667 pilgrims leave for Amarnath Yatra
Srinagar, July 26: A small batch of 667 pilgrims on Thursday left Jammu for the Kashmir Valley to perform the ongoing Amarnath Yatra, officials said.
The yatris left Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in an escorted convoy of 19 vehicles, a police officer said.
This is the smallest batch of pilgrims to leave Jammu since the yatra started on June 28. To date, over 2,46,000 pilgrims have performed the yatra.
There have been demands from the organisation of service providers for the pilgrims that since over 90 per cent of pilgrims perform the yatra during the first 30 days as reflected by records during the last three years, the yatra should be restricted to 30 days.
Officially, the yatra will end on August 26 coinciding with Shravan Purnima festival.
Except for the vagaries of weather in which four pilgrims were killed by a landslide, the yatra has been proceeding smoothly thanks to the extraordinary security arrangements made to secure the passage of the devotees.
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BJP backs Amit Thackeray for Mahim, over Shinde Sena's candidate Sarvankar
Mumbai: The BJP has decided to support Amit Thackeray, son of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, for the Mahim constituency, despite its alliance with Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, which has fielded sitting MLA Sada Sarvankar. The decision has led to a three-way contest between Amit Thackeray, Sarvankar, and Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Mahesh Sawant in the upcoming Maharashtra assembly election on November 20.
The BJP reportedly expected Shinde’s Shiv Sena to withdraw Sarvankar in favour of Amit Thackeray, but Shiv Sena leaders argue this would risk losing votes to the Uddhav faction. Sarvankar, a three-time MLA and long-time Shiv Sena loyalist, appealed to Raj Thackeray to reconsider his son’s candidature, citing his commitment to the party under Bal Thackeray's leadership.
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis confirmed BJP's support for Amit Thackeray, while indicating ongoing discussions with Shinde Sena leaders. Amid the standoff, Raj Thackeray maintained confidence that the next government will be led by the BJP, with support from MNS, though MNS is not formally part of the Mahayuti alliance.
