Shinde, Sunetra’s Absence Fuels Mahayuti Rift Talk

MUMBAI: The absence of Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar from the meeting held by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis with the central drought assessment team has once again raised questions over the fraught equations within the Mahayuti alliance.

Fadnavis held a high-level meeting on Sunday night at his official residence, Varsha, to review the severe drought situation in the state. He met with the Central Inter-Ministerial Drought Assessment Team – led by Joint Secretary Muktanand Agarwal – to review severe crop damage (affecting soybean, cotton, and tur) and request increased financial aid from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). The meeting was attended by other cabinet ministers like Girish Mahajan and Dattatray Bharne.

However, both Deputy Chief Ministers, Eknath Shinde (Shiv Sena) and Sunetra Pawar (NCP), were notably absent from the discussion.

Sources within the alliance indicated that Shinde and Pawar were reportedly not invited to this crucial policy meeting. This alleged exclusion has fuelled arguments by political observers and opposition parties that the other constituents of the Mahayuti alliance are being sidelined by the BJP leadership.

There have been instances of friction within the alliance recently. Just few days back, Eknath Shinde had travelled to New Delhi on October 5 to independently brief Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Maharashtra’s drought situation, security, and agricultural distress. Similarly, Fadnavis met separately with Union Home Minister Amit Shah to secure central support.