'We Must Follow Alliance Dharma': Eknath Shinde Dismisses BJP-Shiv Sena Rift

Last Updated:December 01, 2025, 13:52 IST

Shinde said he had spoken with CM Fadnavis regarding the alleged poaching of leaders by the BJP and stressed that both partners must adhere to the alliance “dharma”.

Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde | Image: File

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday ruled out rumours of a rift between the BJP and the Shiv Sena, saying there were no differences within the alliance.

Shinde said he had spoken with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis regarding the alleged poaching of leaders by the BJP and stressed that both partners must adhere to the alliance “dharma".

The Shiv Sena leader’s remarks came days after some of his party’s leaders joined the BJP in the run-up to the civic body polls.

“I spoke to the CM about this (poaching). The CM agreed to certain things and said this must all stop. As I said, we have to fight the elections as an alliance. There will be Lok Sabha elections after this, so we must not do anything that will damage the alliance or create misunderstandings. Each of us must follow the alliance dharma. We must follow the alliance dharma; others must do the same. This is our expectation. We spoke about this. The CM said he will speak to his people to ensure that no Sena corporator joins the BJP, and we will also not take any BJP corporator into the Sena," Shinde told Zee 24 Taas.

Chandrashekhar Bawankule, a Maharashtra minister and former BJP state chief, said any differences or disagreements that have arisen would be resolved together after December 3.

Elections in 246 municipal councils and 42 town panchayats were scheduled for December 2. However, following reports of procedural lapses and ongoing court cases, the Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) announced the postponement and revision of elections in more than 20 municipal councils (Nagar Parishads) and municipal panchayats (Nagar Panchayats).

Ahead of the local body polls in Sindhudurg, local BJP and Shiv Sena leaders are locked in a tussle. The Sindhudurg police on Saturday registered an FIR against Nilesh Rane, an MLA of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, for allegedly trespassing into a BJP supporter’s house. Rane had “raided" the BJP supporter’s house and claimed to have found bags of cash meant for distribution to voters ahead of the civic polls.

His brother and state minister Nitesh Rane, a BJP leader, later rejected the allegations, arguing that several political workers have legitimate business income and that keeping cash at home should not be construed otherwise.

Nitesh Rane also said that Shiv Sena workers campaigning for a rival Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate in Sindhudurg district raised doubts about Deputy CM Eknath Shinde’s past claims that he rebelled against the then Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government due to “injustice".

Commenting on the issue, Fadnavis said he supports everyone who “behaves well".

“I don’t stand with a wrong person, even if the person is from my party. But the situation of Rane versus Rane is not good. We have to introspect about this after the elections," he added.

Last month, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) ministers skipped the state cabinet meeting in Mumbai hours after the BJP inducted two leaders who had contested against Sena MLAs in the last assembly elections.

News politics 'We Must Follow Alliance Dharma': Eknath Shinde Dismisses BJP-Shiv Sena Rift

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