How more Shiv Sena MPs in Lok Sabha mean a stronger Eknath Shinde within Mahayuti
A speculated national role for Devendra Fadnavis would effect a change of guard in Maharashtra. This is where Shinde is eyeing a chief ministerial breakthrough
Shinde’s party now has 13 Lok Sabha MPs, including the seven elected as Shiv Sena nominees in 2024. In contrast, senior partner BJP has nine Lok Sabha MPs from Maharashtra. The Shiv Sena also has two Rajya Sabha MPs. The defections have left Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) with just three Lok Sabha MPs and one in the Rajya Sabha.
A senior Shiv Sena leader said the developments give Shinde greater clout in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). “Shinde’s heft in the NDA has grown. The split in the Shiv Sena (UBT) helped the NDA boost its tally in Parliament, which will prove to be crucial for the Union government while getting the delimitation bill passed,” the leader said.
Shinde, who is thought to be close to the BJP central leadership, especially Union home minister Amit Shah, is said to be eager to become Maharashtra chief minister again. In the Mahayuti’s sweeping election victory in 2024, with 237 of the 288 assembly seats, the BJP had secured 132 seats as against 57 for Shinde’s party. The BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis was consequently appointed chief minister.
But there is speculation that Fadnavis may be shifted to Delhi for a national role, necessitating a change of guard in Maharashtra. This is where Shinde, with his buffed up strength, is eyeing an opportunity.
The Shiv Sena leader said his party could get two additional berths in the Union cabinet, including a cabinet ministry. The contenders include Shinde’s son Dr Shrikant Shinde, a third-term Lok Sabha MP from Kalyan; Parbhani MP Sanjay aka Bandu Jadhav; and Omraje Nimbalkar, the MP from Dharashiv (Osmanabad) who switched over from the Shiv Sena (UBT). At present, the Shiv Sena has one Union minister of state in Prataprao Jadhav—for the health and family welfare portfolio.
A senior BJP MLA reasoned that Shinde’s ascendance would work not against the BJP but Uddhav’s party. Shinde was expected to poach more Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders, including elected representatives. “The Shiv Sena (UBT) faces the prospect of getting shrunk to a localised force in parts of Mumbai,” the leader claimed.
In more churnings in the state’s politics, Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), which has eight Lok Sabha MPs, one Rajya Sabha MP and 10 MLAs in Maharashtra, too is said to be actively considering a truck with the NDA—if not a merger then, as some of its leaders claim, issue-based support in order to avert a split in the party.
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Shinde’s party now has 13 Lok Sabha MPs, including the seven elected as Shiv Sena nominees in 2024. In contrast, senior partner BJP has nine Lok Sabha MPs from Maharashtra. The Shiv Sena also has two Rajya Sabha MPs. The defections have left Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) with just three Lok Sabha MPs and one in the Rajya Sabha.
A senior Shiv Sena leader said the developments give Shinde greater clout in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). “Shinde’s heft in the NDA has grown. The split in the Shiv Sena (UBT) helped the NDA boost its tally in Parliament, which will prove to be crucial for the Union government while getting the delimitation bill passed,” the leader said.
Shinde, who is thought to be close to the BJP central leadership, especially Union home minister Amit Shah, is said to be eager to become Maharashtra chief minister again. In the Mahayuti’s sweeping election victory in 2024, with 237 of the 288 assembly seats, the BJP had secured 132 seats as against 57 for Shinde’s party. The BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis was consequently appointed chief minister.
But there is speculation that Fadnavis may be shifted to Delhi for a national role, necessitating a change of guard in Maharashtra. This is where Shinde, with his buffed up strength, is eyeing an opportunity.
The Shiv Sena leader said his party could get two additional berths in the Union cabinet, including a cabinet ministry. The contenders include Shinde’s son Dr Shrikant Shinde, a third-term Lok Sabha MP from Kalyan; Parbhani MP Sanjay aka Bandu Jadhav; and Omraje Nimbalkar, the MP from Dharashiv (Osmanabad) who switched over from the Shiv Sena (UBT). At present, the Shiv Sena has one Union minister of state in Prataprao Jadhav—for the health and family welfare portfolio.
A senior BJP MLA reasoned that Shinde’s ascendance would work not against the BJP but Uddhav’s party. Shinde was expected to poach more Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders, including elected representatives. “The Shiv Sena (UBT) faces the prospect of getting shrunk to a localised force in parts of Mumbai,” the leader claimed.
In more churnings in the state’s politics, Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), which has eight Lok Sabha MPs, one Rajya Sabha MP and 10 MLAs in Maharashtra, too is said to be actively considering a truck with the NDA—if not a merger then, as some of its leaders claim, issue-based support in order to avert a split in the party.
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Shinde’s party now has 13 Lok Sabha MPs, including the seven elected as Shiv Sena nominees in 2024. In contrast, senior partner BJP has nine Lok Sabha MPs from Maharashtra. The Shiv Sena also has two Rajya Sabha MPs. The defections have left Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) with just three Lok Sabha MPs and one in the Rajya Sabha.
A senior Shiv Sena leader said the developments give Shinde greater clout in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). “Shinde’s heft in the NDA has grown. The split in the Shiv Sena (UBT) helped the NDA boost its tally in Parliament, which will prove to be crucial for the Union government while getting the delimitation bill passed,” the leader said.
Shinde, who is thought to be close to the BJP central leadership, especially Union home minister Amit Shah, is said to be eager to become Maharashtra chief minister again. In the Mahayuti’s sweeping election victory in 2024, with 237 of the 288 assembly seats, the BJP had secured 132 seats as against 57 for Shinde’s party. The BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis was consequently appointed chief minister.
But there is speculation that Fadnavis may be shifted to Delhi for a national role, necessitating a change of guard in Maharashtra. This is where Shinde, with his buffed up strength, is eyeing an opportunity.
The Shiv Sena leader said his party could get two additional berths in the Union cabinet, including a cabinet ministry. The contenders include Shinde’s son Dr Shrikant Shinde, a third-term Lok Sabha MP from Kalyan; Parbhani MP Sanjay aka Bandu Jadhav; and Omraje Nimbalkar, the MP from Dharashiv (Osmanabad) who switched over from the Shiv Sena (UBT). At present, the Shiv Sena has one Union minister of state in Prataprao Jadhav—for the health and family welfare portfolio.
A senior BJP MLA reasoned that Shinde’s ascendance would work not against the BJP but Uddhav’s party. Shinde was expected to poach more Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders, including elected representatives. “The Shiv Sena (UBT) faces the prospect of getting shrunk to a localised force in parts of Mumbai,” the leader claimed.
In more churnings in the state’s politics, Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), which has eight Lok Sabha MPs, one Rajya Sabha MP and 10 MLAs in Maharashtra, too is said to be actively considering a truck with the NDA—if not a merger then, as some of its leaders claim, issue-based support in order to avert a split in the party.
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