Fresh rift in Mahayuti: Shinde Sena skips Cabinet meet over induction of new leaders; BJP goes into damage control

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Tensions within Maharashtra’s ruling Mahayuti alliance flared on Tuesday after ministers from the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) skipped the state cabinet meeting in Mumbai. Their absence came just hours after the BJP inducted two leaders who had contested against Sena MLAs in the previous assembly polls, Advait Hire, who ran against minister Dada Bhuse, and Raju Khare, who contested against Sanjay Shirsat.

The back-to-back developments immediately sparked speculation that the uneasy relationship between the BJP and the Shinde-led Sena had reached a breaking point.

By evening, Sena minister Pratap Sarnaik tried to douse the fire, calling the friction a “family disagreement” and saying the issues had been communicated to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Sena chief Eknath Shinde.

According to News18, Sena ministers were upset not only over the BJP inducting leaders who had taken on Sena candidates earlier, but also over alleged disparities in fund allocation and other administrative concerns. Their no-show at the cabinet meeting was widely seen as a public signal of the growing resentment.

After meeting Fadnavis and Shinde, Sarnaik said the ministers had simply voiced concerns that had been building up for months. “There are arguments in every family. Sometimes you just need to express what’s on your mind. We conveyed our feelings to the chief minister,” he said, adding that the tension was connected to ongoing local body polls and recent political inductions.

Sarnaik also said the three allies — BJP, Shiv Sena (Shinde), and NCP (Ajit Pawar) — had now agreed on a key rule: no party will induct leaders, MLAs, corporators, or office-bearers from any of the other alliance partners. The decision, he said, would apply “from tomorrow [Wednesday]”.

Playing down the significance of the BJP’s new entrants, Sarnaik remarked, “Who is Advait Hire? There are many such ‘heroes’ roaming around who keep shifting sides,” implying that the induction carried little political value for the Sena.

He further stated that the chief minister had assured him he would personally speak to minister Ravindra Chavan, a figure linked to recent political movements, while Eknath Shinde would address the concerns directly with his ministers. With local body elections nearing, the Mahayuti leadership is attempting to prevent further fractures. Whether the new “no-poaching pact” stabilises the alliance or merely delays deeper tensions remains to be seen.