Buzz of a divide in Maharashtra’s ruling alliance, the Mahayuti, intensified on Monday as Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction came into the spotlight. This is after senior leader Ganesh Naik of the rival camp declared a second ‘janta darbar’ (town hall meeting) in Thane, which is Shinde’s stronghold.
With posters and hoardings in the city advertising the event, it is perceived as a direct challenge to Shinde’s leadership in the region, where he is the guardian minister. Naik, who had held a similar event in Vashi previously, downplayed the political angle, stating the primary objective was to discuss issues concerning the community.
Naresh Mhaske, Thane Lok Sabha MP from Shinde’s Sena, was unruffled, stating that there shouldn’t be any objection to individuals visiting their political leadership.
The rivalry between these two dates back years, when Shinde was in the undivided Shiv Sena under the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray, and Naik was in the undivided Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) under the leadership of Sharad Pawar. The two leaders have long vied for dominance in Thane and Navi Mumbai.
Despite their current official alliance, simmering tensions can still be felt. Shinde issued a stern warning to his detractors last week, stating, “Do not take me lightly,” and reminding all of how he was the one who had played the pivotal role in bringing down Thackeray’s government in 2022. His statement came after an incident of resentment when he was asked to vacate the Chief Minister’s chair to accommodate BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis.
The rift between the BJP and Shinde’s Sena has continued since their disagreement over the Chief Ministership, which Shinde believed was his right based on popular support for his government. Recent tensions were also driven by the withdrawal of ‘Y’ category security for 55 Shinde Sena MPs and MLAs, which was perceived as an insult by his camp, even though it was the result of a routine security audit.
There were also disagreements over key appointments, including ‘guardian ministers’ for Raigad and Nashik districts, the latter of which will host the upcoming Kumbh Mela in 2027.
Another point of contention was the allegations of malpractices in the determination of the minimum support price (MSP) for farmers in Shinde’s erstwhile government, with the Fadnavis government accusing wrongdoing in the form of bribes sought by state-level procurement agencies. Fadnavis has called for an inquiry into these allegations, a thing that has not augured well with Shinde’s camp.
Despite these growing tensions, analysts say that any bitterness between the BJP and the Shinde Sena is unlikely to destabilize the Fadnavis government. With 132 seats in the Assembly and the support of Ajit Pawar’s 41-seat NCP faction, the BJP enjoys a comfortable cushion over the majority mark, which implies that Shinde may not have the influence he desires within the coalition.
