'Don't take me lightly': Latest flashpoint in 'rift' between Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis (L) and deputy CM Eknath Shinde (File)

"Mujhko halke me mat lena" (Don't take me lightly)—this jibe by deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde has become a talking point in Maharashtra's political corridors.

Within a fortnight, Shinde has made such a statement twice. Although his party has maintained that the target of Shinde's words was his rival Uddhav Thackeray, political observers are taking this explanation with a pinch of salt.

Considering his strained relationship with CM Devendra Fadnavis, it is no mere guess that Shinde is looking one way and shooting another. At an event in Delhi last week, deputy CM Ajit Pawar also asked Shinde in a lighter vein whom he was actually warning not to take him lightly.

A new episode in the ongoing Shinde vs. Fadnavis conflict has emerged with the Fadnavis government highlighting irregularities in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) scheme for crop procurement from farmers, which was run by the preceding Shinde government.

There are also allegations of corruption involving the nodal agencies appointed by it. Additionally, there have been accusations of favoritism and the appointment of agencies without proper background checks in the field.

Some of these agencies were headed by then-incumbent politicians. Fadnavis has now ordered the formation of a panel tasked with drafting a detailed policy on the scheme. This decision has not gone down well with the Shinde Sena, as it casts Shinde’s tenure as CM in a poor light.

Reports of Shinde's uneasiness within the Mahayuti alliance have been surfacing since last November, when the alliance formed the government in Maharashtra. Hardly a week has passed without reports of a rift between Shinde and Fadnavis. Although the BJP government remains secure due to its significant number of seats in the assembly polls, and Shinde’s dissatisfaction is unlikely to impact its stability, the conflict between these two alliance constituents is not presenting a pleasant picture.

After the formation of the Council of Ministers, each minister was assigned as the Guardian Minister of a district, overseeing developmental work and coordinating with various administrative agencies.

Generally, a minister with influence in a particular district is appointed as its Guardian Minister.

Although Devendra Fadnavis took the oath as CM on December 5 and the Council of Ministers was formed about ten days later, the announcement of the Guardian Ministers' list was delayed due to disputes among coalition partners.

When the list was finally released last month, it sparked a political storm. The Shiv Sena openly expressed displeasure over the distribution of districts to ministers. The allocation of Nashik and Raigad, in particular, became major points of contention. Fadnavis assigned Nashik to Girish Mahajan of the BJP and Raigad to Aditi Tatkare of the NCP.

The Shiv Sena opposed this list, advocating for the appointment of its leaders—Dada Bhuse in Nashik and Bharat Gogawale in Raigad. In a move seen as an act of dissent, Eknath Shinde traveled to his native village in Satara. Before the issue could escalate, Fadnavis put the appointments for Nashik and Raigad on hold. The BJP justified Mahajan’s appointment in Nashik, citing the upcoming Sinhastha Kumbh Mela in 2027.

The appointment of Guardian Ministers also triggered a war of words between Shiv Sena and NCP leaders. Supporters of Shiv Sena’s Bharat Gogawale blocked the Mumbai-Goa highway for several hours last week, burned tires, and shouted slogans against Sunil Tatkare, the state NCP chief and Aditi Tatkare’s father.

NCP spokesman Anand Paranjpe warned Shiv Sena against making derogatory remarks about its leaders, cautioning that it would affect the alliance's sanctity.

Since the election results were declared, the Shiv Sena has emerged as a disgruntled partner in the Mahayuti alliance. After the alliance's sweeping victory, Shinde hoped to retain the CM’s seat, even though Shiv Sena secured fewer constituencies than BJP.

Shiv Sena argued that the alliance had contested the election with Shinde as its face, and such a victory would not have been possible without the efforts of Shiv Sainiks.

However, BJP, as the single largest party, insisted on claiming the CM’s chair.

This deadlock delayed the swearing-in ceremony by about two weeks. Shinde eventually relented after discussions with PM Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Once the chief ministership issue was resolved, the distribution of portfolios became another hurdle in forming the Council of Ministers.

Shinde sought the home department as compensation for relinquishing the Chief Minister’s post, but BJP refused to part with it. After about ten days of negotiations, Shinde Sena withdrew its claim, and Devendra Fadnavis retained the home portfolio.

Although the government formation process was completed, tensions between the alliance partners have persisted.

Fadnavis has been reversing some of the Shinde government’s decisions and ordering inquiries into several cases.

He canceled the transport department’s tender for procuring around 1,300 buses and ordered fresh tenders, citing suspected violations of norms to benefit private players.

He also overturned the Shinde government’s decision to procure school uniforms from a central agency, opting instead for a decentralized procurement process. Additionally, Fadnavis initiated a probe into the Shinde government’s purchase of ambulances and medical equipment worth Rs 12,000 crores.

There is a growing sentiment among Shiv Sena cadres that the party is not receiving a fair deal in the alliance.

Shinde has been expressing his discontent by skipping important meetings and government functions. In fact, it is alleged that he is attempting to run a "parallel government" by convening meetings with officials and ministers independently.