Shinde Quashes Mahayuti Rift Rumors, Signals Unity in Maharashtra’s Ruling Alliance
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday firmly rejected claims of discord within the Mahayuti coalition, asserting that the ruling alliance remains cohesive. Shinde emphasized that any concerns would be resolved through dialogue, dispelling speculation about internal conflicts.
“There’s no discord in Mahayuti. Everything is running smoothly. We focus on work, not complaints, and we stand united,” said Shinde, the Shiv Sena leader, addressing reports that he had raised issues about Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar with Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Pawar, responding to the rumors, clarified that Shinde would directly approach him or Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to discuss any matters. “We maintain a good relationship,” Pawar told.
BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar also backed Shinde, dismissing suggestions that the Shiv Sena leader would indirectly voice grievances to Shah. “Shinde is a straightforward leader. He would address any concerns directly with Pawar, not through intermediaries,” Mungantiwar told reporters.
The Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction, secured a resounding victory in the state assembly elections last November, retaining control of Maharashtra. Shinde, who served as chief minister from June 2022, assumed the deputy chief minister role in the Devendra Fadnavis-led government formed post-election.
Speculation of tension surfaced after Shah’s visit to Maharashtra on Saturday, where he attended an event at Raigad Fort commemorating the 345th death anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Shah also dined at the residence of NCP MP Sunil Tatkare in Raigad, an event Tatkare described as a “non-political” gathering, with no discussion on the allocation of guardian minister posts.
The absence of local Shiv Sena leaders at the lunch sparked further conjecture about unease within the BJP-led Mahayuti, particularly over the distribution of guardian minister roles in Raigad and Nashik districts. Notably, NCP MLA Aditi Tatkare, Sunil Tatkare’s daughter, is a contender for Raigad’s guardian minister post but faces resistance from Shiv Sena MLA Bharat Gogawale.
In January, the Fadnavis government paused the appointments of Aditi Tatkare and BJP’s Girish Mahajan as guardian ministers for Raigad and Nashik, respectively, following objections from Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction.