What to do, wonders BJP in Maharashtra

October 20, 2014

Mumbai, Oct 20: The BJP seems to have been caught in a cleft-stick in Maharashtra, thanks to a fractured mandate in the 13th assembly elections.

With no political party securing clear majority in the 288-member assembly, a period of political instability looms ahead in Maharashtra - though the Nationalist Congress Party has taken the lead to prevent such a situation.

Despite emerging as the single-largest party with 123 (122+1 ally) seats, the BJP falls 22 short of a simple majority - it cannot form the government, and it does not want to sit in opposition.

This has set off a hectic politicking between the Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), both looking at the possibility of cobbling up a workable alliance - against the backdrop of the rancour developed in the past one month between the 25-year-old former allies.

The BJP would be entirely dependent on a demanding partner for pushing through any policy initiatives or major decisions, though the prime BJP chief ministerial contender Devendra Fadnavis, 44, is considered an aggressive go-getter.

While the NCP provided some relief with its offer of unconditional external support, this may come with many hidden strings attached, besides growls from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

"We have supported the BJP in the interest of the state. Under the present scenario, there is a need for political stability. We shall not join the government. There will be no compromise on our basic principles," NCP president Sharad Pawar said at party meeting here Monday.

One option before the BJP would be to approach the Shiv Sena for rapprochement and renewed alliance with the Shiv Sena even as the RSS distanced itself from "any political decisions" of the BJP Monday.

But there is a hitch - the BJP has already said the chief minister's post is non-negotiable, and any government led by it would not have the post of deputy chief minister - and, according to some speculation, it may offer the Sena at best five ministries.

"In such a scenario, what attraction is left for us to support or join them," wondered a senior Sena leader Monday.

Uddhav has made it clear - the BJP is free to take anybody's help in government formation, but the Sena would not offer unsolicited support under any circumstances.

However, he kept the door ajar, saying if the BJP could guarantee upholding the state's integrity, the Sena might consider any proposal favourably.

"If the need arises, we are ready to sit in the opposition," Uddhav said, indicating that pressure tactics may not work now.

Sunday's election outcome shows that the numbers game has become tricky on all fronts with many possibilities emerging.

The BJP needs a minimum of 22 seats for a simple majority - with the NCP's 41, it crosses the minimum threshold (145) comfortably.

In another potential scenario, if the Congress (42) and NCP (41) were to unite and offer 'outside support' to Sena (63), the three together achieve the magic figure of 146.

Some smaller parties and independents too may follow suit since all had one objective of keeping the "BJP out" at all costs.

NCP leader Ajit Pawar Monday revealed that the Congress indeed had plans to support the Shiv Sena in government formation, but the NCP rejected the move.

The Congress is no stranger to such politics - it had tried out short-term external support several times to prop up various central governments from Charan Singh, Chandra Shekhar, H.D. Deve Gowda, and I.K. Gujral.

Hinting at such a possible scenario, Sharad Pawar said that the Congress-NCP cannot form the government on their own, so it (NCP) had decided to support the BJP for political stability in the state.

"Moreover, whenever the Congress has offered support to any government in the past, it has always collapsed," Pawar pointed out.

On their part, Sena sources pointed out that another option for the BJP would be to name Pankaja Munde as the next chief minister, which move has emotional overtones for both parties. Her additional credentials: She would be the first Maharashtrian woman from the OBC to get the post.

At present, all parties are keeping their cards close to their chest and a clearer picture is likely to emerge over the next couple of days.

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IndiGo offers full waiver on cancellations, reschedule requests for bookings between Dec 5 and 15

News Network

December 6,2025

With IndiGo flight disruptions impacting thousands of passengers, the airline on Saturday said that it will offer full waiver on all cancellations/reschedule requests for travel bookings between December 5, 2025 and December 15, 2025.

Earlier in the day, the civil aviation ministry had directed the airline to complete the ticket refund process for the cancelled flights by Sunday evening, as well as ensure baggage separated from the travellers are delivered in the next two days.

In a post on X, titled 'No questions asked', IndiGo wrote, "In response to recent events, all refunds for your cancellations will be processed automatically to your original mode of payment."

"We are deeply sorry for the hardships caused," it further added.

Several passengers, however, complained of not getting full refund as promised by the airline.

Netizens have shared screenchots of getting charged for airline cancellation fee and convenience fee.

"Please tell me why u have did this airline cancellation charges when u say full amount will be refunded (sic)," a user wrote sharing a screenshot of the refund page.

"Well, but you have still debited the convenience charges," wrote another.

Passengers have also raised concerns about the "cancel" option being disabled on the IndiGo app. "First enable the 'Cancel' button on your App & offer full refund on tickets cancelled by customers between the said dates," wrote a user.

A day after the country's largest airline, IndiGo, cancelled more than 1,000 flights and caused disruptions for the fifth day on Saturday, the ministry said that any delay or non-compliance in refund processing will invite immediate regulatory action.

The refund process for all cancelled or disrupted flights must be completed by 8 pm on Sunday, the ministry said in a statement.

"Airlines have also been instructed not to levy any rescheduling charges for passengers whose travel plans were affected by cancellations," it said.

On Saturday, more than 400 flights were cancelled at various airports.

IndiGo has also been instructed to set up dedicated passenger support and refund facilitation cells.

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Over 58 lakh names dropped from draft voter list in Bengal ahead of polls

News Network

December 16,2025

The deletion of over 58 lakh names from West Bengal’s draft electoral rolls following a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has sparked widespread concern and is likely to deepen political tensions in the poll-bound state.

According to the Election Commission, the revision exercise has identified 24 lakh voters as deceased, 19 lakh as relocated, 12 lakh as missing, and 1.3 lakh as duplicate entries. The draft list, published after the completion of the first phase of SIR, aims to remove errors and duplication from the electoral rolls.

However, the scale of deletions has raised fears that a large number of eligible voters may have been wrongly excluded. The Election Commission has said that individuals whose names are missing can file objections and seek corrections. The final voter list is scheduled to be published in February next year, after which the Assembly election announcement is expected. Notably, the last Special Intensive Revision in Bengal was conducted in 2002.

The development has intensified the political row over the SIR process. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress have strongly opposed the exercise, accusing the Centre and the Election Commission of attempting to disenfranchise lakhs of voters ahead of the elections.

Addressing a rally in Krishnanagar earlier this month, Banerjee urged people to protest if their names were removed from the voter list, alleging intimidation during elections and warning of serious consequences if voting rights were taken away.

The BJP, meanwhile, has defended the revision and accused the Trinamool Congress of politicising the issue to protect what it claims is an illegal voter base. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari alleged that the ruling party fears losing power due to the removal of deceased, fake, and illegal voters.

The controversy comes amid earlier allegations by the Trinamool Congress that excessive work pressure during the SIR led to the deaths by suicide of some Booth Level Officers (BLOs), for which the party blamed the Election Commission. With the draft list now out, another round of political confrontation appears imminent.

As objections begin to be filed, the focus will be on whether the correction mechanism is accessible, transparent, and timely—critical factors in ensuring that no eligible voter is denied their democratic right ahead of a crucial election.

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