Before a single vote could be cast in Maharashtra’s long-pending municipal corporation elections, the BJP–Shiv Sena alliance has secured a decisive early advantage, winning 66 wards unopposed. Ajit Pawar-led NCP has also registered two uncontested victories.

Friday marked the final day for withdrawal of nomination forms, during which several candidates from opposition parties pulled out of the race. This cleared the path for 68 candidates across parties to be declared elected without contest.

However, the developments triggered sharp political reactions. The Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena alleged that opposition candidates were pressured or induced with money to withdraw their nominations. Taking note of the accusations, the State Election Commission has ordered an inquiry to examine whether any coercion or inducement influenced the withdrawals.

Kalyan Dombivli, Panvel emerge as major gainers

The largest number of uncontested victories came from the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, where 21 candidates from the ruling alliance were elected unopposed. Of these, 15 belong to the BJP and six to the Shiv Sena.

In Panvel, another key civic body in the MMR, seven BJP candidates secured uncontested wins, continuing the alliance’s strong showing in urban centres.

North Maharashtra also reflected a similar trend. Jalgaon contributed 12 unopposed corporators, evenly split between the BJP and the Shiv Sena. In Dhule, three BJP candidates were declared elected without contest.

Mixed outcomes in NCP strongholds

Despite being considered a stronghold of the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar faction), Bhiwandi saw six uncontested victories for the BJP. Meanwhile, in Ahilya Nagar, the Ajit Pawar-led NCP won two seats unopposed, while the BJP secured one.

Even amid visible political strain with the BJP in Thane, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena managed to win six wards uncontested. The process was questioned by the MNS, which staged a protest in the district.

Political analysts say these early gains could provide a morale boost to the ruling alliance, especially after its strong performance in the recently concluded municipal council elections. The uncontested wins are also expected to allow parties to redirect resources and campaign efforts to other competitive regions.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has asked IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from their squad for the upcoming IPL 2026 season, amid an ongoing controversy linked to recent developments involving Bangladesh.

BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed that the board issued the directive after reassessing the situation, moving away from its earlier “wait and watch” approach. The decision, he said, was taken in view of developments unfolding “all across”, indicating growing concerns that prompted intervention at the board level.

“Due to the recent developments that are going on all across, BCCI has instructed the franchise KKR to release one of their players, Mustafizur Rahman of Bangladesh, from their squad,” Saikia said while speaking to media. He added that the board would permit KKR to name a replacement player if the franchise chooses to do so.

Mustafizur had come under the spotlight after KKR signed him for Rs 9.20 crore at the December auction, making him the most expensive Bangladeshi cricketer ever bought in the IPL. The signing was seen as a major investment, with the left-arm pacer expected to play a key role in the death overs during the season.

What the directive means for KKR

The move presents both a strategic and financial challenge for Kolkata Knight Riders. Mustafizur’s skill set, particularly his variations and effectiveness at the death, was central to KKR’s bowling plans. His release leaves the franchise with limited time to reorganise their overseas combination ahead of the season.

The decision also raises questions over KKR’s auction purse. While the BCCI has confirmed that a replacement player will be allowed, there is no official clarity yet on whether the Rs 9.20 crore spent on Mustafizur will be fully credited back to the franchise.

KKR may now have to rework their squad balance, potentially relying more on Indian fast bowlers or adjusting their overseas player strategy as the IPL 2026 season approaches.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has issued a notice to X Corp, formerly known as Twitter, over the alleged misuse of its artificial intelligence service “Grok” to create and circulate obscene, indecent and sexually explicit content, particularly targeting women.

In the notice, the ministry cited X’s failure to meet statutory due diligence obligations under the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the IT Rules, 2021. X has been directed to submit an action taken report (ATR) within 72 hours, outlining the steps adopted to address the issue, the involvement of the company’s chief compliance officer, and adherence to mandatory reporting requirements under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023.

Concerns over AI-generated content targeting women

The ministry said it has received reports indicating that Grok is being misused to generate synthetic images and videos in a derogatory and sexually explicit manner. According to MeitY, such content violates the privacy and dignity of women and risks normalising sexual harassment on digital platforms.

The notice warned that the unchecked use of AI tools for such purposes undermines existing legal safeguards meant to protect women and children from online abuse.

Directions to review Grok’s safeguards

MeitY has instructed X to carry out a comprehensive review of Grok’s technical design and governance framework to ensure it does not facilitate the creation or dissemination of unlawful content. The ministry also directed the platform to strictly enforce user policies, including suspension or termination of accounts found violating the rules.

All offending content must be removed immediately without tampering with digital evidence, the notice said.

The government cautioned that failure to comply could result in X losing safe harbour protection under Section 79 of the IT Act, apart from facing penal action under various laws, including the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Indecent Representation of Women Act, and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

The notice was also marked to multiple ministries, commissions and state authorities, signalling a coordinated approach to tackle AI-enabled obscenity.

MP seeks safeguards for women’s safety

Earlier in the day, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi urged the Centre to intervene, citing growing misuse of Grok on X. In a letter to Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnav, she said fake accounts were being used to upload women’s photos and prompt the AI tool to alter images in a sexualised manner.

Chaturvedi said the misuse was not limited to photos shared through fake profiles but also affected women who post their own images on the platform. Calling it a gross misuse of AI, she urged the government to ensure strong safeguards are built into X’s AI applications to make the platform safer for women.

She further alleged that Grok was enabling such behaviour by responding to inappropriate prompts.