Palghar, Oct 29: Upset over being denied ticket by his party, sitting Shiv Sena MLA from Maharashtra's Palghar, Shrinivas Vanga, has said he committed a "grave mistake" of siding with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and joining his party.

Srinivas, the son of late BJP MP Chintaman Vanga, became an MLA after winning the 2019 assembly elections as a candidate of undivided Shiv Sena from the Palghar (Scheduled Tribes) seat. After a split in the Shiv Sena, Vanga supported Shinde. He was hoping to get renominated from the seat by the party.

However, the party gave candidature to former MP Rajendra Gavit, who had also sided with Shinde when he rebelled against Uddhav Thackeray's leadership in June 2022.

In its list of 20 nominees announced on Sunday, the Shiv Sena fielded Gavit from the Palghar assembly constituency.

After learning that he has been denied re-nomination by the party, a visibly upset Vanga told reporters on Monday, "I made a grave mistake by joining the Shinde-led faction."

He also described Shinde's rival and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray as a "dev manus" (Godlike man).

Talking to news channels, his family members expressed concern over his present state of mind, and said he has not only stopped interacting with them and having food, but is also crying and threatening to harm his own life.

After learning about the situation, CM Shinde reportedly contacted Vanga's wife, assuring that her husband would be considered for a role as a member of the Maharashtra legislative council.

Videos of Vanga's emotional responses have since gone viral on social media and news channels.

Elections to the 288-member Maharashtra assembly will be held on November 20 and votes will be counted on November 23.

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Sambhal (UP) (PTI): Police have lodged seven FIRs in connection with the violence over a court-ordered survey of a Mughal-era mosque here, naming Samajwadi Party MP Zia-ur-Rehman Barq and local SP MLA Iqbal Mehmood's son Sohail Iqbal as accused, officials said on Monday.

The district administration has already imposed prohibitory orders and barred the entry of outsiders into Sambhal till November 30. Internet services are suspended in Sambhal tehsil and the district administration declared a holiday in all schools for Monday.

Three people were killed and scores of others, including security personnel and administration officials, injured on Sunday as protesters opposing the survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid clashed with police. A fourth injured person died on Monday.

Addressing a press conference on Monday, Superintendent of Police Krishan Kumar said seven FIRs have been lodged in connection with the violence. Six people, including Barq and Iqbal, were named and 2,750 others have been mentioned as unidentified, he said.

"Due to Barq's statement earlier, the situation became worse here," he added.

The officer said 25 people have been arrested so far in the case and attempts are on to identify others involved in the violence.

He added that there was peace in the city and people have opened their shops even though it is the day of the weekly closure of markets.

District Magistrate Rajender Pensiya said late on Sunday that the prohibitory orders had been issued under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

"No outsiders, other social organisations or public representatives will enter the district border without the permission of the competent officer," said the order, which came into force with immediate effect.

Violation of the order will be punishable under Section 223 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the BNS.

Earlier, Muniraj told reporters that Naeem, Bilal and Nauman -- the three men who died in Sunday's violence -- had been buried.

All three were aged about 25.

Tension had been brewing in Sambhal since November 19 when the Jama Masjid was first surveyed on the court's orders following a petition claiming that a Harihar temple had stood at the site.

On Sunday, trouble started early when a large group of people gathered near the mosque and started shouting slogans as the survey team began its work.

District officials said the survey could not be completed on Tuesday and was planned for Sunday to avoid interference with afternoon prayers.

Supreme Court lawyer Vishnu Shankar Jain, who is a petitioner in the case, had earlier said the Court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) ordered the constitution of an "advocate commission" to survey the mosque.

The court has said a report should be filed after conducting a videography and photography survey through the commission, he had said.

On Sunday, Jain urged the Archaeological Survey of India to take control of the "temple".

Gopal Sharma, a local lawyer for the Hindu side, had earlier claimed the temple that once stood at the site was demolished by Mughal emperor Babur in 1529.