPs to attend a meeting in Delhi on Thursday. Amid the escalating crisis, a group of rebel Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders is learnt to have met...

Uddhav faces another rebellion; decision today

Six Lok Sabha MPs trying to move away; picture may be clear at today’s Parliamentary party meeting in New Delhi AI generated image Mumbai: A cloak-and-dagger crisis engulfing the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena has landed at the door of the Lok Sabha Speaker, with the party urging him to guard against any unlawful defection and issuing a whip directing its MPs to attend a meeting in Delhi on Thursday. Amid the escalating crisis, a group of rebel Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders is learnt to have met Speaker Om Birla informally on Wednesday, claiming the support of six of the party's nine MPs in the Lower House, sources said. Thursday's high-stakes meeting in Delhi will legally and physically define whether Uddhav Thackeray retains his parliamentary strength or faces another devastating party division, the third since Raj Thackeray split Shiv Sena in 2006. Sources in Sena (UBT) said the rival camp still doesn't have the support of six MPs. They claim two of the six rebels have reportedly changed their mind. In a swift counter-offensive to contain the damage, the party high command issued a mandatory three-line whip, summoning an emergency parliamentary party meeting in New Delhi on Thursday to force a physical showdown where the MPs will have to mark their presence physically. The developments triggered a day of high political drama in the national capital, marked by a furious, expletive-laden press conference by Raut, a reported counter-meeting by the rebel faction with Lok Sabha Speaker Birla, and sharp condemnation from the Congress. The internal fracture was visible at Sanjay Raut's press briefing, where only three other Lok Sabha MPs, Arvind Sawant, Anil Desai, and Rajabhau Waje, stood by him. The remaining six lawmakers were conspicuously absent; their exact whereabouts are unknown. The Sena (UBT) has nine MPs in the Lok Sabha, and at least two‑thirds of them would be required to form a separate group. Apart from Desai, Waje and Sawant, the other six MPs are Sanjay Patil, Sanjay Deshmukh, Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar, Bhausaheb Wakchaure, Nagesh Patil-Ashtikar and Sanjay Jadhav Not Reachable The six MPs stopped responding or became unavailable since Wednesday forenoon, after which the party stopped contacting them. They said when the party contacted Mumbai North East MP, Sanjay Dina Patil, he told party leaders that he was not with the rebel group. The party had asked them to submit a letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker, which he has not submitted so far. Later in the day, sources claimed that the group of six rebel lawmakers had privately met the Lok Sabha Speaker to claim a two-thirds majority in the Lower House, the precise threshold required to escape disqualification under the anti-defection law. Simultaneously, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who split the undivided Shiv Sena in 2022, was reportedly camping in Delhi to oversee the operational layout of the defection of MPs. He returned to his home town Thane in Wednesday night. He is reportedly studying all the legal aspects before taking a final call before the party’s foundation day on Friday. Speaker’s Role Following reports of the rebels' move, a loyalist delegation consisting of Raut, Sawant, and Desai rushed to meet Speaker Birla to file a formal representation urging him to reject any unlawful group alignment. Desai argued that the legal provisions are strictly on the side of the original organisational structure. "Under the law, a splinter group cannot simply merge with another party on its own, even if they have two-thirds support. Only the original administrative party holds that right," Desai told reporters, adding that the Speaker assured them he would thoroughly examine every legal aspect before rendering a decision. The widening panic inside the party also triggered a public, familial disconnect involving missing Hingoli MP Nagesh Patil-Ashtikar. While the MP remained unreachable, his son, Krushna Patil Ashtikar, the MVA's official candidate for Thursday's Maharashtra Legislative Council elections, released a video statement strongly defending Uddhav Thackeray. "I am a Shiv Sainik of Uddhav Thackeray. There is no room for doubt when it comes to me," the younger Ashtikar stated.

Mumbai’s Mega Infrastructure Leap

Updated: Apr 1, 2025

From faster commutes to massive ports, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis recently revealed his ambitious plans for a future-ready infrastructure revolution.

Mumbai’s Mega Infrastructure Leap

Mumbai: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has outlined key projects aimed at Mumbai’s development and highlighted major infrastructure initiatives across Maharashtra. He recently spoke of his mind during a public interview.


According to him, work on the Bandra to Versova Sea Link is already in progress. Additionally, a Versova to Madh Sea Link is planned, which will further extend to Virar, along with another sea link connecting Versova to Bhayander. He explained that 60 per cent of Mumbai's traffic is concentrated on the western side, and these projects aim to ease congestion on the Western Express Highway.


According to him, the travel time from Mumbai city to Virar by road during peak hours can take anywhere between two and a half to four hours. However, with these proposed projects, the journey time is expected to be reduced to about 45 to 50 minutes.


That's not all— Fadnavis also has plans for a corridor from Virar to Alibaug, along with a circular road connecting Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).


Potential of Vadhan

Fadnavis has highlighted the potential of proposed port at Vadhvan in Palghar district to elevate Maharashtra’s and India’s maritime capabilities, positioning it as a key driver of economic growth.


Mumbai's business and industrial appeal is largely driven by the Jawaharlal Nehru Port, which currently handles 65 per cent of the city’s container traffic. Fadnavis noted that the proposed Vadhvan Port will be three times larger. Strategically located 10 km offshore from Vadhvan Point, it boasts a natural depth of 20 metres or 66 ft, enabling it to accommodate large vessels, including Ultra Large Container Ships (ULCS).


Fourth Mumbai

Fadnavis shared that he had proposed an airport in this area to the Prime Minister, who approved the plan. The region will also feature a bullet train and is three times the size of Mumbai, envisioned as the "fourth Mumbai".

Meanwhile, the "third Mumbai" is being developed near Atul Setu as a major industrial and technological hub. This area will house 65 per cent of the state’s data centre capacity, with scope for future expansion.


Discussing future plans, the CM detailed key infrastructure projects, including road construction and the Shaktipeeth or Goa-Nagpur highway, which he said would transform Maharashtra. He also spoke about the river linkage project, which aims to connect the Wainganga and Nalganga rivers, creating a new 550-kilometre waterway to make seven districts in the Vidarbha region drought-free.


River linkage

The CM Fadnavis also shared plans to divert 54 TMC (thousand cubic feet) of water, which currently flows into the sea, to the Godavari River through a river linkage project. While 49% of Maharashtra relies on the Godavari, it remains a deficit basin. However, this initiative aims to make Northern Maharashtra and Marathwada drought-free.


While these are some of the key projects highlighted by Fadnavis, he also mentioned other initiatives in the pipeline, including new airports in Pune and Nagpur. Additionally, there are plans to transform Mumbai Airport into a brownfield project.


He concluded by stating that whether it is building a port, road, airport, or housing project, the government has undertaken the country’s largest target under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana—20 lakh houses. Of these, 10 lakh have already been allocated, with an additional five lakh to be distributed soon. Initiating the construction of 20 lakh houses in a single year marks a historic record for India.


Maharashtra's ambitious infrastructure push aims to ease congestion, boost trade, and enhance water security. It is a welcome and long-overdue solution to the state’s growing needs.

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