A video of a person showing different segments of Amul milk packets and comparing the prices is circulating on social media. The person claims that milk prices have risen after the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections.

The person in the video says in Hindi, translated to English, “The elections are over, and now the recovery has started. This packet was  Rs. 33 yesterday, now it’s Rs. 34. Another was Rs. 66, and now it’s  Rs. 68, with an increase of Rs. 2. Yesterday, one was Rs. 24, now it’s Rs. 25, and buffalo milk went from Rs. 70 to  Rs. 73. For the sake of the country, you can contribute Rs. 2, Rs. 3, or Rs. 4 to uplift national standards. Toll taxes have also been increased, so those with vehicles like trucks, buses, or cars can contribute to raising the country’s standards as well. Thank you, Modi Ji, for the ‘achhe din.” 

Sharing the clip, an X user wrote, “Elections are over, recovery has begun. The thousands of crores that have been distributed in Maharashtra will now be recovered like this.” At the time of writing, the post had garnered over 255,000 likes and 1,000 reposts. Archived versions of similar posts can be found here and here.

However, the video is likely old as it shows milk packets with an expiry date of June 2024.

What we found

Logically Facts conducted a Google search to verify whether Amul had announced a price hike following the Maharashtra Assembly elections results. However, we found no such announcement in November 2024, before or after the results were declared on November 23.

We also checked Amul’s official website and social media accounts, including Facebook and X, but found no recent price hike announcement.

Upon reviewing the viral video carefully, we noted that all the milk packets featured have the same expiry date of “04.06.24.” According to media reports, Amul last adjusted its milk prices by Rs. 2 per liter across all markets nationwide on June 3, 2024. This confirms that the price increase shown in the video is not a recent development.

According to a price list provided in a report by Live Mint, the prices displayed in the viral video align with the revised rates set by Amul in June 2024. The cost of Amul Gold Milk’s half-liter pouch increased to Rs. 34 from Rs. 33, and the one-liter pouch is now priced at Rs. 68, up from Rs. 66. Similarly, Amul Buffalo Milk’s half-liter pouch saw a price increase from Rs. 35 to Rs. 37, and the one-liter pouch now costs Rs. 73, up from Rs. 70.

The viral clip also claims that toll taxes have increased following the state Assembly elections, but no recent increase has occurred since June 2024. According to a report by The Times of India, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) raised toll taxes by an average of 5 percent nationwide on June 3, 2024.

Logically Facts couldn’t find the source of the viral video or the exact date it was captured. However, the claim in the viral video is misleading, as there have been no changes to Amul milk prices recently.

The verdict

Amul increased the price of fresh milk by Rs. 2 per liter on June 3, 2024, but there has been no recent price hike, as claimed in the viral video. In addition, the price change is unrelated to the recently concluded Maharashtra Assembly elections.

(This story was originally published by Logically Facts, and republished by NDTV as part of the Shakti Collective)

Mumbai:

Crediting the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana for the MahaYuti’s landslide victory in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Ramdas Athawale, on Saturday said the Maha Vikas Aghadi’s (MVA) politics of abusing rivals, especially Prime Minister Narendra Modi, proved to be its undoing.

“Our victory has been made bigger by the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana,” Mr Athawale, who heads the Republican Party of India (A) which is part of the NDA, told IANS.

Under the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, the Maharashtra government gives eligible women a financial assistance of Rs 1,500 per month.

Mr Athawale said the BJP-led MahaYuti was always confident of returning to power in Maharashtra but the crossing of the 200-seat mark has come as a happy surprise.

“PM Modi’s all-round development has been backed by voters from all sections of society, including women, farmers, youth and the poor,” he said.

He blamed the MVA’s regressive politics for its loss.

“They took to MahaYuti-bashing on a daily basis and lost the plot. This tactic, which worked for them in the Lok Sabha elections, flopped,” he said.

“Abusing Prime Minister Modi proved costly for them,” he said, adding that Maharashtra voters have rejected the MVA’s politics of personal attacks.

He said Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut never spared an opportunity to abuse Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, adding, “Almost every day, Raut used to call Shinde a traitor.”

Talking about the key electoral issues, he said an attempt to convert the direct fight between the MahaYuti and MVA into ‘Vote Jihad’ and ‘Dharam yudh’ failed miserably.

Discussing issues related to government formation, the RPI(A) leader said, “Even before the declaration of results, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis had assured that our party will be getting one Cabinet post and one MLC slot in Maharashtra.”

“Fadnavis had asked my party to be part of the government,” Mr Athawale said, referring to his discussion with the BJP leader before the declaration of results.

He also hit out at the MVA leaders for questioning the EVMs and said, “The EVMs were brought in during the Congress’ rule. When the EVMs lead to their victory in Jharkhand then these are labeled good, but when they lose in Maharashtra they start questioning them.”

Mr Athawale said there was no competition within the MahaYuti over the Chief Minister face and an amicable decision was likely to be taken by Sunday.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Beed, Maharashtra:

A polling booth was vandalised and a worker of the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) was assaulted on Wednesday in Parli assembly constituency, from where minister Dhananjay Munde of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP is seeking re-election, an official said.

Madhav Jadhav, a local leader of the Sharad Pawar-led party was assaulted in Bank Colony area of Parli town and the video of the assault went viral on social media, after which a polling booth at Ghatnandur in the constituency was vandalised, an official said.

Madhav Jadhav hails from Ghatnandur.

Some people entered the polling booth at Ghatnandur, threw the EVM on the ground and damaged the furniture in the booth, the official said.

Beed Collector Avinash Pathak said that after some persons tried to damage EVMs at Ghatnandur, the administration replaced the EVMs and voting resumed.

The data of votes cast through the earlier EVMs is safe in their control units and will be included during counting, he said.

“We are taking strict action against those who tried to damage the EVMs,” he said.

The NCP (SP) candidate from Parli assembly constituency, Rajesaheb Deshmukh claimed that a CCTV camera was disabled at a polling booth in Dharmapuri in the constituency.

In a viral video, a visibly annoyed Rajesaheb Deshmukh can be seen talking to the polling staff about the “detached” cable of a CCTV camera and demanding to know who had done it.

Rajesaheb Deshmukh later told reporters that the CCTV had been made dysfunctional.

“People from minority communities are not being allowed to come to the booth to vote. Someone else is pressing the button (on EVM). If this is the case, why do we even need an election? It seems the administration is merely completing a formality,” he claimed.

Polling in all 288 assembly seats in Maharashtra began at 7 am and ended at 6 pm.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray. File
| Photo Credit: PTI

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray will begin his campaign trail for the Maharashtra Assembly polls on November 5 from Konkan and Vidarbha with focus on constituencies of MLAs who were part of the 2022 rebellion led by now Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Mr. Thackeray will address a rally in Ratnagiri on November 5, a seat represented by State Industries Minister Uday Samant. He will also canvass votes for party MLA Rajan Salvi who is contesting from neighbouring Rajapur constituency.

On November 6, Mr. Thackeray will campaign in Bhiwandi Rural constituency, which is represented by Shantaram More, one of the 40 MLAs who rebelled against him. Bhiwandi Rural is part of Thane district, the home turf of CM Shinde.

On the same day, Mr. Thackeray will take part in the Maha Vikas Aghadi’s rally at Bandra Kurla Complex here, which will be attended by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar.

On November 7, he will campaign in Daryapur from where Abhijit Adsul, son of Shinde-led Shiv Sena leader Anand Adsul, is contesting.

On the same day, the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief will campaign for Sunil Kharate, the party’s candidate from Badnera.

Badnera is the constituency of MLA Ravi Rana, a BJP ally, who was jailed for threatening to recite Hanuman Chalisa outside Matoshri, the private residence of the Thackerays, when Mr. Thackeray was the Chief Minister.

On November 8, Mr. Thackeray will campaign in Buldhana and Mehkar in Vidarbha, represented by Sanjay Gaikwad and Sanjay Raymulkar respectively. The two were part of the Shinde-led rebellion against Mr. Thackeray in 2022.

In Partur in Parbhani district, Mr. Thackeray will campaign for party candidate Asaram Borade, who is pitted against BJP’s sitting MLA Babanrao Lonikar.

The Shiv Sena split in June 2022 after Mr. Shinde led a rebellion and brought down the MVA government under Mr. Thackeray.

The Election Commission later gave the party name and its ‘bow and arrow’ symbol to the faction led by Mr. Shinde. Mr. Thackeray’s outfit is now called Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray).

The election to the Maharashtra Assembly will be held on November 20, while votes will be counted on November 23.

New Delhi:

The Aam Aadmi Party will not contest the upcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra. Instead, party chief Arvind Kejriwal will campaign for the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition, AAP leader Sanjay Singh said on Saturday.

The MVA coalition comprises Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT), Sharad Pawar’s NCP-SP, and the Congress.

“In the Maharashtra elections, the party’s National Convenor, Arvind Kejriwal, will campaign for the MVA candidates. Aam Aadmi Party will not contest elections in Maharashtra,” Singh, who is a Rajya Sabha MP, said on X.

According to AAP sources, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the NCP-SP contacted the party about Arvind Kejriwal campaigning in Maharashtra. Arvind Kejriwal is also set to campaign for Hemant Soren’s ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha in Jharkhand assembly polls, they said.

There are 288 assembly seats in Maharashtra, and voting will take place on November 20.

In Jharkhand, polling will be held in two phases on November 13 and 20, while the counting of votes in both states will take place on November 23.

AAP and the MVA constituents are part of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), which was formed before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls to take on the BJP.

AAP entered into an alliance with the Congress, the largest constituent of the INDIA bloc, in Delhi, Gujarat and Haryana for the Lok Sabha polls.

However, it contested on its own in Punjab.

It also contested the recent assembly elections in Haryana independently and failed to open its account.

The Congress is also a constituent of the MVA in Maharashtra and a part of the ruling alliance in Jharkhand. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The rift between the Congress and ally Uddhav Thackeray’s faction of Shiv Sena has widened over the seats in Vidarbha. Altogether, the Sena (UBT) wants 17 seats from the Congress, which is apparently reluctant to hand over any. In Vidarbha, the Congress is confident of victory in all seats.

The two parties were already engaged in a tussle over seats in Mumbai and Nashik and following the war of words with state Congress chief Nana Patole, the Uddhav Thackeray faction has been scrambling for a solution.

Vidarbha has 62 assembly seats, covered under the 10 Lok Sabha seats. It represents 22 per cent of the seats in the 288-member assembly and could prove crucial in terms of gaining a majority.

In the recent Lok Sabha elections, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi won seven of the 10 seats in Vidarbha. The Congress performance was the best and it won five of the seats – way ahead of the two won by the BJP.

Now, the Shiv Sena (UBT) wants at least 8 of the 62 seats. Party leader Sanjay Raut has said while there is no doubt about the Congress having a strong base in Vidarbha, “we also had 4-5 MPs from there”.

“If we also get 1 or 2 seats, then there is no harm in it,” he has said.

The Congress has argued that the Sena (UBT) is creating a rift in the Maha Vikas Aghadi. Sources say the party is not going to step back regarding Vidarbha, even though veteran leader and Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar has been firefighting in the background to patch up the rift. Sources said he has spoken to the Congress high command, as did Uddhav Thackeray.

Last week, at the Congress meet in Delhi under the chairmanship of party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, the state leaders were advised to speak with caution. The state leaders had told Mr Kharge that Uddhav Thackeray’s party is not cooperating with the seat sharing.

The Congress, though, has denied reports of rift and accused the BJP of spreading misinformation.

Congress’s Vijay Wadettiwar, leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly, said, “Discussions are still pending on 17 seats in MVA. We are having a dispute with the Thackeray faction on some seats. There are three parties in the alliance. Seat sharing between the three parties takes time.”

Mr Patole has said that the first list of Congress candidates will come on October 22.

Senior leaders are now actively discussing how to resolve the differences.

Polling for the 288-member Maharashtra assembly will be held in a single phase on November 20 and the counting of votes will be held on November 23.

One of the key suspects in Narendra Dabholkar murder case, former Shiv Sena corporator from Jalna Shrikant Pangarkar.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement.

Shrikant Pangarkar, an accused in the 2017 murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh, which outraged the nation, joined Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena in Jalna ahead of assembly polls.

Ms. Lankesh was shot dead outside her home in Karnataka capital Bengaluru on September 5, 2017.

A probe by police in Karnataka with assistance from agencies in Maharashtra led to the arrest of several persons.

Pangarkar, a Jalna municipal councillor of the undivided Shiv Sena between 2001 and 2006, was arrested in August 2018 and was granted bail by the Karnataka High Court on September 4 this year.

After he was denied a ticket by the Shiv Sena in 2011, Pangarkar joined the right-wing Hindu Janjagruti Samiti.

He joined the Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Friday in the presence of party leader and former State Minister Arjun Khotkar.

“Pangarkar is a former Shiv Sainik and has returned to the party. He has been nominated as the chief of the Jalna assembly poll campaign,” Mr. Khotkar told reporters.

Mr. Khotkar also said he wants to contest the assembly poll from Jalna, but added seat sharing discussions in the Mahayuti (ruling alliance comprising Shiv Sena, BJP and Ajit Pawar-led NCP) were still underway.

The seat is held by Congress’ Kailash Gorantyal.

Maharashtra assembly polls will be held on November 20, while results will be declared on November 23. The term of the current assembly ends on November 26.

Amravati, Maharashtra:

Ravi Rana, Independent MLA from Badnera in Amravati district, on Friday said his wife Navneet Rana will not contest the Maharashtra assembly polls as the Bharatiya Janata Party has assured her membership of the Rajya Sabha.

Speaking to reporters, Mr Rana said his wife, a former Lok Sabha MP from Amravati, will ensure the victory of the BJP candidate in the state polls, which is likely to be held next month. The term of the current assembly ends on November 26.

“I feel Navneet Rana will not contest the Vidhan Sabha polls. Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and other top leaders of the party have continuously said she will be sent to the Rajya Sabha, which I think is appropriate for her,” the MLA said.

Navneet Rana was defeated from the Amravati (SC) seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls by Congress’ Balwant Wankhade. She had won the seat in the 2019 general elections as an Independent candidate and joined the BJP in 2024. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Pune:

The NCP (SP) agreed to contest fewer seats than its Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies during the Lok Sabha elections but the situation would be different in the assembly polls, a party leader has quoted its supremo Sharad Pawar as saying.

Pawar held two meetings here on Friday, one with the party’s functionaries from Pune city and district, and another with its MLAs and newly-elected MPs.

City NCP (SP) chief Prashant Jagtap, who attended the first meeting, said Pawar told the gathering that the party contested fewer seats in the Lok Sabha polls just to ensure that the alliance with the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress remained intact.

“He indicated that the picture in the assembly polls will be different,” said Jagtap.

The NCP (SP) chief also reviewed the situation in assembly segments within the Pune, Baramati, Maval and Shirur Lok Sabha constituencies, he said.

A party leader who attended the second meeting said Pawar exhorted the MPs and MLAs to be prepared for the assembly elections.

Meanwhile, state NCP (SP) chief Jayant Patil told reporters that the party had not yet decided how many seats it would seek during the MVA seat-sharing talks.

As to the candidate for the Baramati assembly seat, currently represented by Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, the head of the rival NCP, Patil said Pawar senior would take the decision.

Anil Deshmukh, another senior NCP (SP) leader, said to a question that there was no “elder brother and younger brother” in the MVA. “All are equal,” he said.

There was a lot of nervousness among the MLAs who are with the Ajit Pawar-led faction post the Lok Sabha results, and some of them were calling Patil and other NCP(SP) leaders, Deshmukh claimed. “Let’s see what is to be done with them,” he added.

While the NCP (SP) won eight Lok Sabha seats out of the 10 it contested, the Ajit Pawar-led faction won only one of the four seats it fought.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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