Monday, December 29, 2025 | Vol. 69 No. 72 | 27 Pages THE FREE PRESS JOURNAL Reg.No MCS/048/2021-23; RNI No. 1541/1957 M.p.c.s office Mumbai. PIN 400001 International Cello Day INDIA EDITION | www.freepressjournal.in ● Leader in E-paper circulation NATION Top leaders Mehbooba, Mehdi put under house arrest, J&K students call off quota stir GAMES Cinema 50 years of the Feroz KhanPrem Chopra hit, Kala Sona Reigning champion Humpy shares lead with Zhu Jiner in the women’s World Rapid Chess Edit SHANTI: India mustn’t hasten to meet its security needs SOLO RUN | Ajit Pawar’s NCP releases list, signals it won’t be part of Mahayuti NEW EQUATIONS FOR BMC TEST Ravikiran Deshmukh MUMBAI In a clear indication that it will not be part of the Mahayuti alliance for the BMC elections, the Ajit Pawar-led NCP on Sunday announced its first list of 37 candidates. As reported earlier, three candidates in the list are from the family of senior party leader Nawab Malik. MLA Sana Malik, Nawab Malik’s daughter, announced the list and said that A and B forms — required to authenticate official party candidates — will be distributed on Monday. Tues- I sha Rawat’s NGO empowers tribal communities through education and sustainable development. Turn to the Mumbai page to find out how. SEE P3 Key SC hearings Amid a row over the definition of Aravalli hills approved by it, Supreme Court’s vacation bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justices JK Maheshwari and Augustine George Masih will hear the matter on Monday. It will also hear CBI’s plea challenging Delhi HC order suspending life term of expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar. SEE NATION day, December 30, is the last date for filing nominations. The list includes the names of Abdul Rashid alias Kaptan Malik, brother of Nawab Malik; Bushra Malik, the daughter-in-law of Kaptan Malik; and Dr Saeeda Khan, his sister. Sana Malik, who represents Anushakti Nagar in the State Assembly, said the NCP will contest 100 seats in the BMC elections. The party has entrusted the responsibility of managing the BMC polls to the Nawab Malik–Sana Malik father-daughter duo. 4See also | city Pollympics ■ Ajit Pawar-led NCP unveils first list of 37 candidates ■ 10 Muslim candidates fielded, 3 from Nawab Malik's family ■ Under seat-sharing deal with VBA, Cong to contest 150 seats ■ 62 seats for Prakash Ambedkar-led VBA ■ 9-12 seats for Mahadeo Jankar's Rashtriya Samaj Paksha Congress, VBA stitch a surprise alliance Ravikiran Deshmukh MUMBAI Burying political animosity of the past 25 years, Congress on Sunday sprung a surprise by joining hands with the Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) for BMC elections. Under the arrangement, Congress will contest 150 seats, while VBA will field candidates in 62 wards, leaving 9-12 seats for Rashtriya Samaj Paksha led by Mahadeo Jankar. The alliance was announced by Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Harshwardhan Sapkal, along with VBA state vice-president Dhairyavardhan Pundkar. Mumbai Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad was absent, reportedly due to her engagement in a screening committee meeting to finalise candidates. 4See also | city PM: 2025 year of Brigitte Bardot, film icon proud milestones who gave up stardom, dies Agencies Deeksha Pandey & Agencies NEW DELHI As 2025 draws to a close, PM Narendra Modi on Sunday described it as a year of proud milestones for India. Addressing his last monthly 'Mann Ki Baat' address of 2025, Modi highlighted Operation Sindoor, saying it became a symbol of pride for every Indian and showed the world that the country does not compromise on its security. "Now, the country is ready to move for- Now, the country is ready to move forward in 2026 with new hopes & new resolutions PM Narendra Modi ward in 2026 with new hopes and new resolutions," he said, exuding confidence. 4Contd on | nation MUMBAI Brigitte Bardot, who redefined desire on screen and then renounced it all for animals, died on Sunday, aged 91. It was confirmed by a spokesman for the Foundation Brigitte Bardot, the nimal welfare organisation she founded. The cause of death wasn’t immediately known. Often referred to simply as “BB” in France, Bardot was more than a film star. She was a rupture. When she danced I gave my beauty and my youth to men and now I am giving my wisdom and experience, the best of me, to animals. 1934 – 2025 barefoot to the mambo in "And God Created Woman"  (1956), her tousled hair and unapologetic sensuality shattered the era’s carefully constructed image of feminine modesty. 4Contd on | nation Diggy row: Cong churning swells Agencies NEW DELHI A day after his remarks praising the organisational strength of RSS and BJP set off a churning in Congress, Digvijaya Singh on Sunday clarified that the party is united and alleged that the Sangh Parivar was trying to sow discord within the Nehru-Gandhi family. But the comments exposed faultlines within the party with senior leaders like Shashi Tharoor and Salman Khurshid supporting Singh's views, while functionaries like Pawan Khera and Manickam Tagore derided the "self goal". "There is no difference in ideology. We (Congress) are all united, and this Nehru-Gandhi family is a family in which two people have been martyred. I strongly condemn BJP's attempts to sow discord within this family, Digvijaya Singh said. "Rahul Gandhi has started When Rahul took a dig At the Congress headquarters, Indira Bhavan, a light moment unfolded on the sidelines of the party’s Foundation Day celebrations when senior leader Digvijaya Singh met Rahul Gandhi. Sources said that as the two leaders greeted each other, Gandhi made a playful remark to Singh: "You misbehaved yesterday!" He was referring to Singh's Saturday's remarks about RSS, media reports said. Gandhi's comment sparked laughter among those present, including former party chief Sonia Gandhi. this initiative (strengthening the organisation) from the district level and below. The process for that is underway. It will be completed soon," he added. 4Contd on | nation