Eknath Shinde Dismisses Rift Rumours Alongside Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar: ‘We Will Not Break’

Eknath Shinde Dismisses Rift Rumours Alongside Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar: Maharashtra's deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday removed speculation that there is some internal discord in the ruling alliance in the state, claiming that the partnership of the Shiv Sena-BJP-NCP "will not break". Accompanying him on the Klein; Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar; Shinde denied the reports about a cold war among the three.

"No matter how much breaking news you give, we (Mahayuti) will not break. What is the cold war? There is nothing like that. In this scorching heat of Maharashtra... how is a cold war possible?" he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

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Amid the reports of the rift, Eknath Shinde last week warned his opponents not to "take me lightly".

"Do not take me lightly; I have already said this to those who have taken me lightly. I am a normal party worker, but I am a worker of Bala Saheb, and everyone should take me with this understanding. When you took it lightly in 2022, I changed the government; we brought the government of the wishes of the common people," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

In fact, he mentioned that statement in reference to the rebellion of MLAs of the Shiv Sena spearheaded by him in the year 2022, due to which the government of Uddhav Thackeray collapsed.

In fact, referring to that matter and making a cryptic remark, Shinde said that those who take him lightly must "understand this hint".

"In my first speech in the Vidhan Sabha, I said that Devendra Fadnavis ji would get more than 200 seats, and we got 232 seats. That is why do not take me lightly; those who want to understand this hint, they should understand it, and I will continue doing my work," he had said.

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Meanwhile, some media reports claimed that Shinde has been absconding from every meeting called by Fadnavis.

Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena now has 57 MLAs in the Maharashtra assembly while the BJP has 132.

"The budget session is going to start tomorrow. The Opposition has given us a 9-page letter. The situation in the Opposition is 'Hum aapke hai kaun?', not 'Hum Sath Sath hain'. They had an opportunity for fluent conversation, but they did not attend the 'Chahapan' (snack meeting before the budget session). The letter they gave us is only based on newspaper articles. We will give the opposition a long time to speak in the House," he said.

Foreboding the budget session of the assembly, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis was scornful toward the opposition for not attending an all-party meeting.

"The budget session is going to start tomorrow. The Opposition has given us a 9-page letter. The situation in the Opposition is 'Hum aapke hai kaun?', not 'Hum Sath Sath hain'. They had an opportunity for fluent conversation, but they did not attend the 'Chahapan' (snack meeting before the budget session). The letter they gave us is only based on newspaper articles. We will give the opposition a long time to speak in the House," he said.

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