Shinde admits rift with Fadnavis ahead of Maharashtra local body polls

Mumbai: Amid rising chatter over ‘friendly fights’ within the ruling alliance in Maharashtra, Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde

on Monday openly admitted a strain with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.

However, both the leaders insisted that Maharashtra local body elections must remain centred on grassroots issues and the work of party workers.

Former chief minister Shinde admitted to a recent exchange of allegations between the two top leaders but dismissed the tensions as by-products of highly localised contests. “Yes, it’s true that I made allegations against the Chief Minister, and he also made allegations against me,” Shinde told reporters on Monday.

“But you need to understand that these elections are local elections, which are fought on very local issues and by local party workers. Big political issues do not need to be brought up. Workers like to see their senior leadership join them in election campaigns,” he further said. The Shiv Sena chief added that depending on local dynamics, BJP and Sena workers sometimes fight together and sometimes separately, but such friction should not be mistaken for a breakdown in the alliance.

He reiterated that Sena leaders had avoided “below-the-belt remarks” and stressed adherence to the dharma of coalition.