Mahayuti Rift Deepens In Maharashtra As EC Raid Sparks BJP–Shiv Sena Clash

Maharashtra’s local body elections have brought the Mahayuti’s internal divide into the spotlight. An Election Commission flying squad raided Shiv Sena leader Shahaji Patil’s office in Sangola, triggering a political storm. Patil accused the BJP of orchestrating the raid to weaken his campaign, while the BJP dismissed the charge, calling it a “stunt” born out of insecurity. The rift widened further as Shinde Sena MLA Nilesh Rane earlier raided BJP leader Vijay Kenwadekar’s house, angering allies. Deputy CM Eknath Shinde has urged partners to follow “alliance dharma”, even as ministers from his faction recently skipped a cabinet meeting. On the ground, the fight increasingly looks like a BJP vs Shiv Sena contest.