Top News

Eknath Shinde, the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, has dismissed rumours of any rift between him and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and also cleared the air regarding his photo with Congress leader Sonia Gandhi circulating online.

In an exclusive interview with Republic, Shinde addressed the reports of his differences with Devendra Fadnavis and said, 'We talk, there is no problem. We have spoken with each other. This happens in the media. But our alliance is very strong."

Earlier, there were reports of Shinde and Fadnavis being at the same hotel and yet not meeting each other.

Speaking about his photo with Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and other Congress leaders from the poster of an event circulating online, Shinde said, "I never attended such an alliance gathering; someone is trying to fool people. I don't know anything about the event or who circulated the poster with my image on it. Our support is with Modi ji and the Mahayuti (Grand Alliance). Our alliance (NDA) is very old and is based on our common ideology. No attempts to create a rift in our alliance should be encouraged."

He further reiterated his loyalty to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Mahayuti and said he is not concerned with Congress fighting the local body elections in Maharashtra alone. 

"We do not care how Congress fights. Whether they fight alone or in a coalition does not matter to us. We have started all the developmental work, and we have done all the development work. We don’t care who fights in front of us," he said.

Asked on allegations against BJP indulging in horse trading, Shinde said, "I won’t say much. I don’t want to comment on this. This is our alliance, and we will fight with this. PM Modi is leading it."

He also clarified about a rift in the alliance between BJP and NCP and set the record straight that their collective focus is on "development" of Maharashtra.

"This is our old alliance; this Mahayuti has existed since the time of Balasaheb Thackeray, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani. PM Modi is taking this forward. We fought the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections together, and this election is for local bodies and our workers. This is an alliance of BJP and NCP, and we are having a friendly contest. We want development, and in my speeches, I have always spoken about local issues," Shinde told Republic.

Shinde further threw light on the recent controversy around Nitesh Rane and said, "I spoke to Nitesh Rane, and he accepted that money was actually found there. But he believes that the election should be free and fair. It doesn't mean that anyone can break our alliance. No one can stop this alliance...They (Opposition) say that I call BJP Ravan. Our Opposition always questions us and cannot digest that Eknath Shinde can become Chief Minister."

For the uninitiated, just three days after Shiv Sena (Shinde) MLA Nitesh Rane led a dramatic late-night raid on a local BJP worker’s house, alleging ₹15 lakh in cash was meant for voter bribery ahead of the Kankavali Municipal Council polls, the tables have turned. Police have registered an FIR against Rane and his supporters on charges of house trespass (IPC 452), unlawful assembly, and defamation following a complaint by BJP worker Vijay Kenavadekar.

A widely circulated video shows Rane and his men barging into Kenavadekar’s residence past midnight, searching the bedroom, and triumphantly displaying a bag containing ₹15 lakh on Instagram Live. Rane claimed tip-offs about cash distribution and alleged “three to four more bags” were hidden in the house. He immediately summoned police and flying-squad officials to the spot.

The BJP worker, however, insists the money was legitimate and has accused Rane of illegal entry and character assassination, leading to the FIR.