Is all not well within Maharashtra’s Mahayuti? That question is back in political circles after Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde skipped Tuesday’s state Cabinet meeting amid signs of friction between his Shiv Sena and the BJP.
No official reason was given for Shinde’s absence. His office also did not confirm why he stayed away.
What has added to the speculation is that Shinde was at his Thane residence, within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, while the Cabinet meeting was underway.
His absence comes against the backdrop of a series of disagreements between the BJP and Shinde Sena, ranging from control of Mumbai’s cooperative network to the sharing of positions in state-run corporations.
MUMBAI BANK BECOMES LATEST BATTLEGROUND
The latest flashpoint is the upcoming Mumbai District Central Cooperative Bank election, where Shinde’s Shiv Sena is preparing to field its own candidates against a panel dominated by leaders close to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
The bank’s 20-member board is currently controlled by a group led by BJP MLC and chairman Pravin Darekar, whose Sahakar Panel swept the previous election in 2021.
Shinde’s camp, backed by his son and MP Shrikant Shinde, is now looking to expand its footprint in Mumbai’s cooperative sector after independently contesting the recent Thane-Palghar cooperative bank polls and winning five seats.
Cooperative institutions have traditionally been important centres of political influence in Maharashtra, while Mumbai Bank itself has a working capital of more than Rs 10,000 crore.
JUNE AIRPORT SNUB HAD ALSO RAISED EYEBROWS
Signs of friction had emerged earlier in June, when Shinde was allegedly not invited to the unveiling of a 20-foot statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Navi Mumbai International Airport.
The omission triggered controversy because Shinde holds the Urban Development portfolio, under which CIDCO, one of the agencies involved in the project, operates.
CM Fadnavis attended the event, while Deputy CMs Shinde and Sunetra Pawar were reportedly left off the guest list.
Shiv Sena minister Sanjay Shirsat publicly expressed displeasure, while the opposition seized on the episode to claim that Shinde was being sidelined within the government.
The Chief Minister’s Office later issued show-cause notices to CIDCO and the airport authorities over the alleged protocol lapse.
FADNAVIS TRIES TO IRON OUT DIFFERENCES
More recently, CM Fadnavis has sought to address differences among the three Mahayuti partners.
A coordination meeting was held over dinner at the Chief Minister’s official residence, Varsha, to resolve a deadlock over appointments to state-run corporations.
The Chief Minister, Shinde and senior leaders of the alliance attended the meeting, where a formula was worked out to divide the corporations among the allies based on their strength in the Assembly.
Nevertheless, political tensions are expected to remain high in Maharashtra as Shinde heads to New Delhi ahead of Wednesday’s Supreme Court hearing on the Shiv Sena name and symbol.
– Ends
Published By:
Aprameya Rao
Published On:
Sep 1, 2026 16:32 IST
