Don't take me lightly, says Dy CM Shinde amid reports of rift with Fadnavis

Amid talk of a growing rift with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtra deputy CM Eknath Shinde on Friday said nobody should take him lightly, and made a veiled reference to the toppling of the MVA government.

It was a warning for those who are capable of understanding, he said, talking to reporters in Nagpur.

He had been a worker of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray and Sena leader late Anand Dighe, said Shinde, who heads the Shiv Sena.

"In 2022, I toppled the cart of those who took me lightly, and we brought in a new government that stayed in the people's hearts," Shinde said, apparently referring to the collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government.

Shinde had then become chief minister by splitting the Thackeray-led Sena and forming an alliance with the BJP. "The double engine government (headed by Shinde) ran at full speed, and I and Devendra Fadnavis said we would win over 200 seats. We won 232 seats (in the 2024 assembly polls)," he said. "Do not take me lightly. The hint is enough for those who understand it. I will continue to do my work," he added. While both Shinde and Fadnavis have denied that there is a discord, recent developments suggested there are simmering tensions.

After the elections, Shinde had to agree to a role reversal with Fadnavis, his deputy in the previous regime, becoming chief minister.

The appointment of NCP leader Aditi Tatkare and BJP leader Girish Mahajan as guardian ministers of Raigad and Nashik districts, respectively, brought tensions to the fore, with the Shiv Sena leaders expressing unhappiness. Both the appointments were revoked and Fadnavis is yet to take a fresh decision.

Both deputy CMs, Shinde and NCP leader Ajit Pawar, set up project monitoring cells to track the progress of projects in the districts of which they are guardian ministers, and those of departments handled by ministers of their respective parties. As the CM already has his "war room" for monitoring key projects, this was seen as both the BJP allies asserting themselves.

While the Chief Minister's relief fund -- from which needy patients can receive help -- already existed, Shinde set up his own medical aid cell. Shinde has also stayed away from several meetings convened by Fadnavis, including the Nashik Regional Development Authority meeting to discuss preparations for the 2027 Kumbh Mela in the north Maharashtra city.

He held a separate meeting in Nashik where BJP minister Girish Mahajan was absent.

After Fadnavis held a review meeting of the Industries department, Shinde held another meeting recently. Industries department is headed by Shiv Sena minister Uday Samant. The buzz about the relations being under growing strain became louder when the Home department, headed by Fadnavis, downgraded or took away the police security of 20 Shiv Sena MLAs. They had been given security cover after the Sena split in 2022.

Earlier this week, Shinde had said there was absolutely no "cold war" between him and Fadnavis. Fadnavis too downplayed Shinde's decision to set up a medial cell. "There is nothing wrong, as its aim is to help people. When I was deputy chief minister, I had formed a similar cell," the BJP leader said.