Even though controversy dogged him since he took over as Union Home Minister for making some questionable statements, Sushil Kumar Shinde looks well set to romp home to a fourth Lok Sabha term from this traditional Congress bastion where the BJP challenge appears insipid despite the perceived “Modi wave”.

Shinde, 73, not particularly known for verbal discretion — who made a recent statement on “crushing” media, the one on Saffron terror camps, the banter that people will forget “coalgate” just as the “Bofors” got erased from their memory and his provocative jibe at Jaya Bachchan reminding her that she was in Parliament and should desist from Bollywood histrionics–does not seem to carry his Delhi baggage when he lands in his home constituency in Western Maharashtra.

An avowed Congress high command loyalist, who never fought shy of playing the Dalit card for climbing up the political ladder with an ever smiling face, Shinde’s meteoric rise from a courtroom peon to the highest corridors of power has been truly remarkable for his journey from Maharashtra Chief Minister to the Union Home Ministry.

This time, Shinde who has just returned to his home turf to up the ante of his campaign, is being promoted in his absence by his MLA daughter Praniti and wife Ujwala.

BJP has fielded Sharad Bansode (50), who fought and lost against Shinde in the last 2009 Lok Sabha poll.

Solapur constituency, comprising urban and rural segments, goes to polls on April 17.

Bansode, considered popular among youths with his creation of a patriotic platform in the city for propagation of thoughts of freedom fighter Veer Savarkar, is however, not expected to penetrate the grass root vote bank of Congress that has formed the support base of Shinde.

Confident about Shinde’s victory, Congress supporters of the Home minister say, “He has contributed a lot to Solapur’s development by upgrading MIDC facilities and establishing NPTC power grid to spur industrial growth in various sectors as well as improving connectivity by implementing various highway construction projects for a better access to the city.”

However, questioning Shinde’s work as MP, Bansode says, “Despite holding high office in Delhi, the Congress leader has failed to fulfil his promises of Solapur’s development and acute water supply problem.”

Four persons, including a woman’s husband, father-in-law and two other relatives, have been acquitted by a local court for her murder and harassment for want of substantial evidence.

Thane Additional Sessions Judge A S Waghwase in a recent order observed that the prosecution failed to prove the charges under sections 498(A) (husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty), 306 (abetment of suicide), 304?B (offence of dowry death), 302 (murder) and 201 r/w 34 of IPC against the accused persons.

Additional Public Prosecutor Buleshwar Hinge told the court that the accused – Vikram Bharat Bhoir (28- victim’s husband), Jaywant Baburao Bhoir (42 – relative), Bharat Bhaskar Bhoir (52 – father-in-law) and Vidhyadhar Bharat Bhoir (25 -brother-in-law) – were residents of Balkum area of Thane.

Vikram had married Archana in February 2003. After some time, the four accused allegedly subjected her to cruelty while demanding around Rs 20,000 for business. The victim had informed her parents also about it.

The prosecution said that on February 23, 2007, Archana had called her mother to say that the four threatened her with dire consequences if their demand was not met.

The next day, her family was informed that Archana fell in the bathroom and suffered head injury.

When the victim’s parents reached her house, they found her dead. When the body was being readied for the final rites, Archana’s relatives saw a ligature mark around her neck.

Upon detailed inquiry, the victim’s husband said that Archana had committed suicide.

Targeting the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party over farmer suicides in Maharashtra, Raj Thackeray on Monday said instead of taking their own lives, farmers should “kill those who have done injustice” to them.

“Don’t commit suicide. It is not a solution to your problems. If at all you want to die, first kill those who have done injustice to you,” Mr. Thackeray told farmers at a rally in Yavatmal in Maharashtra.

He was campaigning for Raju Patil Raje, his Maharashtra Navnirman Sena’s only candidate running for Parliament, from the Vidarbha region.

Mr. Thackeray read out a purported suicide note by a farmer urging people not to vote for the ruling Congress-NCP combine, saying they had pushed him over the edge.

“For the past 67 years, elections continue to be fought on four issues – roads, energy, water and employment. But all these issues have still remained unresolved. In such a case, we don’t want any election at all. In villages, country liquor is available in plenty, whereas drinking water is not. It is the tragedy of our system,” said the MNS chief.

He criticised Congress and NCP leaders for visiting only those places affected by the recent hailstorm, where their parties had a strong base.

Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and Sharad Pawar visit only their respective party areas, affected by hailstorms and politicise the issue,” he said.

Popular search engine Google today announced the launch of a new tool that allows voters an easy access to relevant information about Lok Sabha candidates in each constituency.

The tool, ‘Know Your Candidates’, will give people easy access to relevant information about political candidates contesting from their constituency and their incumbent Member of Parliament, Google said in a release here.

It integrates publicly available information sourced from organizations such as Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), PRS Legislative Research and Liberty Institute India.

“In the last five months, we have made a concerted effort to provide our users a one stop destination for all their information needs for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.”

“With the launch of this tool, we have added all the important information of the contesting candidates with the help of groups such as ADR and PRS Legislative Research,” said Google India VP and Managing Director Rajan Anandan.

The application will provide information for each sitting Lok Sabha MP and contesting candidates such as their disclosed educational background, financial details and social media presence (wherever available).

Mapped onto Google Maps interface, citizens will be able to find the information by using pin codes of their area or by zooming on their locality on the map.

The tool will be updated regularly to provide information about all candidates as they get finalized and will be made available at least a week before the voting day in each constituency, the release added.

The Mumbai police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) objected to an anticipatory pre-arrest bail plea filed by former world billiards champion Michael Ferreira in connection with the Rs. 425-crore QNet case.

On January 22 the court had directed Ferreira to appear before the investigation agency, which he had complied with and was grilled for four days by EOW sleuths.

“We filed our reply in the case and objected to his pre-arrest bail application,” said special public prosecutor Pradeep Gharat.

The court was told that Ferreira was associated with Qnet even after knowing that it was a scam, he said.

“We also told the court that Ferreira made crores of rupees from the scam,” Gharat said.

So far, the EOW has arrested nine QNet team leaders for allegedly duping investors by offering to sell products like magnetic disks, herbal products and holiday schemes through fraudulent practices.

QNet has also been accused of using the banned binary pyramid business model for multi-level marketing (MLM) schemes to entice investors. The accused have been charged with cheating and forgery under relevant sections of the Prize, Chits and Money Circulation Schemes (Banning) Act 1978.

The Bombay High Court will on April 29 hear a suit filed by Khuzaima Qutbuddin, who claims to be the 53rd Dai al-Mutlaq and head of the Dawoodi Bohra community, seeking to be declared as the Syedna.

The suit was mentioned before Justice Gautam Patel today who posted it for hearing on ad-interim relief on April 29.

Qutbuddin, who had filed the suit last week, had sought interim relief that Mufaddal Saifuddin, the second son of the late Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin, be restrained from holding himself or doing any acts, deeds or things as the 53rd Dai al-Mutlaq of the community.

Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin passed away on January 17 this year at the age of 102.

Qutbuddin, who is the half-brother of the late Syedna, alleged that his nephew’s succession as Syedna was false.

The matter was placed before Justice Patel after another single judge of the high court Justice S J Kathawalla recused himself from hearing the case as he had appeared for the late Syedna in the past in another matter.

Qutbuddin’s family had earlier claimed that they had repeatedly tried to resolve the issue internally.

“We even invited him (Mufaddal) for a debate and establish the rightful claim of nass (succession). But all the attempts have been ignored and rebuffed by Shehzada Mufaddal Saifuddin,” the family had said earlier in a press note.

Qutbuddin claimed that the late Syedna had chosen him his Mazoon (deputy) and secretly appointed him as his successor 50 years ago.