Mumbai, June 4

The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) faced a major setback as its candidates withdrew their candidatures on Thursday, ensuring that ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance will win the Legislative Council (Vidhan Parishad) election virtually unopposed.

Thursday was the last day to withdraw applications for the Legislative Council election and candidates withdrew their applications by 3 pm.

Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena had announced Bal Mane as its candidate from the Raigad-Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg Legislative Council constituency, but he withdrew from the contest on Thursday, after which the Sena expelled him from the party for anti-party activities.

Bal Mane was originally a BJP leader. However, during the 2024 assembly elections, he left the BJP and publicly joined the Thackeray group. He contested the assembly elections from Ratnagiri against Cabinet Minister Uday Samant from the Maha Vikas Aghadi, but he had to face defeat in that election. After that, he was once again brought into the election fray through the Legislative Council. However, his withdrawal before the voting has completely changed the political equations in Konkan

Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena's Devyani Dongaonkar was nominated from the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar-Jalna Legislative Council constituency, but she suddenly withdrew her candidature, after which the party expelled Devyani Dongaonkar and her husband Krishna Dongaonkar.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena candidate Anil Kadam who was supposed to be the candidate from the Nashik Legislative Council constituency withdrew from the contest and did not file his application. Congress candidate Sahebrao Kamble, who was nominated by the Congress to contest from the Yavatmal Legialative Council, withdrew from the election.

Reacting to these developments Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP and chief Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut alleged here on Thursday that, “The ruling party (BJP) has spent a whopping Rs 150 crore to get our candidates to withdraw their applications. One of our candidates was given Rs 25 crore to withdraw”.
“From the information I have so far, the ruling party is adamant to ensure that elections are held unopposed and many unscrupulous methods have been adopted to achieve this. A large number of attempts were made to buy off opposition candidates and it succeeded in some places,” Sanjay Raut said.

“Yesterday (Wednesday), such transactions took place at Hotel Sofitel in Mumbai, located in the Bandra Kurla Complex. After that, our candidate in Konkan (Bal Mane) withdrew. Our candidate withdrew in Sambhajinagar. The person who fixed the deal informed us. The process of purchasing candidates is going on in Maharashtra. I think this is a way of destroying the state and the country. This is extremely dangerous for democracy,” Sanjay Raut said.
“The prices of horses were fixed only to withdraw their candidatures. I am not shocked at all. I expected this. That is why I kept saying from the beginning that this election is not ours. This election is not for party workers. This election is for those who can spend cash, do horse trading, as well as buy candidates and votes. This is not democracy. This was my honest opinion and I tried to present my opinion many times in my party. I was afraid that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) would get discredited due to this, especially my party,” Sanjay Raut said.
Reacting to the withdrawal of MVA candidates from the poll fray, Maharashtra State Congress Committee President Harshwardhan Sapkal said, “Despite the BJP's power everywhere, it is still trampling upon democratic values in its desire for more power. Offers of crores of rupees have been made to opposition candidates in order to ensure that Legislative Council elections are won unopposed. The BJP has used all means to get candidates to withdraw nominations, putting aside all morality. The BJP does not want democracy. It wants a 'nomination system' instead of elections”.

“Voters of Legislative Council elections are the elected representatives in the local self-government bodies and it is a limited electorate. But in this election too, the ruling alliance has openly played the game of throwing money and enjoying the spectacle. There has been a huge distribution of money by the ruling party. The BJP and the Election Commission are in an unholy alliance. This picture is not good for democracy,” Sapkal said.

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“YouthAid Entrepreneurs Federation of India (YEFI), being launched in Pune this November 22, becomes a bridge connecting grassroots entrepreneurs with government schemes, banks, CSR partners, platforms and investors. It promotes standardisation, quality, branding and ethics in business, helping micro-businesses scale up sustainably. And it seeds the next generation of entrepreneurs who will shape India’s future. In today’s changing India, such a federation is not optional, it is necessary for last-mile inclusion, dignity and economic justice,” said Mathew Mattam, the Chairman of the newly launched grassroots business outfit, YEFI, in Pune. 

The significance of the date is critical as it comes in the middle of a worldwide entrepreneurial movement. Global Entrepreneurship Week is an annual campaign to celebrate and empower entrepreneurs in every country and community around the world with a global focus. GEW is being celebrated in the US, UK and in over 200 countries, including India, from 17th to 23rd November 2025 and the theme for this year is “Together We Build”. Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) is a global celebration of innovators, entrepreneurs, and startups, aimed at fostering growth and connection within local and international entrepreneurial ecosystems. And in this week, a history has been created in India with the birth of YEFI. 

Speaking at the inauguration, from UK, the GEN UK Vice President and a leading figure in global entrepreneurship policy-making, Matt Smith, emphasized upon the critical link between broad ecosystem support and national economic strength. He said, “Ecosystem building is not just a buzzword, it is the vital infrastructure that sustains an economy and empowers a country’s future. For GEW 2025 to achieve its full potential, we must dramatically deepen our reach into the grassroots, the often-overlooked micro-entrepreneurs who form the bedrock of local economies. We extent our heartfelt congratulations to the YouthAid Foundation (YAF) for launching YEFI, which is perfectly positioned to drive this crucial, localized momentum.”

Following this, Priya Kothari, the international director of YAF and Executive Director of WUST Foundation, Virginia, noted that the vision of YEFI is clear: to ensure the Indian grassroots entrepreneurship movement reach every state in India and scale effectively on the global stage. We believe that by providing focused mentorship, resources, the essential digital and financial literacy, we can unlock the potential of micro entrepreneurs, transforming local livelihoods and making them powerful contributors to the global economy.”

YEFI has kept strict conditions for membership. Any grassroot enterprise creator with a minimum of two years in business, with audited accounts and ITR showing an annual turnover of Rs.5 lacs, can only apply. While some 2400 such businesses are in the process of auditing just now, YEFI’s inaugural membership was accorded to six enterprises with a total audited annual turnover of 22 crores, employing 105 persons in total, and all businesses being sustainable ones. The six initial entrepreneurs are Sarthak Enterprises, AgroZee Organics Pvt Ltd, YouthAid Global Services Pvt Ltd, VK Control Systems Pvt Ltd, Shital Enterprises, and Agrotech Famer Produce Company.

YEFI board has Mathew Mattam as Chairman, four entrepreneur as board members, a social activist of repute Jyotsna Bahirat as a member, and noted academic Prof Ujjwal Anu Chowdhury also as a member. 

Entrepreneur director Vicky Kalbande expressed joy to be on the founding board of YEFI and noted that making social unicorn by 2030 would be the main goal, and he will take his business from Amravati to the global level. Entrepreneur Bapu Narute committed to help host the first anniversary of YEFI at Dubai on November 22, 2026. 

On this occasion, Daily Democracy Now! published a special edition with one page coverage of what and why of YEFI, and publisher Rajesh Warlekar expressed immense possibilities of the platform of business owners on ground. Dr Tausif Malik, the US-based media and entrepreneurship evangelist, welcomed the initiative and the power of the concept of social unicorn driving it. 

Throwing some light on this concept, YEFI Board Member, Prof Ujjwal Anu Chowdhury, noted that the absence of any chamber of commerce dedicated to the micro-entrepreneurs and the need to bring them together to harness their immense potential is behind the launch of YEFI. It starts with Rs.22 crores turnover of 6 micro business entrepreneurs with 105 employees, 73% of whom are women, in 2025. By February, 2026, during the Hyderabad YES Summit, hosted with support from Incubation Cell of Telengana government, some 500 members of YEFI shall attend with a gross turnover crossing Rs.50 crores by all means. The YEFI organized YES Summit of 2027 shall be in Delhi with more than 1000 members fulfilling the conditions and some Rs.100 crores plus annual audited turnover. It is expected that by the time UN SDGs will come to an end in 2030, by the fifth YEFI anniversary, it will cross 10,000 members having Rs.1000 crores turnover, employing more than a lakh of employees, and with a valuation of Rs.10,000 crores, that is USD 1 billion, thus becoming India’s first ever Social Unicorn. 

This sort of a fast growth will create a platform which can support the members within the organization, mentorship of senior YEFI members as Uday Gurus for the newer entrants can be ensured, YEFI members’ e-commerce platform can be launched, one Export-Import division to be launched, YEFI delegations going across Global South nations to build bridges with the micro and small entrepreneurs worldwide, and the platform can negotiate well with government bodies, banks, universities to bring in benefits for the members. The blueprint is for a revolutionary rise of the grassroot businesses contributing to the national wealth in a big way. 

The YEFI launch thus is poised to address the acute invisibility of grassroots businesses largely by women in the villages, small towns and urban slums in mainstream media and business discourses. 

Democratising grassroots entrepreneurship means changing that script – making it normal and possible for a young woman in a basti, a farmer’s son, or a first-generation diploma holder in a small town to build and own an enterprise with dignity and support. That is exactly the space in which YEFI – YouthAid Entrepreneurs’ Federation of India – is positioning itself for the years ahead. 

Report by Jyotsna Bahirat, YEFI Board Member, November 22, 2025, Pune

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Veteran actor Satish Shah, one of Indian cinema and television’s most beloved faces, passed away at the age of 74. The actor, best known for his iconic role as Indravadan Sarabhai in the hit TV sitcom ‘Sarabhai vs Sarabhai’, had reportedly been keeping unwell following a kidney transplant and was rushed to the hospital after he fell critically ill.

Over a career spanning nearly five decades, Shah made an indelible mark with his versatility and impeccable comic timing. He gained widespread acclaim for his performances in cult classics such as ‘Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro’, ‘Main Hoon Na’, ‘Hum Aapke Hain Koun’, and several television shows that showcased his effortless humour and expressive acting.

Trained at the prestigious Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Satish Shah became a household name for his relatable, witty, and charming screen presence. Beyond comedy, he was admired for his ability to bring warmth and realism to every character he portrayed.

Tributes poured in from fans, colleagues, and industry peers, who remembered him as a gifted performer and a kind human being. Satish Shah leaves behind a legacy that will continue to inspire generations of actors and entertainers.

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Solapur, 15 Oct 2025

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today inaugurated the Mumbai–Solapur Airport and flight service.
Fadnavis said that the flight service has begun, and the plane from Mumbai will be landing here.  "In fact, I was supposed to come by that flight myself. However, I had to go to Gadchiroli because today all the Naxalites and Maoists surrendered there with their weapons," said Fadnavis.

"Since we have completely eliminated Maoism in Maharashtra, I went there directly and then came to Solapur, as I wanted to be present for the first flight taking off from the city of Siddharameshwar," the Chief Minister said.
Fadnavis further said, "I had earlier announced the establishment of an IT Park here. The purpose behind that was—without a functional airport, an IT Park can never truly succeed. Once I was certain that the airport here would become operational, I made that announcement. In the coming days, the location will be finalized, and we will build a good IT Park in Solapur. We aim to create employment opportunities right here for the youth of Solapur who are currently working in Pune."

"In Solapur, we also implemented the parallel water supply scheme. There were several obstacles, but I kept tracking the progress continuously," he said.

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