Shinde Targeted? Kadam's Charges Stir Maharashtra Alliance
Mumbai, October 26: A bitter row over a disputed audio recording has exposed deep fault lines within Maharashtra's ruling alliance. The controversy escalated after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis directed the Mumbai Police Commissioner on Monday to form a Special Investigation Team to probe the recordings released by Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil.
The audio clips allege that 500 crore rupees changed hands. The SIT order came after formal requests from Shiv Sena leaders, BJP representatives and Jarange Patil, who asked that the investigation remain free of political interference and said he would cooperate fully.
At the heart of the dispute is a claim that money was routed to Jarange Patil through Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde. The allegation has sparked accusations and counter-accusations among the coalition partners.
Shiv Sena leader Ramdas Kadam has said that some politicians conspired to target Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Jarange Patil has insisted that the audio is authentic and has asked how some leaders had access to it before it reached the public.
At a press conference, Kadam took aim at the BJP. He asked whether certain BJP elements were trying to push Eknath Shinde to the sidelines. He wanted to know who in the ruling alliance was acting against the Chief Minister and demanded an explanation from the BJP leadership.
To substantiate his allegations, Kadam shared photographs of BJP leader Prasad Lad and Manoj Jarange Patil sharing a meal. He also said he had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, requesting a high-level investigation.
Uday Samant, the state's Industries Minister and a Shiv Sena leader, reiterated these concerns in Kolhapur. He alleged that people connected to the BJP were involved in the audio conversation. Samant called the recording part of a calculated plot to discredit Eknath Shinde, who he said had consistently handled the Maratha reservation question with care and supported the community's demands.
The BJP has pushed back firmly. Senior BJP leader and MLC Praveen Darekar warned that the party would not tolerate baseless accusations from Kadam. He said the BJP and Shiv Sena were allies in government, and that constant attacks on a coalition partner did not match Maharashtra's political culture.
Darekar questioned why the BJP would try to weaken Eknath Shinde politically, pointing out that the party had fully backed him for the Chief Minister's post after the previous elections. He cautioned that the BJP would not stay silent if it was cast as a villain in manufactured disputes. BJP MLC Prasad Lad also warned Kadam against statements that could break the Mahayuti alliance.
Chief Minister Fadnavis raised doubts about the timing, asking why a conversation more than two years old had surfaced now. He assured that the investigation would establish the full truth about those involved and their intentions.