Friday, January 23, 2026 | Vol. 69 No. 94 | 31 Pages Reg.No MCS/048/2021-23; RNI No. 1541/1957 M.p.c.s office Mumbai. PIN 400001 THE FREE PRESS JOURNAL Netaji Subhas Chandra INDIA EDITION | www.freepressjournal.in ● Leader in E-paper circulation l E-paper edition is not a replica of the print edition NATION K’taka Guv refuses to read out state-prepared speech in House, CM Sidda calls him ‘Centre’s puppet’ GAMES Cinema Sinners sets new benchmark in Oscar 2026 nominations Spotlight on Samson, Kishan as India aim to make it 2-0 against NZ Edit A key battle fought to secure the right to fly the Tiranga OPEN CATEGORY | Mayoral reservation lottery conducted for 29 civic bodies. Triggers political storm as Opposition alleges bias in mayoral quota process Woman mayor for Mumbai Kalpesh Mhamunkar MUMBAI The long-awaited reservation lottery for mayoral posts in 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra was conducted on Thursday at Mantralaya under the chairmanship of Minister of State for Urban Development Madhuri Misal. The draw, which will determine mayoral reservations for the next two-and-a-half years, has cleared the decks for political parties to begin candidate selection ahead of keenly contested civic polls. As per the draw of lots, the post of Mumbai mayor has been reserved for the General Women category. The pro- ceedings, however, were marked by sharp political confrontation after Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar objected strongly to the reservation. Demanding that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation mayoral post be reserved for the OBC or Scheduled Tribe category, Pednekar staged a walkout, accusing the government of altering rules without prior notice and discriminating against OBC and Scheduled Tribe communities. Pednekar argued that since the last two Mumbai mayors belonged to the general category, the post should have been reserved for OBC this time. She further alleged that the Scheduled Tribe category was deliberately excluded from the lottery system. “We strongly condemn the way the lottery procedure was conducted. The process was fixed,” she charged. The outcome also dealt a blow to the Shiv Sena (UBT), which had hoped the Mumbai mayoral post would be reserved for an ST woman. Both eligible candidates in that category belong to the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction, and the party believed such a reservation would have strengthened its prospects. 4See also | city This cartoon by Balasaheb Thackeray on political trickery, drawn when he worked for The Free Press Journal in the 1960s, is oddly relevant even today. We chronicle Thackeray — the man, the cartoonist and the political personality — on the occasion of his birth centenary today. SEE CITY WHAT ARE THE MAYOR’S POWERS? The mayor of Mumbai holds a largely ceremonial position, with limited executive authority. Officially the mayor of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is regarded as the “first citizen” of the city and functions mainly as the public face of Mumbai at civic events, official ceremonies and during visits by dignitaries. The most important role is presiding over meetings of the Corporation. Here, the mayor chairs debates, maintains order in the House, allows discussions on civic issues and ensures that resolutions are taken up as per procedure. The mayor can influence the tone and direction of deliberations but does not have the authority to implement decisions. ACHALPUR SYMPHONY: BJP+AIMIM+ CONGRESS Nagpur: After Akot and Ambernath, BJP, AIMIM and Congress have come together in the Achalpur Municipal Council in Maharashtra's Amravati district too to ensure unopposed election of chairpersons of various committees. In last month's local body elections, Congress won 15 of the 41 seats in Achalpur, BJP bagged 9, AIMIM 3, Independents 10, Prahar Janshakti Party and NCP 2 each. In a letter to Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Rupali Mathne, president of Achalpur Municipal Council, denied any alliance with Congress or AIMIM. Earlier also, top leaders of the parties had frowned upon the surprise tieups at the local level. ‘DEAL FRAMEWORK ON GREENLAND DISCUSSED’ Agencies DAVOS President Trump said the US is exploring a potential deal on Greenland after talks with NATO, backing away from earlier threats to impose tariffs on European allies that opposed his plans to acquire the island. On social media, Trump offered few details about the discussion, which both he and Nato described as “very productive”. After weeks of rhetoric that had unsettled the transatlantic alliance, Trump said the meeting had led to the “framework” of a possible agreement, BBC reports. There was no indication of a deal that would meet Trump’s demand for “ownership” of Greenland, an ambition he repeated at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, while also ruling out the use of mili- Gaza Board of Peace launched Agencies EARLY BIRD GETS THE WORM: Pak PM cosies up to Trump even as India mulls options DAVOS US President Donald Trump on Thursday officially launched Gaza’s Board of Peace by signing its charter at a ceremony in Davos, Switzerland, saying it could take wide-ranging action once fully formed. “Once this board is completely formed, we can do pretty much whatever we want to do. And we'll do it in conjunction with the UN,” Trump said, adding that the UN had great potential that had not Sajjan cleared in Janakpuri 1984 riots case FPJ News Service MUMBAI A Delhi court on Thursday cleared Congress MP Sajjan Kumar of charges of inciting violence during the riots that followed the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, ruling that the prosecution had failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt. While the court underlined that it was not insensitive to the “immeasurable trauma” suffered by victims, it said its decision had to remain “sans emotions” and anchored strictly in evidence. 4Contd on | nation been fully utilised. Trump, who will chair the board, has invited dozens of world leaders to join the grouping. While it was originally conceived to oversee Haridev Pushparaj Bangladesh’s participation in the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is hanging by a thread after Dhaka stood firm on its refusal to play matches scheduled in India, a position that could see the team replaced by Scotland in the tournament lineup. Despite a last-ditch window offered by the International Cricket Council to review its stance, Bangladesh showed no sign of backing down. The decision followed a high-level meeting between the country’s national players and government officials, led by sports adviser Asif Nazrul, who said the ICC’s security assessment had failed to address Bangla- 4Contd on | nation 4See also | world Row over KEM hospital name change prompt Amit Srivastava MUMBAI desh’s concerns. Addressing the media in Dhaka, Nazrul said the issue was not about sporting intent but about safety. A political controversy has surfaced over the name of Mumbai’s KEM Hospital after a suggestion was made during its centenary celebrations to drop the reference to “King Edward” from its name. Maharashtra’s Minister for Skill Development, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Mangal Prabhat Lodha, raised the issue while addressing the centenary year function of the iconic hospital held on Thursday. Praising the hospital’s century-long service and social contribution, Lodha said that the identity of a prestigious public healthcare institution like KEM should be defined by its work rather than symbols of British rule. He pointed out that despite the country celebrating Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, remnants of colonial legacy still remain. According to him, the name “King Edward Memorial” reflects British rule and has no direct connection with India. He suggested that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) should consider whether the name should be changed. He clarified that any final decision would rest with the civic administration. 4Contd on | nation 4Contd on | nation the rebuilding of Gaza, Trump has said it could also address other global challenges. 4Contd on | nation B’desh WC exit looms MUMBAI tary force. Writing on Truth Social on Wednesday, Trump said: “We have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region. SCOTLAND ROLL BACK Scotland is the much talked about ‘replacement’ team at the moment for the T20 World Cup with Bangladesh conveying their decision to not travel to India and thereby allowing the ICC to go ahead with their stated plan to replace them. CONTD NATION 40m & beyond The Eagles’ ‘Greatest Hits’ soars highest AP NEW YORK Take it easy… and go quadruple diamond. The Eagles’ 1976 album “Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975” is the bestselling album of all time in the US. It has officially sold over 40 million units, according to new certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It was also announced on Thursday that the band’s 1976 record “Hotel California” has been certified 28x platinum, maintaining its position as the third bestselling album in the US. The second? That’s Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” which was certified 34x diamond in 2021. The RIAA tracks US sales and streaming equivalents. Certifications must be applied for and go through a third-party audit. “In an age, in a culture, where everything seems to become more ephemeral, by the day, it is gratifying to have been part of something that endures, even for fifty years,” The Eagles’ founding member, drummer and singer Don Henley said in a statement. “We are amazed and grateful.” It’s a good time to be the Eagles. On Friday, the band will launch 12 final shows at Las Vegas’ Sphere, setting a record for longest-running residency at the state-of-theart venue. According to a press release, since launching their residency on Sept 20, 2024, “Eagles – Live In Concert At Sphere” has entertained over 7,00,000 fans across 44 performances. 4Contd on | nation NOT OUR CONCERN: PUTIN President Putin said Russia has no interest in who controls Greenland, calling it a matter for the US and Denmark to resolve. On Trump’s invitation to join Gaza Board of Peace, Putin said Moscow could contribute $1 billion using Russian assets frozen in the US, though he said it would need time to study the proposal. STAMPEDE PREVENTION SC refuses to issue omnibus directions PTI NEW DELHI The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to issue omnibus directions on a PIL seeking comprehensive guidelines to prevent stampedes during large public gatherings, including religious events, political rallies and yatras. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi allowed the petitioner to pursue the matter before the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Election Commission. At the outset, the Chief Justice raised fundamental questions on the scope of judicial intervention in matters relating to crowd management and law and order. During the hearing, the bench asked, “Can we issue such directions at all?” and expressed reservations over the feasibility of court-mandated, all-encompassing guidelines for crowd control. 4Contd on | nation SC allows prayers & namaz @ Bhojshala BASANT PANCHAMI PTI NEW DELHI The SC on Thursday allowed Hindus to offer prayers from sunrise to sunset on Basant Panchami on Friday at the disputed Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Mosque complex in MP’s Dhar district, while permitting Muslims to offer namaz between 1 pm and 3 pm on the same day. It also directed that a list of persons who will be offering namaz be given to the district administration in advance. Hindu and Muslim groups had sought permission for religious activities at the Bhojshala complex on January 23, a Friday, when Saraswati Puja will also be held. A bench comprising CJI Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi appealed to both sides to observe mutual respect and cooperate with the state to maintain law and order. 4Contd on | nation