E Shinde's 'Coalition Dharma' Note As 'Poaching Row' Rocks BJP-Led Mahayuti

With the rift between the Shiv Sena, led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and the BJP out in the open, in an interview to NDTV, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde sent a strong message to ally BJP.

"My clear stand is that we fully follow the principles of coalition dharma, and our alliance partners should also follow the same," Eknath Shinde told NDTV.

"This alliance is not something formed yesterday or today-this alliance is built on the ideology and legacy of Balasaheb, Atalji, and Advani ji," Shinde added.

"Our alliance has not been formed for power or positions; it is based on shared ideology and common principles," Shinde said in what is being seen as a very clear message to ally BJP.

Several instances of public statements against each other have been made by leaders of the two parties against each other. While they may not be direct attacks, the statements have been politically loaded.

Things seem to have worsened over the last few days as campaigns picked up. The office of Shahajibapu Patil, a former MLA of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, was raided by the Election Commission's Flying Squad and the Local Crime Branch. The raid took place immediately after Shahajibapu Patil's election rally concluded, during which the police team entered the office while recording video. Shahajibapu Patil has challenged alliance partner BJP in the Sangola election.

On Monday reports came in that while Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde were at the same hotel in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, they did not meet each other.

Maharashtra BJP chief Ravindra Chavan, set off a political row after refusing to respond to Shiv Sena MLA Nilesh Rane's voter bribery allegations by saying that he wants to 'save the alliance' with the Sena till December 2, the date for the first phase of the local body polls.

As campaigns for local body elections picked up steam, Shiv Sena (Shinde Faction) MLA Nilesh Rane claimed that Rs 25 lakh in cash was recovered from the house of a BJP worker, Vijay Kenavadekar, in Malvan city.

Rane alleged that this large sum was kept, to be distributed among voters and that this is the first concrete proof that BJP workers are trying to influence the election atmosphere.

BJP leaders had called these allegations politically motivated and added that having money related to a private business in one's home is not a crime, and unauthorized entry into someone's home to conduct a sting operation is also legally questionable.

Then, Education Minister of Maharashtra Dada Bhuse has sparked a row by suggesting that Eknath Shinde will return as Chief Minister again in what has been interpreted as a dig at Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Addressing a gathering, Dada Bhuse said, "You said that previously, Maharashtra has not seen such a Chief Minister, and will not see one in the future. But even today, if you ask the people who is the Chief Minister in their hearts, even today the people will say that the Chief Minister in their hearts is the Honourable Eknathji Shinde Saheb."

"And don't worry about what is written in the history of the future, we will certainly see the Honourable Eknathji Shinde Saheb leading Maharashtra once again. And therefore, for the development of this city, I request all of you to bless the 'Panel to Panel' Bow and Arrow (the symbol)," Dada Bhuse said in Maharashtra's Nandurbar.

On November 18, the Shiv Sena ministers in the BJP-led Mahayuti government stayed away from the weekly cabinet meeting. Only deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who heads the Shiv Sena, was present at the cabinet meeting in Mantralaya (secretariat), sources claimed, amidst a row over complaints that the BJP was poaching Shiv Sena leaders ahead of the local body elections.