Maharashtra CM Fadnavis Confirms Mahayuti Alliance Will Contest 2029 Elections Together Despite Tensions

"I keep telling him (Eknath Shinde) we should smile and hug wherever we go," said Devendra Fadnavis

Mumbai:

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has confirmed that the ruling Mahayuti alliance will contest the 2029 Maharashtra Assembly elections as a unified front, even as both the BJP and Shinde-led Shiv Sena work on strengthening their individual political foundations.

"We want to make the BJP aatmanirbhar (self-reliant), but we will also fight the next assembly elections together," Fadnavis revealed in an exclusive interview with NDTV. This statement comes in response to Union Minister Amit Shah's recent comments that hinted at the BJP potentially contesting the 2029 polls independently.

Tensions had emerged during the build-up to the first phase of local elections, with both alliance partners accusing each other of poaching leaders. Reports also circulated that Eknath Shinde had expressed dissatisfaction and complained to Amit Shah regarding the BJP's state leadership. Fadnavis dismissed these claims as "baseless rumours."

"As long as Shinde ji is meeting my leaders in Delhi, I have nothing to worry about," he stated, explaining that Shinde's frequent visits to the capital are primarily to see his son, MP Shrikant Shinde.

Addressing recent internal conflicts, Fadnavis asserted that the poaching did not originate from the BJP. "I told him that this began with your people in Ulhasnagar. Only then did we respond in Kalyan-Dombivli," he clarified, adding that both parties have now established a strict agreement against poaching.

The Chief Minister also criticized certain media outlets for "fuelling unnecessary narratives" about growing tensions between him and his deputy.

"Shinde has personality, he doesn't smile often, his face is generally serious. I keep telling him we should smile and hug wherever we go. Our chemistry is good," Fadnavis assured.

With the Mahayuti government completing its first year in office, Fadnavis addressed questions about whether Shinde had fully accepted the political transition that saw him move from the Chief Minister position to the Deputy role.

He maintained that Shinde had always understood that the BJP would eventually claim the top position following its electoral success.

"When we discussed the position with Shinde, Amit Shah ji was present. Shinde said that after such a big mandate, he understood BJP leaders would naturally want their own Chief Minister. He had no objection," Fadnavis concluded.