The Mahayuti alliance, comprising BJP and Shiv Sena, has secured a dominant performance in Maharashtra’s local body elections, leading in key municipal corporations including Mumbai, Pune, and Nagpur. This victory is being hailed as a mandate for Prime Minister Modi’s policies and nationalism, with opposition parties like Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP, and Congress facing significant setbacks.

For a few seconds, Ritu did not know how to react. In a packed Metro coach, surrounded by strangers, someone she had never met was offering her an ornament without hesitation.

Shrikant Pangarkar, accused in Gauri Lankesh’s murder and Nalasopara arms case, won Jalna Municipal Corporation as an independent.