Mahayuti tensions rise as Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde skip each other’s key events

Cracks within Maharashtra’s ruling Mahayuti alliance seem to be deepening, as top leaders from NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) and Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) continue to avoid each other’s public events. The absence of both camps at each other’s programmes over the weekend has reignited talk of a growing cold war.

On Saturday, May 3, the NCP hosted a high-profile felicitation ceremony in Mumbai to honour former Chief Ministers of Maharashtra. Surprisingly, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his party leaders gave the event a complete miss.

Just a day earlier, Ajit Pawar and his party’s ministers had stayed away from the Mahabaleshwar Tourism Festival organised by Shiv Sena leader and Tourism Minister Shambhuraj Desai.
While official reasons are being floated — including Shinde’s visit to his hometown Daregaon — the political message hasn’t gone unnoticed. NCP ministers from the Satara region, including Makrand Patil and Indranil Naik, also skipped the tourism event, despite their names being on the invitation list. This tit-for-tat no-show comes amid ongoing tension between the two parties over key issues.

Read more: Mumbai’s roads to go pothole-free by May 31: Eknath Shinde sets deadline

The tussle over the Guardian Minister post in Raigad, delay in fund approvals, and files allegedly being held back by the Finance Department — which Ajit Pawar heads — have all contributed to the growing rift. Adding fuel to the fire, NCP MP Aditi Tatkare hoisted the national flag in Raigad on May 1, a move that reportedly upset the Shinde camp. The Guardian Minister post for Raigad remains a sensitive issue, with both factions eyeing control.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Shirsat has openly criticised Ajit Pawar over delayed fund disbursements, indicating that the friction is no longer behind closed doors.

Interestingly, the BJP — the largest partner in the Mahayuti alliance — has remained silent and distant. There appears to be no active effort from BJP leaders to mediate or ease the growing discomfort between its allies.

Political observers believe that while the Mahayuti presents a united front on paper, internal equations are far from smooth. The visible lack of coordination and growing mistrust between the NCP and Shiv Sena camps could pose challenges, especially with local body and Assembly elections approaching.

Read more: Maharashtra pulls in ₹746 crore from Social Justice, Tribal Departments to fund Ladki Bahin Scheme, sparks ally discord 

As both camps continue to sidestep each other, the message is clear — the alliance may be intact officially, but on the ground, relationships are getting colder by the day.