PUNE/NAGPUR: BJP-led Mahayuti delivered a sweeping verdict after two rounds of the first phase of Maharashtra’s civic elections, winning presidents’ posts in nearly 207 of 288 municipal councils and nagar panchayats, mirroring its assembly election performance just over a year ago. Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) was reduced to 44 posts. Results were declared on Sunday after polling on Dec 2 and 20. BJP emerged as biggest gainer with victories in over 117 local bodies, cementing the position of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena secured 53 posts, while Ajit Pawar’s NCP won 37. “We have won 117 presidents’ posts, and more than 75% posts are with our Mahayuti partners. This is a repeat of the assembly election,” Fadnavis said. CM Devendra Fadnavis said, “Compared to 2017, our elected representatives have doubled… This is the biggest win in local elections in the last 25 years for any party.”Final results of the 6,859 councillor seats were not released by the state election commission till the time of going to press. But BJP claimed to have won over 3,000 of these seats.Despite emerging as a distant challenger statewide, Congress checked BJP advances in parts of Vidarbha. Western Maharashtra saw Mahayuti allies battling each other as Congress and NCP (SP) struggled to hold ground. Meanwhile, BJP made gains in Mumbai and Konkan, encroaching into traditional Shiv Sena, PWP and NCP pockets. Shinde expanded Sena’s footprint beyond Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), finishing second across the state.North Maharashtra backed BJP strongly, especially in Jalgaon under minister Girish Mahajan. In Marathwada, expected gains from leaders such as Ashok Chavan and Munde cousins failed to materialise. Congress won just 28 civic bodies statewide. Sharad Pawar-led NCP managed seven, while Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena secured nine.Vidarbha delivered a fractured verdict. Congress halted BJP in several councils from Chandrapur to Buldhana and Ballarpur to Wardha, while BJP retained dominance in Nagpur, Gadchiroli and parts of Bhandara.Ajit Pawar-led NCP won 35 of 41 seats in Baramati region, the same undivided NCP had won in 2017. NCP (SP), led by Sharad Pawar, managed to win only one seat, while BSP and Rashtriya Samaj Paksha (RSP) also won a seat each. Three seats went to Independent candidates while BJP failed to open its account.The outcome is seen as a curtain-raiser to municipal corporation polls due Jan 15 and comes amid anger over flood-hit kharif crops and opposition charges that funds were diverted to populist schemes such as Mukhyamantri Mazhi Ladki Bahin Yojana. Polls also marked first statewide civic exercise after Shiv Sena and NCP splits, consolidating Shinde and Ajit Pawar as undisputed leaders of their factions.Biggest beneficiary remains Fadnavis. After BJP’s poor 2024 Lok Sabha showing — nine of 48 seats — and his offer to resign, he led Mahayuti to an assembly landslide of over 230 seats, with BJP winning 132. Opposition allegations of “vote chori” and EVM manipulation resurfaced but lost traction after civic sweep.Analysts blamed MVA for failing to capitalise on farm distress. Former CM Prithviraj Chavan admitted Congress could not raise youth and farmer issues effectively.

Pune: Deputy CM Ajit Pawar on Sunday proved his dominance over Baramati, the Pawar family’s traditional stronghold, as well as Pune district as the municipal council elections delivered a clear win for his faction of NCP in the first civic contest since the party’s split.NCP won 35 of the 41 seats in Baramati, the same as undivided NCP in the 2017 civic polls. NCP (SP), led by Sharad Pawar, managed to win only one seat, while Bahujan Samaj Party and Rashtriya Samaj Paksha won a seat each. Three seats went to independent candidates, while BJP failed to open its account. NCP secured the presidents’ posts in 10 of the 17 local bodies in Pune district, followed by Shiv Sena with four and BJP with three. All three Mahayuti partners swept the polls in the district. Of the 398 councillor posts it contested, NCP topped with 152 seats, followed by BJP (88) and Sena (55). MVA was restricted to 13 seats, with NCP (SP) winning six, Congress four and Sena (UBT) three. The Baramati municipal council of 41 seats witnessed elections for only 33 wards, as eight candidates from NCP were elected unopposed. Ajit Pawar’s faction also secured the mayor’s post, defeating candidates from both NCP (SP) and BJP. “The victory in Pune district is the result of the hard work put in by party workers. These elections were held after nearly nine years, and the local bodies were without elected representatives for almost four years. The results show that not only NCP but also Shiv Sena and BJP won in many seats, which indicates that the people trust Mahayuti,” Ajit Pawar said. This was the first civic election in Baramati in which members of the Pawar family were pitted against each other. The two sides had also faced each other in the LS polls, where NCP (SP)’s Supriya Sule emerged victorious, as well as the assembly elections last year, which was won by Ajit Pawar. Although the Baramati polls were seen as a faceoff between Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar, local leaders said the real fight was between Ajit Pawar and his nephew Yugendra Pawar, who led the campaign for NCP (SP). “Neither Sharad Pawar nor Supriya Sule campaigned in Baramati. Yugendra Pawar was the only leader holding meetings and campaigning on the ground, while Ajit Pawar himself addressed rallies and remained actively involved throughout the campaign,” a senior NCP functionary said. The contest in most civic bodies in Pune was restricted to Mahayuti partners, with candidates from NCP, BJP and Sena pitted against each other. In some places, the allies also faced each other through local tie-ups. Talegaon Dabhade was the only local body where NCP and BJP contested together, with an agreement to share the mayoral post for 2.5 years each.

Lionel Messi (File Photo)

KOLKATA: Messi received Rs 89 crore for his India tour and another Rs 11 crore was paid to the govt as tax, Satadru Dutta, the organiser of the event, told police. Dutta was arrested within hours of the mayhem breaking out at Salt Lake stadium during the Messi event, with the police holding him responsible for the disorder, him being the chief organiser. Police have seized Rs 22 crore from Dutta’s various bank accounts and frozen the accounts following leads from the SIT, formed by the state, which carried out a raid on his Rishra residence on Friday. Dutta’s interrogations over the past 48 hours were led by security director Peeyush Pandey. “Dutta claimed Rs 100 crore was spent on the Messi tour, with some of the funds coming from sponsors and the rest from ticket sales. But the total figures attributed to ticket sales and sponsors cover 60%-70% of the total cost, leading investigators to doubt his claims,” said an officer.

The investigators suspect that black money might have been used in Messi’s show. However, it has not been clarified whether this amount includes money from ticket sales or funds received from sponsors. Police also said Dutta had not stated anything about any financial irregularities related to the event. No senior SIT official came on record on the developments, citing procedures and legal hassles. The Bidhannagar Police had earlier asked the online ticketing partner not to release the ticket money proceeds to Dutta or his company’s accounts.Dutta reportedly made several other “explosive” claims. He claimed that though initially about 150 ground access cards were issued, he had to triple the number based on “pressures from multiple quarters, all of whom were influential.” Even this claim was not confirmed officially.According to police sources, Dutta, blamed “everyone” around Messi on Dec 13, for the fiasco except himself. During his questioning, Dutta repeatedly claimed that Messi did not appreciate being touched on the back or hogged for selfies by “random people.” Messi even informed the officials responsible for his own security of such a development. Despite repeated announcements for people to move away, it was of no use, Dutta told cops, according to sources. The police have already filed two cases in this incident so far. A suo moto case was registered at Bidhannagar South Police Station. The charges include causing unrest, vandalism, spreading violence, and activities endangering public safety. Additionally, several non-bailable charges have been filed against Dutta.

England legend Geoffrey Boycott has lashed out at the head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes after Australia won its fifth straight Ashes urn on Sunday (December 21) in Adelaide. Australia crushed England by 82 runs in the third Test at the Adelaide Oval to take a 3-0 lead in the ongoing five-match Test series.

Earlier, in the first two tests, Ben Stokes and his team could not even survive for more than three days, and now their heavy loss in Adelaide has reignited debate over their ultra-aggressive Bazball style introduced by Brendon McCullum and the skipper himself.

Geoffrey Boycott says Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes must change or resign

After Australia sealed the Ashes 2025-26, the Bazball approach is now being blamed for their downfall. In the beginning, Bazball felt like a breath of fresh air in Test cricket. England played fearless cricket, players backed their instincts, and the results were also impressive.

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But the ongoing Ashes 2025-26 has shown the cracks. England kept attacking even when the match situation clearly demanded patience, control, and smarter decisions, and now Geoffrey Boycott has launched a brutal attack on the leadership group for promoting such a mindset.

The well-known broadcaster believes that England has confused confidence with overconfidence. Boycott has pointed out that the Test team is so committed to playing one way that they have stopped reading the game properly, and that stubborn approach has hurt them badly Down Under.

Lot of credit should go to Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes: Geoffrey Boycott

He openly blamed McCullum and Stokes for another Ashes loss for England and strongly demanded they stay away from Bazball if they want to survive in the Test cricket.

Boycott wrote in his column for The Telegraph: “A lot of credit should go to Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes for what they have done for our cricket, but it is obvious that Bazball has run its race. Hubris has taken over from common sense, and that cannot be allowed to carry on.”

He added, “Stokes and McCullum are like men digging a hole to nowhere. If what you are doing isn’t working, then stop digging. Change is absolutely necessary to step up to the next level.”

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Geoffrey Boycott questions Ben Stokes’ captaincy, warns England against blind aggression

The former England batter also raised questions about Ben Stokes as captain. He admitted that the star all-rounder is an important player for the team, but he is not above accountability. Boycott called for Stokes to adjust his own attacking instincts for the team’s balance.

Boycott has openly demanded the sacking of Stokes and McCullum if the captain and coach are not ready to move away from that aggressive approach, as it will only lead to their further downfall in the longest format of the game.

He signed off by saying, “You do not want to lose him, but if he doesn’t see that a change of attitude is needed, then you have to find a new captain.”

The rest of the two Ashes Tests will be played at Melbourne and Sydney on December 26 and January 4, respectively, and the England side must be keen on saving their pride Down Under.

Ben Stokes. (Image: File)

Australia secured the Ashes with a commanding 82-run victory over England in the third Test at Adelaide Oval on Sunday. This result gave the hosts an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.Jamie Smith’s attacking 60 and partnerships with Jacks and Carse briefly raised England’s hopes after starting Day 5 at 207 for 6. Mitchell Starc broke the resistance after lunch, with key catches in the deep helping Australia wrap up the innings.

With Australia securing a fourth consecutive Ashes series triumph at home, here’s some of the standout reaction: “It feels pretty awesome. It wasn’t easy today, but we got it done. It’s an excited changing room” said Australia captain Pat Cummins praising his side’s resolve after a tough finish.Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc felt England made Australia earn the victory, “They made us work for it. A bit of a flat wicket and they played pretty well but another Ashes win and it’s been a great atmosphere all week, all series.”“A little bit of nerves there with some really good batting by Jamie Smith and Will Jacks. We held firm as we have been all series” admitted Australia batsman Marnus Labuschagne. England captain Ben Stokes was honest about the pain of defeat, “Everyone is hurting and quite emotional about it. It hurts, it sucks, but we ain’t going to stop.”The English team captain also acknowledged how Australia outplayed England in just 11 days of cricket.“Australia have been able to execute things on a much more consistent basis than us, with the ball, with the bat and in the field. They’ve been able to outdo us on a much higher level.” Australia’s Alex Carey, named player of the match, said “We know England are such a good cricket team and we’re going to be challenged right to the end today it was a real grind.” England head coach Brendon McCullum praised his players’ effort, “I think the boys were excellent today. They showed some great application. They bounced off each other and tried to take the game as deep as they could. We didn’t get there, but I thought it was a fine achievement.”“A moment Scott Boland will never forget. He goes down in history as the man who took the wicket to win the Ashes. That is a special moment for any player and any team.” Former England captain Alastair Cook commentating on TV as the final wicket fell.Ex-spinner Phil Tufnell said “It has been a thoroughly professional performance. Australia have out-thought England in many situations. You have got to take your hat off.” Pat Cummins cast doubt on injured spinner Nathan Lyon’s chances of featuring in the remaining Tests in Melbourne and Sydney and said “I doubt he’d be right.” Despite the setback, Stokes struck a defiant note, “We have got so much to play for, and we will be flying into these next two games.”

KOLKATA: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said seeing the Sangh through the lens of BJP would be a “big mistake”. Bhagwat, who tried to define “Hindus” and the “Indian society”, said the goal of the Sangh is organisation of Hindu society, but it is not aimed at opposing others.Speaking at Kolkata Vyakhyanmala, an interactive session to celebrate the centenary of RSS, Bhagwat said, “Many have a tendency to understand Sangh through the lens of BJP. That is a big mistake,” while trying to clearly separate the two.

“Swayamsevaks in Sangh work in varied fields. Some are in politics. Some are in the party in office (at the Centre),” he added, explaining the genesis and growth of the Sangh during his over an hour-long speech.Bhagwat said, “There are people who spread wrong narratives about the Sangh. Interpretation of the Sangh should be objective and not through secondary sources. The goal of the Sangh is organisation of the entire Hindu society, but it is not aimed at opposing others…If you see that Sangh is anti-Muslim, you can make (that) your opinion. But change your opinion if you don’t find that.”Stressing on the need for a political awakening in the state, Bhagwat said Congress was created as a means for political awakening and struggle for Independence. “There was a large-scale political awakening and people fought for this country. We got freedom…But there was another section which stressed on social reforms before Independence. The tradition started with Raja Ram Mohan Roy,” he said.Bhagwat said: “We have to organise society and not create any separate organisation within society.” Harping on diversity in “Hindu society”, Bhagwat said, “Hindu is not a name but an attribute and denotes a nature. Those who respect their motherland are Hindus. They could have different languages, rituals, attire or eating habits.”The RSS chief added that Muslims should understand that they might be different “in terms of worship”, but they are part of the unified entity in terms of “nation, culture and society”. Terming the proposed Babri Masjid a “political conspiracy”, he said, “It is neither in favour of Muslims, nor Hindus. It is happening for the votes”.Criticising efforts to construct a temple or mosque from the public exchequer, Bhagwat said the Somnath temple was built with money pooled in from society. “The govt did not fund that (Somnath temple). Ram Mandir was not built by the govt. The govt should not get into the construction of temples,” he said.

NEW DELHI/KULLU: A sharp cold wave tightened its grip across north India on Sunday, with snowfall in the higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, and northeastern Himachal Pradesh, while scattered rain and dense fog pushed down temperatures across the plains of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan.IMD has forecast continued snowfall, rain and fog across much of north India over the next 24 to 48 hours, signalling little relief from the wintry onslaught. In J&K, fresh snowfall ushered in the 40-day-long Chillai-Kalan. Gulmarg recorded nearly two inches of snow accumulation, emerging as the only weather station in the Valley to log sub-zero temperatures, with the mercury plunging to minus 1.5°C. Sonamarg witnessed continuous snowfall from early morning through the afternoon.Despite snow, Srinagar recorded its warmest night of the season, with the minimum temperature settling at 4°C, six degrees above normal. However, at least 11 flights were cancelled at Srinagar International Airport due to adverse weather conditions.Himachal Pradesh experienced biting cold conditions as snowfall draped high-altitude areas of Lahaul-Spiti and Chamba districts. Snowfall was recorded at Shinku La, Rohtang Pass and parts of Pangi Valley, with flakes later observed near Atal Tunnel. Snowfall, though light, drew large numbers of tourists to Shinku La, located around 5,000 metres and being developed as a new snow tourism destination.Meanwhile, the mid and lower hills remained under dense cloud cover, prolonging a dry spell that has left Himachal with a 100% rainfall deficit this month. IMD has warned of moderate to severe snowstorms at isolated places in Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti.In the plains, the winter chill intensified across Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh as thick fog enveloped several areas. Narnaul in Haryana emerged as the coldest location in the state, with mercury dipping to 5.2°C, while Gurdaspur was Punjab’s coldest at 6.8°C. Dense to very dense fog reduced visibility to under 50 metres in parts of UP, where cold day to severe cold day conditions were reported in pockets, along with isolated areas of Uttarakhand. Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 9.4°C, slightly above average, a day after logging the season’s coldest Dec day.

Sydney Thunder will be up against the Brisbane Heat in the ninth match of the Big Bash League. This article provides details about the Brisbane Heat’s Playing 11 vs Sydney Thunder for the ninth match of the tournament.

Brisbane Heat Playing XI vs Sydney Thunder- BBL 2025-26, Match 9:

Openers: Colin Munro, Jack Wildermuth

Brisbane Heat, the team that chased record-breaking 258 runs in the last match against the Perth Scorchers, would look to carry the same batting form when they take on the Sydney Thunder in the next fixture.

The former BBL champions would want to register their second win of the tournament, having played two, lost one, and won one game so far

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To accomplish the above mentioned goal, the team would bank on its openers to get the Heat off to a good start and lay aplatform for the incoming batters to capatalize on, which wasn’t the case in the last match

Colin Munro, who was dismissed without scoring ina high pressure chase against the Scorchers, would look to make up for it by playing a match-winning knock against the Thunder.

Munro’s opening partner, Jack Wildermuth, on the other hand, would want to keep up the good work that he did by scoring a century in the last match when he takes the field against the Heat.

Middle-order batsmen and all-rounders: Nathan McSweeney (c), Matthew Renshaw, Max Bryant, Hugh Weibgen, Jimmy Peirson (wk)

If we talk about how the middle order of the Heat fared in the last match, it didn’t have much to do as Matthew Renshaw, who was involved in a match-winning partnership with Wildermuth, also scored a hundred.

The team management would bank on Renshaw to come good once again against the Brisbane Heat, who are in search of their first win.

Other batters like Nathan McSweeney, Max Bryant, and Hugh Weibgen would also be entrusted to flex their muscles if they get a chance to bat in the next match.

The batting lineup of the Heat would be confident of putting on yet another strong performance with the bat, as the batters have shown good form in the two matches that the team has played so far.

Bowlers: Xavier Bartlett, Shaheen Afridi, Liam Haskett, Matthew Kuhnemann

Unlike the batting, Brisbane Heat’s bowling has been a cause of concern for them as the bowlers have conceeded over 200 runs in both games, which they would be aware of and would look to deliver an improved performance.

The bowling attack, which comprises the likes of Xavier Bartlett, Shaheen Afridi, Liam Haskett, and Matthew Kuhnemann, would back itself to have a good outing against a batting lineup that struggled to get going in the last match.

Despite the Thunder batters being out of form, the bowlers cannot afford to be complacent while bowling to the likes of David Warner and Sam Konstas, both of whom have the ability to take the game away from the opposition.

That is the reason why it will have to be a team effort from the Heat bowlers, so as to restrict the opposition batters from scoring freely.