Fadnavis-Shinde 'discord' has hit Maharashtra's progress, claims Sanjay Raut

Shiv Sena UBT MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday claimed the strained relation between Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde was hindering the states progress reported PTIIn his weekly column Rokhthok in the Shiv Sena UBT mouthpiece Saamna Raut further claimed Shinde was yet to come to terms with the fact that he was not reinstated as chief minister after the November 2024 assembly polls and was desperately trying to regain the position which Fadnavis fully understandsIn the last years assembly elections the Mahayuti comprising the BJP Shindes Shiv Sena and the NCP led by Ajit Pawar won 230 of the 288 seats in the stateOur Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the BJPbacked Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde have almost no real communication anymore which has turned into a source of entertainment for the public the Rajya Sabha member charged reported PTIRaut claimed this ongoing discord has affected the Maharashtra governments functioningDespite having a majority the administration remains paralysed Those who rise through treachery often fall by it The attacks on Shinde have begun and Maharashtra has been left in a state of uncertainty and disorder he said reported PTIRaut also claimed that Shindes control over his political turf Thane was being systematically undermined by the BJPThe appointment of BJP minister Ganesh Naik as the guardian minister of neighbouring Palghar district is reportedly part of this strategy he chargedNaik was already a minister in the first Shiv SenaBJP government when Shinde was just a municipal councillor He will not take orders from Shinde Raut wrote in his column reported PTINotably Naik last week said he wants the saffron party to flourish in Thane indicating there could be a tussle between the two alliesNaik had also said he would be holding public grievance meetings in Thane too triggering speculation that the BJP was preparing to challenge the dominance of Shindes party in the area reported PTIAccording to Raut Shindes role in the government has diminished significantly He is often absent from crucial cabinet meetings and when he does attend he is noticeably lateOn January 30 he arrived twoandahalfhours late for a District Planning Committee meeting at the World Trade Centre he claimed reported PTIRaut alleged that Shinde feels betrayed by the BJP leadershipQuoting a senior MLA from the Shiv Sena Raut claimed Union Home Minister Amit Shah had assured Shinde that the 2024 assembly elections would be fought under his leadership and that he would continue as CMEncouraged by the promise Shinde is believed to have spent enormous amounts of money during the campaign However when the time came Shah allegedly did not keep his word leading Shinde to feel deceived and politically cornered Raut claimed quoting the legislator reported PTIRaut said the MLA also told him that Shinde now suspects his phone calls are being monitored and that central agencies are tracking his movementsAn MLA told me that Shinde is convinced that surveillance is being conducted on him and his associates the Sena UBT leader claimedA senior BJP minister recently dismissed the reports of tensions stating there were no major differences between Fadnavis and Shinde reported PTIHowever Raut countered that argument pointing out that similar claims were made before the Shiv Sena split in June 2022 What happened after that is something the entire country witnessed he said reported PTIRaut further claimed that many MLAs in Shindes faction were now uneasy with some contemplating switching over to the BJP under Fadnavis leadership while others wanting a return to the Thackerayled Sena UBT But the fear of central agencies has left them hesitant to act he addedShindes leadership is no longer secure Raut further claimed alleging that even the BJP was working against him reported PTIThe RSS has deployed its own people as personal assistants to ministers from both the Shinde and Ajit Pawar NCP camps to monitor their activities and curb corruption he chargedUnlike Shinde Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar is in a much more stable position Raut saidAjit Pawar understands his limitations and has built a stronger working relationship with Fadnavis he said reported PTIPawar joined hands with the BJP to avoid action by the Enforcement Directorate in some cases to recover attached assets of Rs 1000 crore and gain the deputy CMs post as an additional benefit Raut claimedUnlike Shinde Pawar has no aspirations of becoming chief minister and is content with a politically safer position he addedWith inputs from PTI