Mumbai: The bickering between the BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena in Maharashtra shows no signs of dying down. On Friday, the Shinde-led Shiv Sena took an aggressive stand against the BJP for blaming Shinde for the ruling Mahayuti alliance’s setbacks in the Vidhan Parishad (MLC) elections.
Shiv Sena spokesperson Anand Paranjape appealed to Mahayuti alliance partners to refrain from making allegations against Shiv Sena leaders in the aftermath of the Legislative Council election results.
After the BJP suffered defeats in the Pune and Nagpur graduates’ constituencies in the MLC elections, BJP’s Navnath Ban had blamed its ally, the Shiv Sena, and publicly targeted Chief Minister Eknath Shinde for the dismal performance. Ban alleged that the Mahayuti could have swept all five seats had the Shiv Sena actively backed the BJP and NCP candidates.
Taking exception to the remarks made by BJP spokespersons, Paranjape said the language used against Shiv Sena leaders was inappropriate and not in keeping with the spirit of the Mahayuti. He emphasised that leaders and spokespersons of alliance partners must maintain political decorum and refrain from making statements against one another.
Paranjape also called for an end to the exchange of allegations and counter-allegations, stating that differences between alliance partners should be addressed through discussions at the appropriate level rather than through public statements.
Paranjape noted that Shinde had instructed Shiv Sena leaders and spokespersons not to criticise alliance partners, stressing that there should be no “wrestling among friends”. He added that the Shiv Sena expected the BJP and NCP leadership to issue similar directions to their respective leaders.
However, Shiv Sena MLA Nilesh Rane was more hostile in his remarks, stating that Navnath Ban needed to “stay within his limits” while speaking about Shinde.
Rane firmly dismissed any association with Ban, stating: “Navnath Ban is not my friend; I don’t make friends with just anyone.” He added that when he became an MP in 2009, Ban was just a junior school student.
The Shiv Sena MLA cautioned Ban, a newly elected corporator in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), against making baseless allegations that could ruin his nascent career. He warned that if such remarks against Shinde continued, they would not hold back.
The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) won three of the five contested seats, including the Nagpur, Pune and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar graduates’ constituencies, while the BJP and Shiv Sena secured one seat each in the Pune and Amravati teachers’ constituencies.
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