Eknath Shinde Issues Strict No-Crossover Order After Meeting Amit Shah; Directive Communicated to All Shiv Sena Leaders

For the past two days, the Mahayuti alliance has been facing visible tension, especially after the Shinde-led Shiv Sena boycotted the state cabinet meeting and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde suddenly flew to Delhi to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The developments created an impression that all is not well within the alliance. According to political sources, Shinde reportedly complained to Shah about Minister Ravindra Chavan, adding to the friction between the Shinde Sena and the BJP over crossovers of leaders. The discontent intensified after defections in Kalyan-Dombivli, prompting Shinde to issue strict instructions to his party leaders following his meeting.

After returning from Delhi, Shinde directed Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) ministers and office-bearers to completely stop the practice of inducting leaders from the BJP, while also instructing the BJP to refrain from taking Sena members. Minister Uday Samant clarified that the alliance has no internal rebellion and that communication continues regularly. He stressed that Shinde and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis share a bond that goes beyond politics and dismissed speculations fuelled by tweets or interviews. Samant also criticised Opposition parties for deriving pleasure from the situation, insisting such disputes will be resolved within the alliance family.

Political tensions escalated further when Ambadas Danve claimed that some leaders in the Shinde Sena considered Devendra Fadnavis their “boss”. Responding sharply, Uday Samant said Danve might have simply voiced a personal wish and hinted that Danve’s political equations in his party were shifting. He argued that former MP Chandrakant Khaire would not allow Danve to manoeuvre easily in their organisation. Meanwhile, internal disagreements continued to surface even as Shinde reiterated that any dissatisfaction would be communicated directly either to him as party chief or to Fadnavis as head of the government.

Ahead of the state cabinet meeting, discontent within the Shiv Sena grew as leaders accused each other of encouraging defections between alliance partners. This led to Shinde’s urgent visit to Delhi on Wednesday evening, where he met Amit Shah and the BJP high command. During their nearly fifty-minute discussion, Shinde reportedly explained that while the Mahayuti enjoyed strong momentum after the Assembly election victory, unnecessary hurdles were being created by certain leaders. He reminded Shah that the Shiv Sena had always honoured alliance commitments, even travelling as far as Bihar to support partners during elections.

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Amit Shah assured Shinde that he was closely monitoring Maharashtra’s political developments and was aware of internal issues. He conveyed that Shinde, as a key leader within the NDA, would be given full respect and importance. Shah encouraged him to focus on steering the alliance toward continued victories and promised that the BJP would support a unified strategy. Following this assurance, Shinde held an internal meeting and instructed his ministers, MLAs and district heads to immediately halt any attempts at poaching leaders from the BJP or creating rifts that could weaken the Mahayuti’s stability.