A day after the Maharashtra Chief Minister's Office (CMO) launched an investigation into a stalled ₹900-crore Jalna housing project—revived in 2023 by Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde while he was Chief Minister—Shinde, now Deputy Chief Minister, sent out a subtle warning on Friday, saying that he "should not be taken lightly."
Speaking to the media in Nagpur, Shinde said, "Don't take me lightly. I have spoken to those who underestimated me earlier. I am a common party worker, but I am the follower of Balasaheb Thackeray and Anand Dighe. Those people who ignored me watched how I shifted the government in 2022 and formed the double-engine government which the people desired."
He also continued, "As we had assured, we took with us a government of the common man. I had earlier forecast that Devendra Fadnavis and I would have more than 200 seats, and in the 2024 Assembly polls, we got 232 seats. Therefore, let me say once again—don't underestimate me. Those who must realize it will realize it. I shall continue working."
Tensions Brewing Within Mahayuti
Shinde's comments have been made at a time of increased tensions with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, with differences emerging over a range of issues including the appointment of Nashik and Raigad guardian ministers.
On Thursday, the CMO ordered an investigation into allegations made by former Shiv Sena UBT MLA Santosh Sambre over the housing scheme in Jalna. The 301-acre housing project in Kharpudi was originally launched in 2019 by the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) but subsequently shelved in 2020 by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.
In his Feb 2 letter to the CM, Sambre accused some persons of having bought land at bargain prices and reselling it to CIDCO at much higher costs for huge returns. He further explained that in January 2020, consultancy Ernst & Young had also declared the project as infeasible due to which it was canceled by the government led by Uddhav Thackeray in July 2020. Yet, in February 2023, the Shinde government sanctioned its revival after a report was prepared by another consultant.
CMO's Inquiry and Shinde's Response
Taking up the complaint, the CMO addressed a letter to CIDCO's vice-president and managing director on February 7, asking for an inquiry and a detailed report.
"In accordance with the complaint, an inquiry should be held as per rules, and a self-explanatory report must be presented to the Chief Minister's Secretariat at the earliest," stated the letter signed by a deputy secretary of the CMO.
When asked to comment on the inquiry, Shinde replied with caution, saying he would first seek information before speaking. "All the projects we launched during my tenure as CM, with Fadnavis ji and Ajit dada as Deputy CMs, were for public welfare. I will first inquire about details of this development before making any statement," he said.
While CMO officials played down the query as an "administrative decision" in the routine order of things, Shinde's remarks on his Vidarbha tour have set political circles abuzz.
Political Fallout of Shinde's Comments
While Shinde's remark was essentially a pointer to his role in bringing down the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government in 2022, most in political circles are of the opinion that it was also a message addressed to his political allies in the alliance of the Mahayuti.
A Shiv Sena leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, "I won't quote what Shinde ji has stated, but in politics, it is not unusual to give indirect signals to competitors—even members of the same alliance. Thackeray left Shinde in the cold and paid the price. This might be a caution to the leadership today not to commit the same error."
Adding fuel to speculation of discord, Shinde and a number of Shiv Sena leaders have avoided several meetings called by CM Fadnavis and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar over the last few weeks. It is said that the Shiv Sena faction is unhappy with the allocation of guardian minister portfolios, especially in Nashik and Raigad. Currently, BJP's Girish Mahajan occupies the Nashik post, while NCP's Aditi Tatkare is Raigad's guardian minister.
Shinde's recent statements, along with these events, suggest that internal tension within the Mahayuti alliance could be far from over.
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