- 5 weeks ago
On this Special Report, Gaurav Sawant anchors the coverage of the 2026 Maharashtra civic body elections, where the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance has emerged as the dominant force. The alliance is leading in 25 of 29 municipal bodies, including the crucial Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), effectively ending the 25-year stronghold of the Thackeray family. Gaurav Sawant notes that 'Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, of course, gave the credit of BJP Plus, the Mahayuti spectacular victory in Maharashtra, to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's politics of development.' The programme features a heated debate with representatives from the Congress, BJP, and both Shiv Sena factions. While the BJP celebrates the mandate as a victory for 'Vikas,' the opposition, led by Rahul Gandhi and the Shiv Sena (UBT), has raised serious allegations regarding 'vote chori,' citing concerns over indelible ink, EVMs, and the electoral roll. The report also covers the Election Commission's probe into marker pens and exclusive political updates from Tamil Nadu and international developments involving Donald Trump.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Good evening, you're watching India First, I'm Gaurav Sawan.
00:09There are posters that have come up in Mumbai saying, Mumbai ka Dhurandar Devinder.
00:15Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavez, of course, gave the credit of BJP plus the
00:22Mahayuti's spectacular victory in Maharashtra to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's politics
00:27of development saying, it is the Mahayuti, it's the BJP plus, that's the real inheritor
00:34of the legacy of the Hindu Hriday Samrath, Bala Sahib.
00:40Shiv Sena, UBT and the Congress, they've blamed the indelible ink, they've blamed the voting
00:45machines, they've blamed the electoral rolls, they've blamed the election commission, but
00:49the question is, will they also look within?
00:53We debate.
00:53I'm Gaurav Sawanth, as always, let's get started with the headlines on India First.
01:04Trends indicate Mahayuti set to win Mumbai, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavez
01:09leads celebrations at the BJP office in Mumbai, Khakrabat brothers failed to secure their bastion.
01:16Saffron surge across Maharashtra, BJP led Mahayuti alliance wins 25 of 29 municipal bodies in
01:30the state, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah thanked the people of Maharashtra
01:36for trusting the NDA.
01:47Big India Today impact, Maharashtra State Election Commission bars the use of marker pens in the
01:53upcoming Zilla Parishad elections.
01:56Ahead of Tamil Nadu polls, India Today speaks exclusively to the AIA-DMK General Secretary,
02:08E. Palani Swamy.
02:09He says there is no Vijay factor in Tamil Nadu at all.
02:13Amidst the U.S.-Venezuela tensions, Venezuelan opposition leader, leader Maria Corrina Machado
02:27presents her Nobel Peace Prize to U.S. President Donald Trump.
02:31The U.S. President confirms he is now in possession of the middle.
02:34So, the Bharatiya Janata Party has emerged as the single largest force in the Maharashtra elections.
02:49It's consolidated its position across Maharashtra's civic map, including Mumbai.
02:55Celebration started late this afternoon as the party broke the 25-year-long Thakre stronghold,
03:03especially in the Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation.
03:07But even before counting has concluded, the opposition has raised the allegations of vote
03:13chori.
03:14They've actually hit out at voter deletions, EVM concerns, and the indelible ink.
03:21As the BJP cites, it has the mandate.
03:24The opposition has questioned the entire process, saying this actually raises serious questions
03:30about the electoral process in India.
03:33Saffron sweeps the BMC polls, and before counting even concludes, the opposition strikes a familiar
03:48chord, crying foul.
03:50The BJP has emerged as the single largest force in Maharashtra's civic landscape, leading
03:59in over 20 out of 29 municipal corporations, including Mumbai, signalling a major urban shift.
04:07After 25 years, as the Thakre family's political fortress, Mumbai is now writing a new political
04:14chapter.
04:15While the results and another feather to BJP's victory run, the opposition response remains
04:42unchanged, fragmented on the ground, united only in allegations.
04:47Rahul Gandhi has escalated the row, alleging vote theft and accusing the election commission
05:15of gaslighting citizens, reviving the vote, Chori Raga.
05:19This, what Rahul Ji is saying, is an anti-national activity, and it is absolutely right.
05:25This is a very bad thing.
05:27This is a very bad thing.
05:28If the people will end up, then the country will get worse.
05:32This, after a major controversy erupted over the indelible ink during polling.
05:39After opposition leaders flagged removable marker ink, the Maharashtra State Election Commission
06:07has ordered a probe and barred marker pens in upcoming Zilla Parishat polls.
06:13The BJP calling the opposition a Bahana Brigade, alleging politics of negativity by opposition.
06:20The BJP-led alliance has delivered a sweeping statement in Maharashtra.
06:22The BJP-led alliance has delivered a sweeping statement in Maharashtra.
06:27The BJP-led alliance has delivered a sweeping statement in Maharashtra's civic polls.
06:28The first major political win of 2026 goes to the BJP-led alliance.
06:33The BJP-led alliance has delivered a sweeping statement in Maharashtra's civic polls.
06:48The first major political win of 2026 goes to the BJP-led alliance.
06:54With key state elections ahead, the results have set the stage for the political war ahead.
07:05This report, India Today.
07:12But the Shiv Sena, the Uddhav Thakre faction says, picture abhi baaki hai.
07:17This is not the result just as yet.
07:19There's breaking news that's coming in.
07:21Counting is still underway in Mumbai.
07:24And the Shiv Sena UBT has dismissed these trends as misleading.
07:30Shiv Sena says it's too close to call.
07:33Shiv Sena UBT MP Sanjay Raut says counting is yet to take place in several wards insisting
07:41that it's a very tight fight.
07:42He's warning that those who are reading too much into these trends
07:47could actually get the bigger picture wrong.
07:50He still maintains.
07:51Sanjay Raut says the Shiv Sena is not trailing in the manner in which it is being implied just as yet.
07:58And he claims, of course, there were several defections that had taken place
08:02and those defectors were taken straight to the Iknath Shinde camp.
08:07And those defectors have lost.
08:10He's suggesting that this race would be closed and may end in a draw.
08:17It's too close to call, he claims, in Mumbai.
08:20Listen in.
08:21But there are tons of 30 years to come in,
08:24The common sense of your heart is dead,
08:41Now, there is no, not a new system,
08:45No one has added number with numbers,
08:47Before we started doing this tutorial,
08:50we studied work about 110, 111, 112...
08:55...and then even just to have minors,
09:00We did nothing,
09:02We did not have minors and minors.
09:06So I was going to run to our work.
09:11The BJP on the other hand says 2026 has begun well for the BJP-led Mahayuti in Maharashtra.
09:18Of course, there are huge battles ahead in many states in 2026, including Assam and Bengal and Tamil Nadu and Kerala and we'll be talking about that in days ahead.
09:29But then the BJP says concentrate, they are concentrating right now on their victory, not just in Mumbai, but across 25 of 29 bodies in Maharashtra.
09:40The BJP says, it's now clear, they are the real inheritors of the legacy of Hindu Hriday Samrat Balasaheb Thakre.
09:50The opposition says, nope, this is vote-chory, this is actually a collapse of trust in democracy and an anti-national act, as Rahul Gandhi put it.
10:00But should the Shiv Sena, UBT and the Congress look within?
10:04Joining me on India first, Dr. Shama Mohammed is the national spokesperson of the Congress Party.
10:09Shweta Shalini represents the Bharatiya Janata Party in Maharashtra.
10:14Dr. Shweb Hashmi is of the Shiv Sena, he's the leader of the Shiv Sena, the Uddhav Thakre faction.
10:20And Dr. Raju Vagmare joins us as the spokesperson of the Shinde Sena or the Shiv Sena, Shinde faction.
10:26I want to welcome all our guests on this broadcast. Shweta Shalini, you just heard Sanjay Raut.
10:31He says, picture abhi baqi, it's too close to call. Situation will be clear only by midnight.
10:38And Shiv Sena, UBT has not been rejected in Maharashtra. Your take on this, madam.
10:44Gaurav ji, I think across Maharashtra, people have stopped taking Sanjay Raut ji seriously.
10:51But, and he said so many things that he's went back on.
10:55But I am very happy that at least he's not towing the same line as his partners, Congress and Rahul Gandhiji of Vote Shori and EVM and Indelible Inc.
11:07And thankfully, we are here. And, you know, you have been talking about trends. We have been talking about trends.
11:14And what we are only saying is that the people of Mumbai and Maharashtra have chosen vikas and development over rhetoric.
11:23And that's what is the trend. And I think we are here to watch.
11:27I think 12 he is talking about, maybe tomorrow he is talking about, let's wait.
11:32The ballots are here and the results will be out soon.
11:38Okay. Dr. Shama Muhammad, Rahul Gandhi accused the election commission of gaslighting citizens.
11:43He said Vote Shori is an anti-national act.
11:47The BJP says, should the Congress not look within losing election after election each time,
11:54blaming the election commission or the machinery and not looking within, madam?
11:59Is there need to introspect?
12:00Gaurav, what Rahul Gandhi has said is absolutely right.
12:07Recently in Rajasthan, as you know, a day or two days ago, a BLO has clearly said that I have been asked to delete by a BJP MLA 420 names of Muslims.
12:19So what does it mean? What does it say? It is not the Congress Party which is saying that.
12:23In Kerala, they delete multiple votes through SIR, but they do not say whose name, which voter has been deleted.
12:33Now, how do you appeal when you don't know who is deleted?
12:36So the Congress Party, the IUML and the other opposition parties as well as the CPM has gone to the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court has given a verdict saying that you must tell whose names have been deleted.
12:51So the problem with the election commission is that they are not transparent anywhere.
12:57They do an SIR in three to four months.
13:01For what? I mean, in states like UP or Madhya Pradesh, you know, elections are not around the corner.
13:07And also the question today is even Bihar, if you want to do an SIR, see, none of us want...
13:12Would you want to take a question initially on the results or the trends in Maharashtra?
13:18I'll come to the bigger picture in just a moment.
13:20But Congress's performance in Mumbai and in Maharashtra, the Congress was extremely strong in Maharashtra for decades.
13:29And where are you today, ma'am?
13:31Yes, I, in that context, I say that, yes, we have not done well.
13:36But let's also understand that we have decided after a long time to fight alone.
13:41So, yes, when you fight alone, it will have some issues in the beginning.
13:47But in the long run, we want to strengthen our organization.
13:50We want the Congress party to do things being, you know, not with too many alliance partners all the time.
13:57Like, for example, in Kerala, we do have alliance partners, but it is not that the alliance partner is bigger than us.
14:03So we do not want a scenario where always the alliance partners are now getting bigger than us.
14:08So we took a decision, the unit in Mumbai, as well as Maharashtra, took a decision to go on our own this time.
14:15And I don't see anything wrong in that.
14:17And like Sanjay Roth said, there is still counting going on.
14:21Let it finish the counting.
14:23And then whoever wants to celebrate can celebrate.
14:25But let me tell you very clearly that what has happened in our country, the Election Commission and the Enforcement Directorate has become the two arms, or I would call it hathiyar, of the present government.
14:39And that is really very unfortunate.
14:40Shweta Shalini wants to respond on the two specific allegations that you've mentioned, or the two bodies, the Election Commission and the Enforcement Directorate.
14:51They are weapons in the hands of the ruling party or the government.
14:55Shweta Shalini.
14:55Gaurav, in the same state of Maharashtra, we had not fared well in the Lok Sabha.
15:02And that's where a lot of people did chest thumping.
15:05And unfortunately, at that point of time, both these institutions were doing excellently well, because the results were in their favor.
15:12Having said that, I think Shamaji does not know, but Congress actually joined hands this time with VBA.
15:18So, Prakash Ambedkar is somebody that Congress has been fighting tooth and nail against in the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha.
15:26But it was in such a bad state that they, one, they could not have, they did not have candidates all across Mumbai.
15:34And of course, they had to join hands with a smaller party like Prakash Ambedkar Ji.
15:40So, having said this, I think the reason why I feel or my party feels that they split is because even Uddav Taqiri was eyeing the Muslim vote.
15:52And of course, Congress feels that Muslims are their vote.
15:58And that's one of the reasons why I think...
16:01Yes.
16:03Yes.
16:03Can I just...
16:03You know, coming on this aspect, you know, each time, if the Congress does well in elections, election commission is fine.
16:09If the Congress does well, ED is fine.
16:12But when the Congress performs poorly, then there is a problem.
16:16So, is this a case, as the BJP puts it,
16:20Is that an unfair criticism of the current state of Congress fighting elections, madam?
16:26No.
16:27So, Gaurav, she spoke about the Ambedkar's party.
16:31I just want to tell her that Ajit Pawar was accused of corruption, not by the Congress party.
16:38By Devendra Fadnavis, Kirith Sumaya, as well as the Prime Minister of India, who in a speech in Madhya Pradesh, I remember the day in June, said, Ajit Pawar is corrupt.
16:5070,000 crore, some number, he said.
16:53Then why did you take this corrupt gentleman into your party?
16:57When your people have...
16:58So, please don't do this.
17:00I can dig out things after things, you know, of Pratap Sarnayik was with UBT in May of 21, if I'm not wrong.
17:11By October, when he had ED under his nose, he joined your party.
17:15So, and then what happens?
17:17Narayan Rane, ED investigation stops as they join your party.
17:21So, you call people corrupt, your party calls people corrupt, your leaders call people corrupt, and they are with you.
17:28And then Ajit Pawar is now fighting in Pune.
17:30And yet, you know, why it goes by issues you raised through the elections?
17:35You've raised these questions through the elections.
17:38Now when results are out or trends are in, you know, is that same campaign spiel?
17:43Will that help the Congress party grow?
17:46Or should the Congress be doing some kind of introspection of why this happened?
17:51Should the Congress have stayed in alliance with Shiv Sena, UBT?
17:54Would they have performed better?
17:56Or, as you point out, the Mumbai unit took the decision of,
17:59Aykla, let's go, Ray.
18:01In the long run, is that the Congress template, for example, even in Bengal?
18:06No, no, we want to go on our own and that is our template.
18:09But let's also understand, I was speaking to a lot of people
18:12at the ground level in Maharashtra.
18:14And they said, ma'am, you have no idea the money pumped in.
18:18Now, we have to know where this money is coming.
18:20Why the ED does not investigate where this money,
18:23the amount of money that is coming in, you know, the money pumped in.
18:27We know that electoral bonds, the Supreme Court said it's illegal.
18:30But has anything been done about?
18:32Again, those are issues that you've raised in the past so many times.
18:35But give me a moment, Dr. Shamaa Mohamad.
18:36I have breaking news that's just coming in.
18:39And these are the official trends coming in right now on India today.
18:44And now we have trends for 215 of the 227 wards in Mumbai.
18:51And the BJP as of now is ahead in BJP+.
18:54The Mahayuti is ahead in 110.
18:58SENA, UBT and allies ahead in 70.
19:01The Congress from 16 has jumped to 23.
19:06Others are ahead in 12.
19:09These are trends that are just coming in.
19:12And this is as of 8 o'clock.
19:15The latest information that we get for you here.
19:18Remember, just a short while back,
19:21Sanjay Routh had claimed that trends showed they're virtually neck and neck
19:26or maybe just 10-odd seats, you know, wards ahead.
19:30But right now, these are trends that are coming in.
19:34Let me once again bring in our guests on this special broadcast.
19:38Dr. Shamaa Mohamad.
19:40Okay, before I bring in Dr. Shweb Hashmi of the Shiv Sena UBT,
19:44you want to quickly respond to the criticism that the bigger picture
19:50is in favor of the BJP-led Mahayuti.
19:54Can the BJP, you know, say that they are the real inheritors of the legacy of Bala Sahib Thakre?
20:00You know, whatever they campaigned for, whether it was Hindutva,
20:03whether it was Vikas, that gelled with the voters?
20:09Is that a question to me?
20:11Yes, ma'am.
20:12You know, I think BJP does what you call a spolarization.
20:17So, that has been going on for a long time.
20:19And I don't know who wants to take the legacy of Bala Sahib Thakre.
20:24I firmly believe that it should be with Udhav.
20:27And he is the, you know, continues the legacy of Bala Sahib.
20:32But I certainly believe thatтАж
20:35No, but is that because of Pariwarwar?
20:37It's not the inheritor is someone who works hard on those lines,
20:41or someone who inherits it by birth or by surname.
20:46No.
20:47See, that's what I'm trying to tell you,
20:48is that whoever takes over whoever's legacyтАж
20:50See, myтАж
20:51I am not going to decide about Hindutva and all those things.
20:55That's nothing to do with me.
20:56My thing is that the elections here are right nowтАж
21:00What is happening is illegal.
21:02It is not democratically done.
21:04That is one.
21:04Of course, we will look inward.
21:06I'm not denying that.
21:07We need to strengthen our organization.
21:09I will not deny that today.
21:11But the issue right now is the election commission.
21:14The election commission has become an arm of this.
21:17I mean, we saw what happened during Bihar elections.
21:20How after the moral code of conduct was on,
21:22money was being distributed to women.
21:24The 10,000 rupees.
21:26So, and election commission takes no action.
21:29Then we have the Supreme Court had clearly come out and said that,
21:32you know, nobody should do hate speech.
21:34Suomoto cognizance has beenтАж
21:36should be taken.
21:37But we have seen Giraj Singh doing hate speech after hate speech.
21:40So, my issue is basically,
21:42there is no election commission which is independent.
21:45It is withтАж
21:45But there are courts of law,
21:47and the election commission says the Congress raises these issues,
21:50but does not go to courts of lawтАж
21:52or does not fight an official written complaint.
21:56But let me quickly bring in Dr. Shreem Hashmi.
21:57No, no, let me finish that.
21:58You asked me about the courts of law.
21:59The bigger picture, Dr. Hashmi,
22:00the BJP and the Mahayuti say,
22:02they are the real inheritors of Balasaheb Thakre's legacy.
22:06Would you see this as a loss of bastion for the Thakre's?
22:10That lungi-pungi Rajneeti does not work anymore?
22:14No, no, it's not like that.
22:16Actually, legacy is with Mr. Uddhav Thakre still.
22:19And as you were saying,
22:22with the reference of Mr. Sanjay Rahul,
22:24that is still results yet to come by midnight.
22:27Results are not declared yet.
22:29Since morning, this is my fourth or fifth debate.
22:32But since morning,
22:33the news channel anchor was trying to say
22:35that already Shiv Sena, UBT lost,
22:39and BJP and Shinde Sena won.
22:40Morning, 11 o'clock.
22:42Maybe the Shalini is ableтАж
22:43Okay, on India today, we are only giving trends.
22:44Yeah, no, no, no.
22:48According to the trends,
22:49they were saying that you lost.
22:51You lost the Mumbai BMC.
22:55She is smiling.
22:56Since morning, this is going on.
22:57But still, 100 states, 100 wards have to count.
23:01So, I think it's wrong perception
23:03that Uddhav Thakre and Raj Thakre is losing.
23:06I hope there will be a very close and tough fight
23:09between Shiv Sena and BJP-led Shinde Ghat.
23:13As you see, that Dr. Shama was also saying
23:16that everything is manipulated and managed
23:18in Aurangabad, where I live.
23:20Here, we have 115 seats in Mahanagar Palika
23:23and exactly 58 seats won by BJP.
23:27What it indicates?
23:2858 out of 115 means exact what they need for the majority.
23:33Even they don't need Shinde Sena's support.
23:36So, this is not good actually.
23:37Dr. Raju Vagmare wants to quickly respond to you.
23:40Okay, Dr. Vagmare, you want to quickly respond
23:43because the opposition also says
23:4468 unopposed wins in Maharashtra
23:46went to the Mahayuti.
23:48That's coercion.
23:50That's not clean politics.
23:51Quickly, sir.
23:53See, all these opposition,
23:55it's like there is one saying in Bharati
23:58that if you don't know how to dance,
24:01you cry.
24:02The similar thing is happening for the opposition.
24:06So, they don't know how to dance.
24:07They don't know how to win.
24:08They don't know how to do the politics.
24:10So, they will cry.
24:12The only thing they can do much better
24:14than anybody else,
24:16that is a crime.
24:17And what they are doing.
24:18Because after so much good research,
24:22everything is showing white and black
24:24that Mahayuti is coming to power in BMC.
24:29The Thakre has been lost.
24:32The people in Mumbai,
24:34the Marathi Manus
24:35and all other people,
24:37they show that Thakre's place,
24:40it's in the front of television
24:42and the Facebook.
24:43They cannot be on a street.
24:46They cannot be on a implementation
24:50or any power.
24:52Interesting, you should mention that.
24:53Is this a huge loss for the Thakre brand?
24:57The brothers came together
24:58and yet they didn't, you know,
25:00get the kind of numbers
25:01they were hoping
25:02or retain their bastion.
25:03Now, breaking news coming in.
25:05We are getting the first reaction
25:06of Amrita Fadnavis.
25:08You know, Devendra Fadnavis
25:09is being called
25:10Mumbai ka Dhurandar.
25:12He is being called
25:13Dhurandar Devinder.
25:15How is Amrita Fadnavis reacting?
25:17My colleague, Maria Shakil,
25:18spoke to a listen-in.
25:22Prajit ke meeting.
25:28Ms. Fadnavis, congratulations
25:30on this victory for your party.
25:35We are looking at those visuals
25:36coming in from the BJP office
25:38in Mumbai.
25:40What are your thoughts
25:41about this, you know,
25:44outstanding performance
25:45of the BJP?
25:48Good evening.
25:49And ma'am, I'm very happy
25:51and overwhelmed
25:52about the way BJP has performed
25:54across 29 Mahanagar Pali Makas.
25:58and very happy
25:59for the way hard work
26:01was put in by everyone
26:03from a Karyakarta
26:05to Devendra Ji
26:07under the guidance
26:09of Narendra Modi Ji
26:10and all the seniors
26:12of the party.
26:13So, I think so,
26:14it's very well,
26:15they have performed
26:16very well.
26:18The Mahayuti
26:19has together shown it
26:20that they are
26:21the true leaders
26:23for the state
26:24and they are here
26:26for pure development
26:28because it is in Maharashtra
26:30and they mean development.
26:34One thing is also clear, ma'am,
26:36that the women of Maharashtra
26:39have come out
26:39to vote for Mahayuti
26:41and so have the youth.
26:43What do you think
26:43is working for the party?
26:45Is it the ladki bain
26:46or what is the larger sentiment
26:48according to you
26:49that is making the women
26:51of Maharashtra
26:52come out to cast their vote
26:53for Devendra Fadnavis
26:55led Mahayuti?
26:58I would just say
26:59that the Mahayuti
27:01definitely ladki bain
27:03all the sisters
27:04from Maharashtra
27:05have supported Mahayuti.
27:07Similarly,
27:08the youth of today
27:09knows they cannot be
27:11flown into politics
27:13of language,
27:15of caste,
27:16of other things
27:18which do not matter to them.
27:20What matters to them
27:22is whether this development
27:24is reaching their houses
27:25through their societies,
27:27through their city,
27:29through their state Maharashtra.
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