BJP-led NDA will form govt in Kerala in 2026: Nitin Nabin
Thrissur (Kerala) (PTI): BJP national president Nitin Nabin on Saturday asserted that the saffron party will come to power in Kerala following the Assembly elections this year as it has the confidence of the people in the state.
Nabin, on the second day of his two-day visit to the state, said that the central government has done a lot for Kerala which included a 23 per cent increase in the loans given to it and doubling of the grants-in-aid provided to the state.
"The central government has never shown a miserly attitude towards the state and these figures are indicative of that," the BJP president contended while speaking at the 'Intellectual Meet on Union Budget 2026 and Vikasitha Kerala' here.
Addressing the gathering, Nabin said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Viksit Bharat Budget 2026 aligns with the aspirations of the people of Kerala, unlocking massive growth opportunities in Tourism, the Rare Earth Corridor, High-Value Crops, and more.
He also claimed that for decades, the successive LDF-UDF governments in Kerala have led to stagnation of the state's growth and decline of various sectors.
He contended that the state needs structural change, fresh ideas, and visionary leadership and the BJP-led NDA remains committed to delivering a 'Vikasita Keralam' (developed Kerala).
Nabin further claimed that world over people were coming together to fight "Islamic forces", but "some people sitting in Kerala are strongly supporting such forces".
He said that this was an "unfortunate situation" prevailing in Kerala and alleged that it would adversely affect the nation's security and development.
The BJP president said that once the party-led NDA comes to power in Kerala, it would protect the state's cultural history while ensuring its development.
"Women, youth and farmers would be empowered, and an environment would be created for the growth of business," he contended.
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Heroin worth over Rs 13 crore seized in Thane; man with underworld links among 3 held
Thane (PTI): Police in Maharashtra’s Thane city have seized more than 4 kg of heroin worth over Rs 13 crore and arrested three persons in connection with the drug during a special operation, officials said.
One of the arrested accused allegedly had links with Mumbai’s underworld, and his name had also cropped up during the probe into the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, a senior official said.
In a crackdown in the early hours of February 3, a crime branch team seized heroin, a highly addictive drug, valued at Rs 6.9 crore, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Amarsingh Jadhav on Friday evening.
Police nabbed 47-year-old Wajahat Sayeed near a school in the Diva area with the contraband. His interrogation led to the arrest of his associate, Mohammad Mahadik (67), identified by investigators as the primary supplier.
Police said Mahadik was an accused who fled India shortly after the 1993 blasts. After absconding for nearly 22 years, during which he worked in Muscat and Oman under a fake identity, he slipped back into the country, DCP Jadhav said.
He was a well-connected figure in the 1990s underworld, police said.
“Mahadik has a long criminal history... and he had good relations with all the gangs then, including Dawood Ibrahim and others,” an official said. His prior criminal record includes murder, kidnapping, extortion, and a previous arrest for using a fraudulent passport.
In another haul, a crime branch team intercepted a 50-year-old autorickshaw driver, identified as Fardin Gulzar Mulla, in the Ghodbunder area on February 1 and seized heroin valued at more than Rs 6.68 crore.
More than 4 kg of heroin, worth over Rs 13 crore, has been collectively seized in both cases, police said.
A probe is underway to ascertain the source of the drug and the intended customers, as well as to identify other members of the drug supply network, said DCP Jadhav.
He added that cases have been registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in connection with the seizures.
