Thane: A deadlock over nearly 10 seats in Thane city has apparently kept Mahayuti’s seat-sharing negotiations between BJP and Shiv Sena inconclusive till late Sunday evening, party insiders said. It is learnt that the BJP was offered 40 seats, a number that triggered discontent among party workers, who are demanding an additional 10 seats from various pockets of Thane city. The proposal has been forwarded to senior Mahayuti leaders, with a final decision expected late Sunday and an announcement on Monday, if resolved.Confirming the discussions, BJP MLA Sanjay Kelkar said the party was contesting as part of the alliance and was hopeful of securing more seats based on its electoral strength. “Talks are scheduled late Sunday and we expect to finalise the seat-sharing by Monday,” he said.Meanwhile, the alliance unease has spilled over to the ground level, with leaders from both parties wary of possible rebellion by workers. A section of BJP workers is reportedly considering supporting independent candidates to contest from an erstwhile Shiv Sena stronghold in one of the Majiwada–Manpada electoral wards. On Saturday, a large banner proclaiming Thane as a BJP bastion was also put up in deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde’s assembly constituency.Sena workers, on the other hand, have begun mobilising support in BJP-dominated areas such as Naupada and Vartak Nagar electoral wards. Party functionaries said the welfare initiatives started during Shinde’s tenure increased the popularity of the Sena in Thane and could easily translate into victory. Leaders said they were aware that disappointed aspirants from both sides could contest independently, risking vote division.Amid the Sena-BJP uncertainty, former NCP corporators Najeeb Mulla and Suhas Desai filed their nominations on Saturday. Sena MP Naresh Mhaske clarified the NCP earlier decided to go solo and was not part of the current alliance negotiations. Separately, the Maha Vikas Aghadi said it was also working on its seat-sharing formula and is likely to announce it by Monday.

Josh Tongue of England celebrates (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Former India off-spinner R Ashwin praised Josh Tongue after the England pacer’s Player of the Match performance in the Melbourne Test, drawing from his own memories of playing county cricket alongside him. “I remember when I played county cricket in 2017 in Worcestershire, Josh Tongue had stress fracture issues,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel. “He is able to produce those wicket-taking balls. Brydon Carse is a bit of an enforcer. If they are able to hold their lines for longer periods of time, they can create a good team. Also, the batting must have a bit of a thought. England can’t get themselves ahead and leave the game behind.”

Ashwin also pointed out England’s recurring batting issues and the lack of control in key moments. “For instance, how Harry Brook bottled the game against India. In Perth, there was a small passage of play. They go for that brute force without any thought process. England have an upside if they can correct their bowling. They need to start producing a spinner from somewhere to hold an end up,” he added. Tongue backed up Ashwin’s assessment with a match-winning display at the MCG. He finished with seven wickets in the Test, including a five-wicket haul of 5/45 in the first innings and 2/44 in the second, earning him the Player of the Match award. Speaking after the game, Tongue described the moment as unforgettable. “It’s what dreams are made of. Obviously waking up on Boxing Day, a few nerves but yeah, to get a fifer and get my name on the honours board, it’s a very special feeling,” he said. Reflecting on his injury-hit journey, Tongue admitted how close he came to walking away from the game after rupturing his right pectoral muscle in 2023 and later suffering a hamstring injury. “100%. I was in a tough situation with my body and stuff. I was potentially retiring, but I’m glad that I put in the hard work to get myself back playing cricket and now playing for England, it’s all that I’ve always wanted to do,” he said.

SRINAGAR: Authorities placed Srinagar MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi of National Conference, opposition PDP legislator Waheed Parra, party functionary Iltija Mufti and others under house detention Sunday, stopping a student-backed protest against J&K’s current reservation policy and exposing sharp political fault lines within NC.The confrontation follows months of debate over changes to J&K reservation rules. Originally framed in 2004, the rules were amended by Union government in 2024 to grant Pahari-speaking population a 10% quota under scheduled tribe category, changes implemented the same year by LG administration. More than 15 new castes were also added to reservation list.Several political parties, including Peoples Conference, Mehdi and student activists, said the revised policy has sharply reduced open merit share in jobs and professional college admissions to below 40%.After a protest on Dec 23 last year outside CM Omar Abdullah’s home, Mehdi, Parra, Iltija and students were invited for talks. Omar assured a review of the framework, leading to formation of a cabinet sub-committee. After months of deliberations, its recommendations were sent to LG’s office early this month and remain pending.Mehdi had warned last month that if the issue was not resolved, he would sit with students in protest. Sunday’s detentions halted that plan but intensified pressure on the NC-led government navigating authority split with the LG amid renewed calls for statehood.NC president Dr Farooq Abdullah defended the detentions, accusing functionaries behind the protest of seeking disorder. “They do not want to see J&K move on the path of development. They want chaos, and we will not allow that,” he said. NC spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar claimed “many of them, I am told, requested for house arrest”.At the same time, NC chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq said the party remains committed to rationalising reservation quotas. The cabinet sub-committee’s report has been finalised and sent to the LG, he said. “At this point, the matter is no longer in the hands of elected government but we will pursue it.”Mehdi said police informed him Sunday morning he could not step out of his home before a planned demonstration with students in Srinagar. “We also received reports late last night that students have been arrested and their families intimidated by police,” he said.Law and order is under LG Manoj Sinha, but Mehdi demanded NC-led government clarify whether it played any role in the detentions. He asked government to specify a date by which a reservation file pending approval with the LG would be cleared, or join him in protest. Mehdi also urged government to lead a push for a discussion in Parliament on restoring special status for J&K, citing a resolution passed by the assembly in its first session last year.Police placed Parra under house arrest late Saturday. Iltija, daughter of PDP chief and former CM Mehbooba Mufti, said she too was confined. “The insecurity and paranoia of the security agencies knows no bounds. This is the ‘normalcy’ in Naya Kashmir. An entire contingent of female police personnel is deputed at the gate to physically stop me,” she said. J&K police and LG’s office issued no statements.

DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand government has taken the murder case of Tripura student Angel Chakma “very seriously”, a release from the chief minister’s office said on Sunday.Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami stated that such incidents are “completely unacceptable” in the state, and the government will “deal strictly with anti-social elements”. “Those involved in such crimes will not be spared”“So far, five accused have been arrested in connection with the murder of Angel Chakma, a student and resident of Nandanagar in Unakoti district of Tripura. Among them, two accused are minors and have been sent to a juvenile reform home. Police are continuously conducting raids to arrest one absconding accused, on whom a reward of ₹25,000 has been announced. A police team has also been sent to Nepal in search of the absconding accused,” according to CMO.Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has instructed the police to ensure the arrest of the absconding accused at the earliest. “He said that the accused will soon be in police custody”The chief minister further warned that those who “play with law and order should not expect any leniency” from the government, and “such anti-social elements will not be spared at any cost.”“He reaffirmed that the state government is committed to ensuring the safety of every citizen living in Uttarakhand”, as per the CMO.The chief minister also expressed condolences over the death of the student from Tripura.Meanwhile, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Saturday said that he spoke with Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami regarding the tragic death of a student who was brutally assaulted by a group of miscreants in Dehradun on December 9.In a post on X, CM Saha said, “Spoke with Hon’ble Chief Minister of Uttarakhand @pushkardhami Ji, regarding the tragic incident involving our student Angel Chakma, a resident of Nandanagar, Debram Thakur Para, who was brutally assaulted by a group of miscreants in Dehradun on 9th December and later he expires at Graphic Era Hospital.”The chief minister said that during his conversation with Pushkar Singh Dhami, he was informed that five accused have already been arrested in connection with the case. He added that further investigation is underway and assured that justice would be delivered.

A massive update has arrived on the return of the star India National Cricket Team middle-order batsman and ODI vice-captain, Shreyas Iyer, to competitive cricket.

According to a recent report in the Times of India, decks have been cleared for the return of Shreyas Iyer to cricket, and he will be seen in action in India’s next home assignment.

How and when did Shreyas Iyer get injured?

The 31-year-old Punjab Kings skipper and Mumbai star, Iyer, recently received a massive promotion in Indian cricket as he was elevated to the vice-captain’s role in the ODI.

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This elevation happened on the back of his heroics with the bat for a long period of time and his success as a captain in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with three different teams – Delhi Capitals (DC), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), and Punjab Kings (PBKS).

He made his debut as India’s permanent ODI vice-captain against Australia Down Under, and in the same series, he was a part of a very unfortunate moment.

During the third ODI match between India and Australia in Sydney, Shreyas Iyer suffered a freak injury. He got injured upon impact after he took a catch running backwards from point to dismiss the Alex Carey.

After completing the stunning catch, Iyer looked in pain and immediately clutched his rib cage and was treated by physios. He was soon taken to the hospital for further assessment and was later admitted to the ICU.

At the hospital, he was treated for the spleen laceration, with internal bleeding, by Dr Koroush Haghighi and his team in Sydney, with help from Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala in India.

Shreyas Iyer to return to action against New Zealand

Iyer was discharged from the hospital in Sydney on November 1, and after spending some more time in Australia, the right-handed batsman started his rehabilitation program in India.

The Mumbai batter has been seen putting in hard yards with an aim to stage a comeback, and he was very recently seen doing batting practice in the nets.

According to a latest report in Times of India, Iyer is all set to return for the ODI series against New Zealand, if there are no late red flags.

The three-match ODI series between India and New Zealand will be played on January 11, 14, and 18 in Vadodara, Rajkot, and Indore.

We are hearing positive developments around Shreyas – MCA official

Shreyas Iyer is currently at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru and will remain there till December 30. After that, he will join the Mumbai Vijay Hazare Trophy squad in Jaipur on January 2 for the matches on January 3 and 6.

“We are hearing positive developments around Shreyas. He is very likely to play two games for Mumbai on January 3 and January 6. The final schedule will depend on clearance from CoE but signs are positive for playing those games in Jaipur. He is batting well in the nets and no discomfort,” said a MCA official aware of developments.

Also Read: PCB to sell 2 new PSL teams for less than Rishabh Pant-Shreyas Iyer’s combined IPL salary

Kalyan: Internal discontent within BJP has come to the fore following the near-finalisation of seat sharing with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena for the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) elections. For the 122-member KDMC, Shiv Sena is expected to contest 68 seats, while BJP is likely to get 54 seats.Soon after this formula became clear, resentment began brewing within the BJP, with several aspirants and party workers openly expressing anger over the limited number of tickets available to them. BJP aspirants and party workers gathered outside the residence of BJP state president Ravindra Chavan in Dombivli, voicing strong opposition to the alliance arrangement. They demanded that both alliance partners should consider contesting the civic elections separately so that wider representation could be ensured and the morale of committed grassroots workers would not be affected.Senior BJP office-bearer Ravi Gaikar pointed out that the BJP has got very few seats in Kalyan West despite having a strong organisational presence in the area. “We have been preparing here for several years. In the previous municipal corporation elections, many BJP candidates lost by narrow margins of just 100 to 150 votes. Those candidates worked extremely hard on the ground. It is deeply disappointing that they are now being denied tickets only because of the Mahayuti alliance,” he said.Echoing similar sentiments, Sadhana Gaikar said the delegation had directly placed its grievances before Chavan. “We have explained our problems and the efforts put in by party workers. We are hopeful that the party leadership will think positively about us and take our concerns into consideration,” she said.Chavan is said to be holding discussions with them in an attempt to calm tempers and maintain organisational unity.Sources within the party said the alliance between Shiv Sena and the BJP has delivered the biggest setback to those leaders who had switched sides in recent years with the intention of contesting municipal elections. According to insiders, both parties have largely decided to prioritise candidates who had won elections in 2015. As a result, leaders who had won in 2010 but later changed parties in the hope of securing tickets are now facing rejection, leading to growing frustration and anger among them.There is also speculation that some of these disgruntled aspirants are in touch with Shiv Sena (UBT), MNS, and even sections of the Congress. Party sources do not rule out the possibility that a few of them may enter the fray as rebel candidates if their demands are not addressed. Such a scenario could complicate the electoral arithmetic for both alliance partners in several wards.At the same time, both the BJP and Shiv Sena are making efforts to pacify the angry aspirants and their supporters to prevent damage to the alliance’s prospects. The Shiv Sena has held power in KDMC for several years, with deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde’s son Shrikant Shinde representing the area as a Member of Parliament.