Cabinet Tensions: Shiv Sena-BJP Rift Deepens Amid Leader Inductions

Shiv Sena ministers, excluding Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, skipped a cabinet meeting, stirring tensions with ally BJP over leader inductions. The conflict, happening just before local elections, saw brief reconciliation after discussions with CM Fadnavis. The incident highlights ongoing disputes within the Mahayuti coalition government.

In a surprising turn of events, all Shiv Sena ministers, barring Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, were absent from the weekly cabinet meeting on Tuesday. This move signals growing tensions with the BJP, as some influential Sena figures were reportedly unhappy over the BJP's recent recruitments of Sena officials and workers across the state.

Following this absence, a meeting brokered between Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena ministers, with Shinde at the helm, calmed the waters. Shinde later told reporters the Mahayuti coalition partners agreed to stop recruiting each other's members.

The incident took place just before the first anniversary of the Fadnavis-led government, and ahead of local elections, underlining persistent unease within the coalition. While some Shiv Sena ministers acknowledged the unrest, others cited prior commitments as reasons for missing the meeting.

(With inputs from agencies.)