Fadnavis denies rift in Mahayuti, says he, Shinde ‘fought together’
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Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis dismissed speculations of a rift within the ruling Mahayuti alliance, asserting that there is “no Cold War” among the allies. Speaking at a press conference following the Cabinet meeting, he stated that he and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde “successfully fought the Opposition and secured a landslide victory in the Assembly.”
Fadnavis also criticised the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) for boycotting the customary tea meeting before the budget session. “There is tension and resentment among the Opposition itself. They held a meeting where none of their senior leaders were present. They gave us a nine-page letter signed by only seven out of the nine listed names, raising issues picked from the press,” he said.
Over the past week, reports suggested a possible rift within the ruling alliance, with Shinde allegedly discontented over losing the Chief Minister’s post to Fadnavis. The situation was further fuelled by the recent scaling down of Y-category security for 55 MLAs from Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction. While the government maintained that the decision was based on a security re-evaluation, Shinde reportedly remains unconvinced.
The Mahayuti alliance has faced internal tensions since its formation, particularly over the Chief Ministerial post. Shinde had initially staked his claim to continue in the role, but after nearly two weeks of negotiations, he accepted the position of Deputy Chief Minister, with Fadnavis taking the lead in the government.
Despite the alliance’s denial of any internal discord, the Opposition MVA has welcomed the developments, especially after their poor performance in last year’s Assembly elections.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
