Mumbai set for 'triple-engine sarkar', blame game erupts

This edition of India First, hosted by Gaurav Sawant, focusses on the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Mahayuti alliance's landslide victory in the Maharashtra civic elections. The alliance secured 25 out of 29 municipal bodies, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, ending the Thackeray family's 25-year dominance. The programme features a debate with Shweta Shalini and Dr. Shama Mohammed regarding opposition allegations of EVM concerns and 'vote chori.' Additionally, the report covers the Maharashtra State Election Commission's ban on marker pens following the indelible ink controversy. Shifting to international affairs, Sawant examines escalating United States-Iran tensions following New Zealand's embassy evacuation from Tehran. The Indian embassy is preparing for a potential evacuation of 10,000 citizens as experts, including Vice Admiral Shekhar Sinha, analyse IRGC military capabilities and the potential for regional conflict. Discussions focus on the Trump administration's objectives, the collapse of the Iranian Rial, and internal instability within the Iranian regime amidst ongoing civil unrest and diplomatic pressure from Gulf nations.