A fresh wave of friction has gripped Maharashtra’s ruling Mahayuti alliance after several ministers from the Eknath Shinde–led Shiv Sena skipped a crucial cabinet meeting, setting off intense speculation that the absences were part of a deliberate show of dissent. Although Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde attended the session, the coordinated absence of his party’s ministers immediately raised questions about the stability of the alliance as local body elections draw near.
The tension escalated further when the missing Shiv Sena ministers met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis soon after the cabinet meeting. They reportedly expressed deep frustration over what they described as the BJP’s attempts to poach Sena leaders in Dombivli. Sources familiar with the meeting said Fadnavis pushed back, telling the ministers that the Sena itself had inducted leaders from the BJP in Ulhasnagar. He is said to have emphasised that such tit-for-tat tactics must stop and that discipline was essential for the alliance to function smoothly.
Amid growing political chatter, BJP minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule attempted to play down the controversy. He dismissed allegations of a boycott and said that ministers from all parties were busy with local election campaigning. According to him, the turbulence reflected the usual churn that occurs when leaders denied tickets begin switching sides, not any deliberate sabotage of the alliance.
However, Shiv Sena minister Pratap Sarnaik acknowledged that his party had raised concerns with the BJP leadership and confirmed that the allies had now agreed to a no-poaching pact. Under this new understanding, none of the three Mahayuti partners — the BJP, the Shinde-led Sena, or the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP — will lure leaders, corporators, or MLAs from one another. He described the episode as a “family dispute” that had now been addressed.
The Opposition was quick to capitalise on the unease. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray ridiculed the incident, saying the boycott reflected frustration within the Shinde camp over defections and seat-sharing negotiations. He called the episode an “insult to Maharashtra” and described the Shinde faction as a “traitorous group” buckling under pressure.
With local body elections just days away, the Mahayuti alliance has imposed a fragile ceasefire through its no-poaching agreement. Whether this temporary peace holds through the polls — or whether the tensions resurface — remains an open question.
