No tussle in seat-sharing, working as a team: Eknath Shinde denies Mahayuti rift

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde scotched speculation of a tussle between the Mahayuti allies on seat-sharing and asserted that all the three parties were working as a team to win the upcoming Assembly polls. Speaking at India Today’s Mumbai Conclave, Shinde exuded confidence in the Mahayuti alliance returning to power in the state, saying Lok Sabha and Assembly polls were fought on different strategies.
“There is no problem in seat sharing between the Mahayuti allies (Shiv Sena, BJP, Ajit Pawar’s NCP). We are working as a team and will win the Assembly polls,” Shinde said.
Shinde, whose rebellion in 2022 led to the fall of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, however, skirted the question whether he would be made the chief ministerial face of the ruling coalition.
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The Maharashtra Assembly elections will be held months after the ruling Mahayuti alliance suffered a setback in the Lok Sabha polls as the opposition coalition secured 30 of the 48 seats.
With the custodial death of the Badlapur sexual assault accused dominating political discourse in Maharashtra, the Chief Minister defended the police action, saying the cops shot Akshay Shinde in self-defence.
Accusing the Opposition of doublespeak, Shinde said the same leaders had earlier demanded the hanging of Akshay Shinde, who was accused of sexually abusing two kindergarten girls at a school in Badlapur.
“The police shot in self-defence. If he had fled, then the Opposition would have said that the guns were not for showpiece. This is an unfortunate incident. The cops got injured in the encounter. We should support the police,” he said.
Police said Akshay Shinde was being taken to Badlapur from Taloja jail when he snatched the pistol of an Assistant Police Inspector (API) and fired at the escorting police team. Shinde was then killed in retaliatory firing by police.
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Known to be always accessible to his party workers and the common man, Shinde said working for the public was like a tonic for him and made him energetic.
A grassroots Shiv Sena worker who rose to become one of the most powerful leaders in the party, Shinde said “CM” stands for “common man”.
“CM does not stand for chief minister, it means common man… It is the job of the Chief Minister to go to the field and meet the people,” the Thane strongman said.
The Chief Minister also promised to make Mumbai pothole-free within the next 2.5-3 years if the Mahayuti alliance was voted to power. “People will vote for development and vikas as they have realised they voted for the wrong alliance in the Lok Sabha polls,” Shinde said.