Ajit Pawar-led NCP faces major setback in Maharashtra as four key leaders resign
Pimpri-Chinchwad: In a significant setback to the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), four prominent leaders from its Pimpri-Chinchwad unit have resigned, signaling a potential shift towards the rival Sharad Pawar faction. The resignations come amidst the party's poor performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections and ahead of the crucial Maharashtra Assembly polls.
The resigning leaders include Ajit Gavahane, the unit chief of Pimpri-Chinchwad, along with Yash Sane, chief of the students' wing, and former corporators Rahul Bhosale and Pankaj Bhalekar. Sources indicate dissatisfaction over ticket allocations, particularly in the BJP-dominated Bhosari Assembly constituency.
Pimpri-Chinchwad, traditionally an NCP stronghold, adds significance to this development. In the Lok Sabha polls, the NCP, led by Ajit Pawar, managed only one seat, while the Sharad Pawar faction secured eight as part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition.
Speculation mounts about further defections from Ajit Pawar's camp to Sharad Pawar's faction, with reports suggesting discussions between NCP MLAs and senior leaders of the latter. This internal turbulence is compounded by indications that senior leader Chhagan Bhujbal may also consider leaving, following disagreements over recent party decisions.
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NEET student hangs self in Rajasthan's Sikar
Jaipur (PTI): A student preparing for the NEET examination allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in a rented room in Rajasthan's Sikar on Friday, police said.
According to the police, the student allegedly hanged himself from a ceiling fan using his sister's scarf while one sister was attending coaching classes and the other was in the bathroom.
He had appeared in the NEET UG exam 2026, which was cancelled due to paper leak, they said.
Udyog Nagar SHO Rajesh Kumar said that the deceased, identified as Pradeep Meghwal, was a resident of Kanika ki Dhani village in Jhunjhunu's Gudha Gaudji area.
He had been living in a rented room in Sikar's Jaldhari Nagar area with his two sisters while preparing for NEET over the last three years.
His elder sister later found him hanging and informed the landlord and police after bringing him down, officials said.
The SHO said the body was kept at SK Hospital mortuary, and a postmortem had not been conducted.
The student's father, Rajesh Kumar Meghwal, told police that Pradeep's NEET examination had gone well and the family was expecting him to score around 650 marks.
Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot expressed grief over the incident and linked it to anxiety among students after reports of irregularities and paper leaks in NEET 2026.
Pilot said repeated paper leak incidents and cancellation of examinations were affecting students' mental health and demanded a time-bound investigation and strict action against those responsible.
