Shinde Asserts Sena-BJP Alliance ‘Will Last Forever’

Mumbai: Amidst the heightened tensions in the Mahayuti alliance - comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP - ahead of the local body elections, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday sought to project unity and asserted that the BJP–Shiv Sena partnership, built by Balasaheb Thackeray, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L.K. Advani on a Hindutva plank, would remain intact.

Countering state BJP president Ravindra Chavan’s recent remark that his priority was to maintain the alliance “at least till December 2,” Shinde said in Igatpuri that the coalition would stay strong under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.

“Our ideologies are old and strong. We are working as a part of the NDA under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Since this alliance is based on a specific ideology, it will last forever,” Shinde said.

Chavan has sparked a political storm after refusing to respond to Shiv Sena MLA Nilesh Rane’s voter bribery allegations in Sindhudurg district and announcing that he wants to ‘save the alliance’ with the Sena till December 2, the date for the first phase of the local body polls in Maharashtra.

When asked about Rane’s comments on vote bribery against a local BJP worker, Chavan said, “I want to save the alliance till December 2. I will respond to the allegations later.”

Despite being in alliance in the state, the BJP and Shiv Sena are contesting against each other in the Sindhudurg district, where Nilesh Rane is a Shiv Sena MLA from Kudal whereas his brother Nitesh Rane and father Narayan Rane are with the BJP.

On Wednesday, Rane claimed he conducted a ‘sting operation’ by entering the residence of a local BJP worker in Malvan town and accused him of stockpiling cash-filled bags for voter inducement. He shared the videos of the incident on social media and sought an FIR after approaching a local police station.

Nitesh Rane also shared a social media post on X, stating that no action has been taken in the incident. “Nearly 24 hours have passed, yet neither the police nor the Election Commission has taken any position on yesterday's Malvan incident. Not even an FIR has been registered,” he said.