Mumbai: Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s recent public attack on ally Bharatiya Janata Party has exposed growing tensions within Maharashtra’s ruling alliance. Speaking at a press conference in Pimpri, Pawar described the BJP as a “gang of robbers” and a “corrupt monster”. Senior BJP leaders said the remarks came as a surprise, given the parties currently share power in the state.
Pawar also taunted the BJP by recalling past allegations linked to the ₹70,000 crore irrigation scam. He pointed out he now governs alongside leaders who once accused him. BJP leaders reacted strongly. State BJP chief Ravindra Chavan and ministers Chandrashekhar Bawankule and Chandrakant Patil warned Pawar against such language. They also referred to ongoing probes linked to his past decisions.
After the backlash, Pawar softened his tone. Even so, the episode laid bare fault lines inside the alliance. Tensions have also grown between Pawar and Union minister Murlidhar Mohol. Both sides accuse each other of backing criminal elements in Pune. BJP leaders suspect Pawar’s role in a controversy over redevelopment of Jain trust land. Pawar’s aides, in turn, link Mohol to a land issue involving Pawar’s son Parth.
Political friction has also surfaced within Shiv Sena UBT. A dispute between strategist Anil Parab and legislator Varun Sardesai over a Bandra East ward candidate led to open dissent. Party chief Uddhav Thackeray backed Sardesai’s choice, after which Parab expressed displeasure. The rejected candidate chose to contest as an independent.
Elsewhere, rivalry between BJP leader Kirit Somaiya and Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut has intensified during Mumbai’s civic polls. Union minister Ramdas Athawale also voiced anger over seat sharing, later scaling down demands after talks with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. These developments point to uneasy alliances ahead of local elections.
