The BJP and Shiv Sena have almost sealed their seat-sharing arrangement for the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, with an understanding reached on 200 of the total 227 wards in Mumbai, according to sources. The civic body polls are scheduled to be held on January 15.

The agreement was discussed during a late-night meeting of the Mahayuti alliance, which includes the BJP, Shiv Sena and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP. The meeting took place at Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s residence in Thane and focused on strategy for several key municipal corporations, including Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli and Navi Mumbai.

Sources said similar meetings are lined up for Mumbai and other civic bodies such as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Panvel and Mira-Bhayandar, as alliance partners work to finalise ward-level arrangements and campaign planning.

Congress explores new alliances in Mumbai

In Mumbai, Congress leaders are scheduled to meet Prakash Ambedkar’s Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi as the party looks to rebuild its alliance structure after parting ways with the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction). The distancing followed Sena (UBT)’s decision to join hands with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena led by Raj Thackeray.

Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut has confirmed that the party will contest the BMC elections in alliance with the MNS and the NCP led by Sharad Pawar. The inclusion of the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) comes after Sharad Pawar rejected a proposal from the Ajit Pawar-led faction that offered limited seat allocation.

Despite the split, sources indicated that discussions may continue, with meetings expected between Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule and her cousin Ajit Pawar to determine future political moves.

Local body strategies take shape across Maharashtra

Meanwhile, MNS chief Raj Thackeray is set to hold a meeting with party leaders at his Shivtirth residence to finalise the party’s election strategy, including campaign issues and candidate selection.

In Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Shiv Sena MLA and minister Sanjay Shirsat will meet BJP leaders, including state ministers Chandrakant Bawankule and Atul Save, to discuss preparations for the civic polls.

Seat-sharing talks are also underway in Mira-Bhayandar, where Shiv Sena leader Pratap Sarnaik and BJP MLA Narendra Mehta are expected to hold discussions. The Ajit Pawar-led NCP, however, is planning to contest the elections independently in the region.

Panvel is set to witness a major opposition meeting involving Sena (UBT), Congress, MNS, NCP (SP), Samajwadi Party and the VBA. The gathering, led by the Peasants and Workers Party, will focus on finalising seat-sharing arrangements and joint election strategies.

A concert by popular Bangladeshi singer James was cancelled in Faridpur, around 120 kilometres from Dhaka, after a mob allegedly threw bricks and stones at the venue, forcing local authorities to call off the event.

According to local reports, the concert was scheduled for 9 pm on Friday to mark the anniversary of a local school. A group of attackers attempted to forcibly enter the venue and began pelting stones, creating panic among the audience. Locals said students present at the site initially tried to resist the attackers, but the situation escalated, prompting authorities to cancel the programme.

Taslima Nasreen raises concern over attacks on culture

Author Taslima Nasreen highlighted the incident on social media, expressing concern over what she described as a growing pattern of attacks on artists and cultural spaces in Bangladesh. In her post, she referred to earlier incidents involving cultural institutions and said that the singer was not allowed to perform due to the actions of radical elements.

Nasreen also cited recent instances involving classical musicians. She mentioned that Siraj Ali Khan, grandson of renowned musician Ali Akbar Khan and a noted artist of the Maihar gharana, returned to India without performing in Dhaka, stating he would not return until artists and cultural institutions were safe. She further said that Arman Khan, son of Ustad Rashid Khan, had also declined an invitation to perform in Dhaka.

James’ popularity and wider concerns

James, a well-known Bangladeshi singer-songwriter, guitarist and composer, is the lead vocalist of the rock band Nagar Baul. He has also sung popular Hindi film songs such as Bheegi Bheegi from Gangster and Alvida from Life In A Metro, making him a familiar name across the region.

The cancellation of his concert has drawn attention to recent attacks on cultural organisations, artists and journalists in Bangladesh. Critics have alleged that the interim administration has failed to rein in violent mobs, amid claims that such incidents are contributing to a deteriorating law-and-order situation ahead of elections scheduled in February.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has approached the Supreme Court challenging the Delhi High Court’s decision to suspend the life sentence awarded to expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the 2017 Unnao rape case. The agency has filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) against the order that granted him bail while his appeal against conviction is pending.

According to officials, the decision to move the apex court was taken after a detailed examination of the order passed by a division bench of the Delhi High Court. The bench had suspended Sengar’s life imprisonment on the ground that he had already spent over seven years in jail.

Why the CBI has approached the apex court

In a statement, a CBI spokesperson said it was decided to challenge the high court’s order at the earliest. The agency maintained that it had strongly opposed the suspension of sentence during the hearing of Sengar’s appeal, along with the family of the survivor, who had raised concerns related to safety and threats.

The former legislator was convicted by a trial court in December 2019 for kidnapping and raping a minor girl in 2017. He later filed an appeal before the Delhi High Court seeking suspension of his sentence during the pendency of the case.

Sengar to remain in jail despite bail order

Despite the high court granting bail in the rape case, Sengar will continue to remain in prison as he is also serving a separate 10-year sentence in connection with the custodial death of the survivor’s father.

While granting bail, the high court imposed multiple conditions, including a personal bond of Rs 15 lakh with three sureties of the same amount. The court also directed Sengar not to enter within a five-kilometre radius of the survivor’s residence in Delhi and restrained him from issuing any threats to her or her mother.

The trial in the Unnao rape case, along with related matters, had earlier been shifted from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi on the directions of the Supreme Court in August 2019.