Mumbai: Amid swirling whispers of discord within Maharashtra’s ruling Mahayuti alliance, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has stepped forward to set the record straight, insisting that there’s no scramble for credit between him and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
The clarification comes hot on the heels of recent advertisements featuring only Fadnavis, which had sparked a flurry of questions about potential cracks in the coalition.
In Maharashtra’s ever-volatile political landscape, rumours of unease among alliance partners are nothing new. Speculations often revolve around who gets the limelight for key achievements, especially in a government comprising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shinde’s faction of the Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). But Shinde, addressing reporters during a public event in Thane on Saturday, firmly rubbished any notions of rivalry. “We are not in a race to claim credit,” he asserted, emphasising that the Mahayuti government has collectively delivered justice to communities like the Marathas and Other Backward Classes (OBCs). “This was validated in the last Assembly elections,” he added, underscoring the alliance’s unified approach.
The controversy erupted over a pair of eye-catching advertisements that appeared in print on Saturday. One depicted Fadnavis paying floral tributes at a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, while the other showed him performing rituals for Lord Ganesha on Anant Chaturdashi, the concluding day of the 10-day Ganpati festival. Both carried the Marathi tagline ‘Dev Bhau’ – a nod to Fadnavis – but notably omitted any mention or image of Shinde. The origin of these ads remains shrouded in mystery, with no clear indication of who funded or published them.
When quizzed on whether these promotions were Fadnavis’ bid to position himself as the architect of the Maratha reservation policy, Shinde remained unflappable. “Devendraji and I have kicked off our second innings as a solid team,” he said, outlining their shared agenda: driving the state’s development and uplifting the poor and needy. His words aim to douse the flames of speculation that have periodically flared up in the alliance’s tenure.
The timing couldn’t be more poignant, as the Maratha reservation issue has once again stirred the pot in Maharashtra. Activist Manoj Jarange recently grabbed headlines with a five-day hunger strike in Mumbai, demanding stronger quotas for the community. Launching his protest on August 29, Jarange called it off on September 2 after the state government acceded to most of his demands. In the aftermath, Fadnavis hailed it as a balanced resolution safeguarding Maratha interests – a move that, according to critics, might have amplified the credit debate.
Yet, Shinde’s intervention paints a picture of harmony, suggesting the Mahayuti is geared up for bigger challenges ahead. As Maharashtra gears for future electoral battles, this episode serves as a reminder that in coalition politics, perception can be as powerful as policy. For now, the deputy CM’s assurance might just keep the alliance’s boat steady amid the choppy waters of public scrutiny.