The Shinde-Fadnavis discord and the talk of reuniting two Shiv Senas

February 03,2025

Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers of the USA, remarked in his autobiography that once a conflict between two groups ceases, the victorious group has to face a new challenge. Ambitions, egos, differences, and misunderstandings lead to discord among the victors.

He wrote: "That as soon as a party has gained its general point, each member becomes intent upon his particular interest; which, thwarting others, breaks that party into divisions, and occasions more confusion."

His words, written about two and a half centuries ago, resonate with today's undercurrents in Maharashtra politics. While news of discord among the constituents of the incumbent Mahayuti has been perennial since the Vidhan Sabha election results, the latest statement by Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP, has added weight to the talks of discord between CM Devendra Fadnavis and DCM Eknath Shinde.

Raut, quoting an MLA from the Shiv Sena who was traveling as a co-passenger on his flight, wrote in Saamana that Eknath Shinde is upset with Fadnavis and has gone into a meditative state. The MLA told Raut that Amit Shah assured Shinde that the elections would be fought under his leadership and that he would be made CM, but that did not happen despite Shinde spending heavily. According to Raut, the MLA told him that Shinde suspects his phone is being tapped by central agencies.

Raut went on to write that Shinde gets irritated by his MLAs and lacks interest in governmental work, which is reflected in his late arrivals at official meetings. He wrote that Fadnavis is insecure about Shinde's ambition of becoming CM and has developed proximity with Ajit Pawar, who is content with the DCM's chair. In Raut's view, a majority of Shinde’s MLAs are loyal to Fadnavis and are planning to directly accept his leadership by joining the BJP. A section of Shiv Sena leaders also favors "homecoming" but is not articulating it due to fear of prosecution by central agencies, writes Raut.

The observations of Raut, which the incumbents dismiss as his wishful thinking, find some credence in the recent public statement of Sanjay Shirshat, a Shinde loyalist. Shirshat, who is a minister in the Mahayuti government, said that the time has come for both factions of Shiv Sena to unite and that it was unfortunate that the party got divided. Shirshat offered to bring Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray to the table for unification talks.

While Eknath Shinde was quick to dismiss his statement as a misquote by the media, it has created a flutter in Maharashtra's political corridors. A series of developments since the Mahayuti won the elections add weight to what Raut and Shirshat of the two rival parties have stated.

First, Shinde was denied the CM’s chair, then the home portfolio, followed by the denial of guardian minister posts in Nashik and Raigad, which has led his camp to believe that Shinde has not received a fair deal in the alliance. Moreover, Fadnavis has overturned certain decisions taken during Shinde's tenure as CM or has instituted inquiries into them, aggravating the situation. The latest addition to the acrimony is BJP minister Ganesh Naik holding a Janata Durbar in Thane, which is Shinde's bastion.

Maharashtra has been witnessing a spate of dramatic events since the 2019 elections. During those five years, the state saw three CMs, two parties faced rebellion, and many political stalwarts went to jail. The Maharashtra saga continues.