Don’t take me lightly, says Shinde, amid growing rift with Fadnavis

NAGPUR: Eknath Shinde warns detractors not to underestimate him amid rising tensions with CM Fadnavis, citing past political influence and unresolved disputes.

NAGPUR: Deputy chief minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde fired a warning shot on Friday, cautioning his detractors “not to take him lightly”. Shinde’s comments, peppered with the cryptic warning, come amid a growing rift between him and chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Shinde was addressing a rally, and addressed a press media in Nagpur on Friday (Twitter /)

In Nagpur on Friday, Shinde addressed the media after police received an email threat to detonate a bomb in his car. Unfazed, Shinde flipped the script, giving his political opponents something to think about instead.

“Do not take me lightly. I have already said this to those who took me lightly. I am a normal party worker but I am also a worker of Balasaheb Thackeray, and everyone should take me with this understanding,” Shinde declared, referencing his role in the 2022 rebellion that split the Shiv Sena and pulled down the Uddhav Thackeray government.

Shinde went on to seemingly remind Fadnavis and the BJP that it was he who helped bring the BJP back to power in Maharashtra. “In 2022, I changed the government. In my first speech in the Vidhan Sabha, I said Devendra Fadnavis would get over 200 seats and we got 232. That is why, do not take me lightly,” he remarked, adding an ominous touch, “The people for whom this is intended will understand it.”

Fadnavis also recently put on hold a ₹900-crore project in Jalna, which had been approved during Shinde’s tenure as chief minister. An investigation has been ordered into the multi-crore housing project, which had been scrapped in 2020 due to feasibility issues but revived in February 2023 under the urban development department headed by Shinde.

Aggravating the tension is the reduction in security cover for around 55 Sena MLAs, who along with party officers and aides had their Y-security cover downgraded or withdrawn recently. The state government attributed this to an independent panel’s review of potential security threats, denying any political intervention.

Speaking to the media at his Nagpur residence, ‘Deogiri’ on Friday, Shinde said: “When I was taken lightly in 2022, I overturned the incumbent government.”

Shinde has reportedly avoided sharing the stage with Fadnavis on several occasions and has skipped many key meetings. Both leaders have also set up parallel medical assistance desks in the state secretariat—an unprecedented move that underscores their growing rivalry.

The dispute over key guardian minister posts for Nashik and Raigad districts remains unresolved. However, earlier this week, Shinde insisted there was “absolutely no cold war” with Fadnavis, stating that the Mahayuti remains united and focused on development. Despite these assurances, the signs of discontent within the alliance are hard to miss.