The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena joining hands with rival Congress to keep alliance partner Ajit Pawar’s NCP out of power in Raigad’s Mhasla Nagar Panchayat has once again exposed the growing faultlines within Maharashtra’s ruling Mahayuti alliance, where parties sharing power in the state government continue to engage in intense political battles against each other at the grassroots level.
Shiv Sena bags key post
The Shiv Sena-Congress understanding helped the Eknath Shinde-led faction capture the municipal council president (Nagaradhyaksha) post. Out of the 17-member civic body, Shiv Sena managed the support of nine corporators to form the ruling bloc.
‘All is well’
A senior Shinde Sena leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that one should not read much into the local body election outcome. The leader asserted that this is just one case in Maharashtra. “Overall, everything is functioning smoothly and in a coordinated manner within the Mahayuti. Such developments are largely driven by local-level political equations,” he said.
Aditi Tatkare stronghold falls
Minister for Women and Child Development Aditi Tatkare. PIC/SATEJ SHINDE
The outcome is being viewed as a direct political setback for senior NCP leader Sunil Tatkare and Maharashtra minister Aditi Tatkare, whose influence in the region has remained strong for years. The municipal council falls within the Shrivardhan Assembly constituency, represented by Tatkare’s daughter and Mahayuti government Minister for Women and Child Development, Aditi Tatkare.
Rift in Mahayuti
Shiv Sena leader Bharat Gogawale
The political operation was allegedly spearheaded by Shiv Sena leader Bharat Gogawale, underlining the growing rivalry between the Shinde Sena and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP despite both parties being allies in the Mahayuti government. The bitterness between the two allies became more visible after the new Shiv Sena leadership reportedly removed MP Sunil Tatkare’s photograph from the Nagaradhyaksha’s office and replaced it with portraits of Shiv Sena Founder Bal Thackeray and former Chief Minister AR Antulay.
Old rivalry
The Gogawale and Tatkare families are considered arch-rivals in Raigad politics and are currently locked in a tussle over the claim to the district’s guardian minister post. In 2025, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced the list of guardian ministers, which included Aditi Tatkare as the guardian minister for Raigad district. However, following objections from the Eknath Shinde camp, the announcement regarding the Raigad guardian minister post was put on hold, and the district continues without a guardian minister even today.
