War of words between Mahayuti partners amidst Ladki Bahin celebrations

Internal conflicts within the Mahayuti alliance threaten stability as assembly polls approach, despite the success of the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana

Mumbai: Just when the celebrations are beginning in the Mahayuti camp over the response to the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, with over 10 million women expected to benefit from the scheme, bickering between the alliance partners is threatening to destabilise the ship ahead of the assembly polls.

There's bickering among factions led by Ajit Pawar, Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis. ((PIC FOR REPRESENTATION))

Shiv Sena’s Ramdas Kadam on Monday called Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Maharashtra public works department (PWD) minister Ravindra Chavan a “useless minister” over the poor state of the Mumbai-Goa highway and demanded his resignation.

BJP leaders responded by threatening to expose Kadam’s alleged corruption when he was a minister in previous governments, while deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis questioned whether his comments aligned with the principles of the Mahayuti alliance.

Meanwhile, Fadnavis’ co-deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar attended a function in Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Nawab Malik’s constituency in Mumbai. This was despite Fadnavis earlier opposing Malik’s inclusion in the ruling alliance.

Kadam, whose son Yogesh is an MLA from Dapoli in Ratnagiri district, on Monday woke up to the problems of people travelling on the pothole-ridden Mumbai Goa highway, nearly a month after HT reported about it. He questioned why the highway could not be completed in the last 14 years when the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway, Fadnavis’ dream project, took just three years.

“Even Lord Ram’s exile ended in 14 years, but problems on the Mumbai-Goa highway persist,” he said. “Many of the bridges and roads are incomplete. People come to us and question us as they are forced to wade through potholes. I cannot see the suffering of the people from Konkan. Chavan is a useless minister and is conducting inspection visits on the expressway just to show off.”

Kadam, 71, is a former MLA from Khed in Ratnagiri and was also the district’s guardian minister during the Fadnavis-led BJP-Shiv Sena government. He also hit out at the BJP over seat-sharing for the upcoming state assembly elections.

“If the BJP wants to safeguard its demonic ambitions by staking claim on all the constituencies, they are free to break the alliance. We will contest the elections separately,” he said. Kadam added that he had written a letter to BJP leaders expressing his discontent and was planning to give a copy to Fadnavis.

Chavan responded to Kadam’s tirade, warning him not to cross the limit. “I am restraining from using foul language, following the BJP culture. It is not only my responsibility to follow the dharma of the alliance. If Kadam is not going to follow it, I will give him a befitting reply, and it will cost him dear,” the minister said.

Fadnavis, too, expressed his unhappiness over Kadam’s remarks, saying the Shiv Sena leader should speak up in internal meetings if he has any grievances. Holding the BJP and its leaders to ransom does not send a good message, he added.

“Ramdas bhai makes such bold statements that hurt us. Even we can make 50 such statements to counter him. Senior leaders must exercise restraint. I will speak to CM [Eknath] Shinde about it,” Fadnavis said.

The BJP’s Ratnagiri district president, Kedar Sathe, warned Kadam that he would expose his corruption when he was a minister. “Kadam, as a minister, transferred state highways to nagar parishads to ensure that liquor bars do not face closure. As the environment minister [from 2014 to 2019], Kadam allowed chemical factories in Lote Parshuram MIDC in Khed, leading to water pollution,” he said.

In the neighbouring Raigad district, another Shiv Sena leader and Karjat MLA, Mahendra Thorve, trained his guns on local MP and NCP state president Sunil Tatkare, calling him a traitor. Thorve, whose constituency comes under Tatkare’s Lok Sabha constituency, said that Tatkare could not be trusted. The latter sought to dismiss his remarks, saying he doesn’t give much importance to Thorve.

Significantly, chief minister Shinde did not react to either of the comments. On the other hand, BJP and NCP leaders were also involved in direct and indirect confrontations.

Meanwhile, as his Jan Sanman Yatra reached Mumbai, Ajit Pawar made it a point to attend a programme organised by Malik despite the BJP, and Fadnavis in particular, objecting to his presence in the NCP camp. During the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) regime, Fadnavis had accused Malik of links with fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim. The Enforcement Directorate later arrested Malik under money laundering charges. He was released on bail about a year ago.

Though he had not officially announced which side he was on following the split in the NCP last year, Malik has often been seen in the Ajit Pawar camp. During the winter session of the state legislature, Fadnavis had written to Pawar objecting to Malik’s presence on the treasury benches along with NCP MLAs.

On Monday, Pawar underlined Malik’s entry into his fold as he travelled with the MLA in a car and shared the dais with him and his daughter, Sana Malik. Malik’s official induction into the Ajit Pawar NCP faction is seen as the party’s disapproval of the BJP’s objection.

Significantly, in Pune on Sunday, a group of BJP workers led by local leader and Junnar assembly constituency in charge Asha Buchke waved black flags at Pawar during the Jan Sanman Yatra. She was upset with him for not inviting BJP leaders to the rally.

Taking a serious note, NCP state unit chief Sunil Tatkare said that BJP should tame their leaders who create a rift between the ruling allies. “Buchke’s objection that we neglect BJP workers in Junnar is uncalled for. BJP’s leaders hold meetings in various districts with officials, but we never raise any objection to it. I am going to speak to [state] BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule about it,” he said.

In another instance, BJP MLA Ram Satpute slammed NCP spokesperson Amol Mitkari for demanding action against religious leader Ramgiri Maharaj, whose objectionable comments on Prophet Muhammad sparked off protests in some parts of Maharashtra.