Whenever they are publicly asked about the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and his deputy Eknath Shinde are quick to point to a “Fevicol bond”. But signs of a rift on top suggest the alliance may not be strongly glued together.
As deputy CM, Shinde finds himself in the same position as Fadnavis had been until November last year. Maybe even worse. With Fadnavis ordering several inquiries into decisions taken by the erstwhile Shinde government, including a housing project in Jalna. And Shinde’s recent remark to “not underestimate him” – despite his clarification that it was directed at those opposing development – has been widely seen as a message to the BJP’s leadership.
The BJP, after all, has been trying to sideline Shinde on his own turf, say sources from both parties.
“BJP is trying to interfere in Shinde’s fiefdom of Thane. (BJP minister) Ganesh Naik started holding his Janata Darbar in Shinde’s area. What was the reason for this? It clearly seems like an attempt to create a new power centre to overshadow Shinde,” said a source in the Sena, about the decision to appoint Naik as the liaison minister for Thane.
The seeds of discord had been sown over months.
Denied portfolios, skipped meetings
The seeds of discord can be traced back to the central BJP leadership’s denial of Shinde’s demand for the chief minister’s post. This was made worse with the Shinde camp being denied key ministries such as home and finance. The home department was retained by the BJP while the finance ministry went to Ajit Pawar of NCP. The Sena was granted only 11 ministerial berths, far fewer than the 14 they had demanded.
Shinde’s request for the guardianship of Nashik and Raigad was denied. Shinde had wanted two senior Shiv Sena leaders, Dadaji Bhuse and Bharat Gogawale, to take charge of these regions, but the posts were given to Fadnavis aide Girish Mahajan and NCP leader Sunil Tatkare’s daughter Aditi Tatkare. Gogawale’s supporters had blocked the Mumbai-Goa highway in anger.
Shinde has continued to skip several important meetings chaired by Fadnavis, including a critical cabinet meeting on February 3. On February 12, Shinde once again skipped two urban development meetings even though they featured crucial discussions with officials from Pune, Nashik, and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar. Shinde instead opted to attend a religious festival in Ambernath. The urban development department is headed by Shinde, but despite that the meetings were chaired by Fadnavis, which is speculated to be the primary reason for Shinde’s absence.
A source within Shiv Sena said, “Urban development is Shinde’s department, but despite that, Fadnavis chaired meetings related to it. Will it be okay if Shinde sahab starts chairing meetings for Fadnavis’s departments?”
Rejigs
In another move seen as an assertion of authority, Fadnavis appointed IAS officer Sanjay Sethi as chairman of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation in the first week of February – a controversial decision as the transport ministry is headed by Shinde’s close aide and Sena leader Pratap Sarnaik.
On February 6, Shinde was excluded and deputy CM Ajit Pawar included in the State Disaster Management Authority. Shinde had played a crucial role in disaster management during his tenure as CM, and after widespread criticism from Sena leaders, his name was eventually added to the authority.
In another sign of discord, administrative decisions were made in the industries ministry without consulting the minister in-charge – Shiv Sena’s Uday Samant. Samant wrote to the principal secretary, accusing the government of bypassing him on key policy decisions regarding the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation.
Another notable development was the removal of the Y-security cover for 20 MLAs from Shinde’s camp by the Fadnavis-led home department. This move was seen as a message about the shifting power dynamics in the state.
In December last year, Mangesh Chivte, a close aide of Shinde, was removed from his position as head of the CM’s medical aid desk. In response, Shinde set up a new medical aid desk and appointed Chivte to head it, signaling an effort to reassert his influence.
Lastly, Fadnavis recently ordered an inquiry into alleged irregularities in the Minimum Support Price Scheme, which was implemented during Shinde’s tenure as CM. This follows an earlier inquiry into the Rs 900 crore CIDCO project revived by Shinde, a housing initiative that had been scrapped in 2020 but was reintroduced when Shinde was heading the urban development department.
The Shinde faction managed to establish itself as the bearer of Balasaheb Thackeray’s political legacy in the recent assembly elections with 57 seats, but it has been reduced as the junior coalition partner in Maharashtra. Though it’s not clear yet if Shinde’s ostensible alienation also has the BJP central leadership’s approval.
Mumbai-based political analyst Harish Kerzarkar said, “Fadnavis wants to assert that he is the ultimate authority in Maharashtra, positioning himself as the one who runs the state. He is doing this to send his message to Shinde. On the other hand, Shinde is among the few leaders with direct access to the central BJP leadership in Delhi. He has strong ties with Amit Shah and holds significant leverage because the BJP-led government at the centre is currently a minority government. Shinde commands the support of around seven MPs, and through him, the BJP aims to bring MPs from the Uddhav Thackeray faction into their fold.”
“Given that the BJP’s central government relies heavily on allies like Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar, they are keen to bolster their support base. The central leadership sees Shinde as a valuable ally who can help them in reducing their dependence on Kumar and Naidu. Shinde is acutely aware of his strategic importance, which makes it clear that Fadnavis cannot easily sideline him without significant consequences.”
A senior BJP functionary, who did not wish to be named, said opacity surrounded certain decisions taken during Shinde’s tenure. “Some tensions are there because Devendraji’s style of functioning is active and he sticks to rules…he is setting things right which is not going down well with many people. Shinde was not happy because he couldn’t become CM. However, these things are temporary and this does not affect the alliance or the government.”
Asked for comment, Shinde’s office told Newslaundry that “there is no cold war, no hot war. Everything is thanda thanda, cool cool.”
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