Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s faction has formed surprise informal pacts with opposition parties for local elections, sparking speculation about the stability of the state’s ruling coalition.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has entered into unexpected local alliances with the Congress party and the Shiv Sena (UBT) ahead of this week’s civic polls, signaling a widening rift with his coalition partner, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The move sees Mr Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction supporting opposition candidates in key districts to counter what they describe as the BJP’s “expansionist” tactics.
The most significant realignment has occurred in the Omerga Municipal Council, where the Shinde-led Sena has openly coordinated with the Congress to defeat BJP candidates. Similar patterns have emerged in the Palghar district, where the faction has reportedly accepted support from both wings of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
In the coastal town of Kankavli, a stronghold of the BJP, Mr Shinde’s party has joined forces with its bitter rival, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), under a “Shahar Vikas Aghadi” (City Development Front) banner.
Analysts view these localised pacts as a “pressure tactic” by the Chief Minister to protect his party’s grassroots base from being absorbed by the much larger BJP machinery.
The tension spilled into public view last week during a campaign rally, where Mr Shinde issued a veiled warning to his allies. “Arrogance caused Ravana’s downfall. If this continues, Ravana’s Lanka will burn,” he said.
Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis responded sharply at a separate event in Dahanu. “We are Ram’s followers, not Ravana’s. We are the ones who will burn Lanka,” he stated, highlighting the fraying relations between the state’s top two leaders.
Mr Shinde split the original Shiv Sena in 2022, toppling the previous government by arguing that an alliance with the Congress compromised the party’s Hindutva ideology.
However, recent friction has arisen over “seat-sharing” disputes and fears within the Shinde camp that the BJP is poaching their local leaders—a strategy often referred to in Indian politics as “Operation Lotus.” The Chief Minister is reportedly concerned that losing ground in municipal corporations now would leave him with little leverage in future assembly elections. The results of the local body elections, scheduled for December 3, are seen as a litmus test for the ruling Mahayuti alliance. While both parties maintain the state-level government is stable, observers warn that continued local friction could threaten the coalition’s unity ahead of the next general election cycle.
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