A fresh political storm has erupted in Maharashtra’s Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) after Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut publicly criticized NCP founder Sharad Pawar for holding a party meeting inside the office of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at the Vidhan Bhavan.
Raut said the meeting had “hurt” the Shiv Sena and weakened the credibility of the Opposition alliance. A leader of Sharad Pawar’s stature should have avoided having a political meeting in the office of a leader who has for long been accused by the MVA of having engineered the collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray-led government in 2022.
"When a senior leader goes under the roof of someone who betrayed the government and holds a meeting there, it diminishes the credibility of that leader. You are giving respect to those whom we call turncoats," Raut said.
Why did the Controversy erupt?
The controversy started on Wednesday when Sharad Pawar visited Vidhan Bhavan to attend a meeting on the long-pending border dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Pawar had a meeting with leaders of his party inside Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s office during his visit. Shinde is also believed to have walked out of a Cabinet meeting for a minute to meet the veteran NCP leader.
The optics of the meeting immediately raised political debate, with Raut questioning why Pawar chose Shinde's office when other venues were readily available.
"Was the entire Vidhan Bhavan unavailable? There is a Nationalist Congress Party office and a Shiv Sena office right opposite the Assembly premises. Holding a meeting in Eknath Shinde's office only damages the credibility of Sharad Pawar's party," he continued.
'It Hurt Shiv Sena'
Even though Pawar had been a part of discussions over the Maharashtra-Karnataka border issue and met the Chief Minister, Raut said that the political symbolism of the venue was very problematic.
He said the border dispute remains an emotional issue for Maharashtra and noted that the Shiv Sena has been actively involved in the movement for decades.
Raut also suggested that the state government should clarify who attended the meeting and which senior leaders were present and what decisions were taken on the border issue.
'No Doubt About Sharad Pawar's Ideology'
Raut, despite his sharp criticism, dismissed speculation that Sharad Pawar might be moving closer to the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
"I can assure you that Sharad Pawar will not join the NDA. I have no reason to question his ideology. But what happened yesterday has caused pain to Shiv Sena. It was completely avoidable," he said.
'You Cannot Honour Turncoats'
Raut also argued that extending political courtesy to Eknath Shinde sends a contradictory message to the people of Maharashtra.
"If you honour those whom you have accused of betraying your government, then you lose the moral right to speak about that betrayal," he said, asking why legal battles against the Shinde faction should continue if Opposition leaders publicly accord them respect.
In a pointed comment, Raut also asked whether Shinde ought to be mentioned alongside some of Maharashtra’s tallest political leaders.
"Is Eknath Shinde Yashwantrao Chavan, Shankarrao Chavan, Vasantdada Patil, Vasantrao Naik or Vilasrao Deshmukh? What message are you sending to Maharashtra by honouring those you call turncoats?" he asked.
Raut’s comments have again reflected the delicate dynamics in the MVA where differences over political strategy and public messaging continue to surface despite the alliance’s united stand against the ruling coalition.
