Uddhav and Raj Thackeray will contest civic elections together, says Sanjay Raut
Nashik (Maharashtra), Aug 15 (PTI): Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Friday said his party and Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena will contest the coming civic elections in Mumbai and elsewhere together.
"The Thackeray brothers (Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray) will contest the municipal corporation elections in Mumbai, Thane, Nashik and Kalyan-Dombivali together and win. The strength of Raj and Uddhav Thackeray is the strength of the unity of the Marathi-speakers. No power cannot break the iron fist of `Marathi manus' now," Raut told reporters here.
Discussions with the MNS for forming an alliance are underway, Raut said.
The BJP, however, dismissed his statement.
Pravin Darekar, a state BJP legislator, said it was unclear whether the two Thackeray cousins had held any talks or it was all Raut's "guesswork".
"We have not seen so much helplessness in Uddhav Thackeray, who did not remember his own cousin, MNS chief Raj Thackeray for the last 20 years," he said.
Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Girish Mahajan said the Sena (UBT) remembers Marathi-speakers only when elections are near.
The BJP received huge support from Marathi voters in the last year's assembly elections and the attempt to mislead them did not work, he said.
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Schools in Mizoram's nine districts closed due to rain
Aizawl (PTI): All schools in nine districts of Mizoram remained closed on Tuesday due to heavy rain that has been lashing the northeastern state since the day before, an official said.
School Education Director Angela Zothanpuii said administrations of nine districts, including Aizawl, Kolasib, Lunglei and Mamit, announced school closure on Tuesday as a precautionary measure for students' safety.
However, schools in the southern districts of Hnahthial and Lawngtlai remained open following a slight improvement in weather conditions there, she said.
According to the India Meteorological Department, Serchhip recorded the highest rainfall at 70.5 mm in a 24-hour period, followed by Hnahthial 55 mm, Siaha 37.5 mm, and Aizawl 36 mm.
Khawzawl district reported 30 mm of rainfall, Mamit 25.9 mm, Kolasib 25 mm, Lawngtlai 17.5 mm, and Lunglei 2.2 mm during the same period, it said.
The weather department has forecast light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorm and lightning in Mizoram on Tuesday.
