Shinde, Chavan share dais amid uneasy truce

After a verbal war over poaching each other’s leaders ahead of the local body elections, deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde and state BJP chief Ravindra Chavan shared the dais at a public function in Dombivali on Saturday.

MUMBAI: After a verbal war over poaching each other’s leaders ahead of the local body elections, deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde and state BJP chief Ravindra Chavan shared the dais at a public function in Dombivali on Saturday.

Shinde, Chavan share dais amid uneasy truce

The development could signal a thaw between the Shiv Sena and BJP after a bitter battle over poaching reached the BJP leadership in Delhi. Relations between the two parties sank so low that street fights had erupted in some places. Insiders say a meeting has been planned between chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shinde.

But, on Saturday, it was Shinde and Chavan who shared space, at a groundbreaking ceremony for a sports complex in Dombivali. Sena leader and industries minister Uday Samant as well as local MP Shrikant Shinde were present.

The development took place soon after Chavan indicated on Friday that there would be no poaching of party workers or local leaders among the Mahayuti allies. At Saturday’s function, Chavan even applauded Shinde’s work during his tenure as chief minister.

The Sena and BJP are locked in an especially bitter war ahead of civic polls in Thane district, a stronghold of the deputy chief minister. The Sena had first got five former BJP corporators from Ulhasnagar to cross over, and the BJP retaliated by poaching several former Sena corporators.

As a result, Sena ministers boycotted the cabinet meeting prior to local self-government polls. After a meeting addressed by Fadnavis, it was decided that there would be no poaching from each other’s camps.

But even as the truce took effect, remarks made by tourism minister Shambhuraj Desai (Sena) on Saturday irked the BJP. “The BJP came to power only because of the stand taken by Shinde saheb in 2022, which gave the BJP a good share in power. Shinde rejuvenated the old alliance and made it strong. Hence, the Mahayuti achieved a big success. We were in power in 2019 and had no reason, as such, to quit power,” Desai remarked.

BJP MLC Pravin Darekar said, “This is not the time to make allegations and counter allegations. It’s what our leadership has said. There is a need for restraint.’’