All Is Not Well Within Maharashtra Mahayuti: BJP Blames Eknath Shinde's Sena for MLC Defeats

Cracks within Maharashtra's ruling Mahayuti coalition erupted into open political warfare on Thursday following bitter defeats in the Legislative Council (MLC) elections and a spiralling controversy over a leaked ₹500-crore audio recording targeting Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

The multi-front conflict has triggered sharp public exchanges between Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction. The escalating spat threatens coalition stability across state and local levels.

Sabotage Claims Follow Legislative Council Defeats

The immediate trigger for the public rift followed the declaration of results for five Legislative Council seats covering graduate and teacher constituencies. The ruling Mahayuti alliance secured only two seats, suffering key setbacks in Pune and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

Addressing a press conference in Mumbai on Thursday, BJP Maharashtra spokesperson Navnath Ban launched a direct attack on Shinde's faction, accusing the partner party of sabotaging coalition candidates for localized gains.

"If Shiv Sena had respected coalition ethics and supported the BJP and NCP, Mahayuti would have won all five seats," Ban stated. "Due to greed for a single seat in Pune, Shiv Sena put its allies in trouble and cost us victory across three constituencies."

Ban cited the Pune graduates' seat, where Shiv Sena backed independent candidate Sachin Sanap. Sanap polled roughly 16,000 votes, directly splitting the alliance voter base and causing the defeat of official BJP candidate Smita Jadhav. Ban also pointed to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, accusing Shiv Sena leader Abdul Sattar of actively campaigning against the official Ajit Pawar-led NCP candidate, Satish Chavan.

Demanding strict party discipline, Ban urged Eknath Shinde to remove Pune Shiv Sena leader Ravindra Dhangekar for damaging coalition unity.

Counter-Demands for Shinde's Return as Chief Minister

Reacting sharply to the BJP’s accusations, Ravindra Dhangekar dismissed the sabotage claims and launched a blistering counter-attack against the BJP leadership. Dhangekar asserted that the election setbacks reflected growing public dissatisfaction with current state policies under Devendra Fadnavis.

Dhangekar urged Shiv Sena leadership to push back, demanding that Eknath Shinde be reinstated as Maharashtra Chief Minister to restore stability to the state government. The public spat has laid bare the resentment within Shinde's ranks since the leadership restructuring placed Fadnavis back at the helm.

Explosive ₹500-Crore Audio Clip Fuels Conspiracy Claims

The election fallout comes amid an ongoing investigation into a leaked audio recording released by Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil. The audio purports to feature voices discussing a ₹500-crore transaction involving MP Shrikant Shinde, son of Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, aimed at managing the Maratha quota movement.

Eknath Shinde and Shrikant Shinde have rejected the recording, calling it a fabricated conspiracy. However, the tape has ignited intense infighting within the alliance:

• Internal Conspiracy Allegations: Senior Shiv Sena leader Ramdas Kadam openly accused a section of BJP leaders of colluding with Jarange Patil to forge or leak the audio in a deliberate attempt to politically marginalize Eknath Shinde.

• SIT Investigation: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ordered a forensic probe into the recording, while the Mumbai Police established a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to trace the origin of the audio.

• Opposition Attack: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut claimed a BJP legislator leaked the clip due to intense internal rivalry aimed at weakening Shinde’s leverage.

Power Struggles Threaten Coalition Stability

Political observers note that the simultaneous blowups over the MLC results and the ₹500-crore tape point to deep-seated structural friction within Mahayuti.

Friction over local administrative control, cabinet portfolios, and regional dominance has intensified since Fadnavis assumed the Chief Minister’s office. With civic and local body elections approaching, rivalry between lower-tier cadres of the BJP and Shiv Sena threatens to further strain the ruling coalition.