Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has issued a strong caution to those underestimating him, stating, “Do not take me lightly.” Speaking to the media in Nagpur on Friday, the Shiv Sena chief reminded his critics of the 2022 political upheaval that led to a government change in Maharashtra.

"I have said this before, and I am saying it again—do not take me lightly. I am just a party worker, but I am a worker of Balasaheb Thackeray. Everyone should remember this," Shinde asserted.

Recalling his role in the 2022 political shift that saw the fall of the Uddhav Thackeray-led government, Shinde said, “When people took me lightly, the horse turned around, and I changed the government.”

He further added, “We formed a government that reflects the wishes of the common people. In my first speech in the Vidhan Sabha, I predicted that Devendra Fadnavis ji would get more than 200 seats, and we secured 232. Those who understand the hint should take note—I will continue doing my work.”

Shinde vs. Fadnavis: Rift in the Mahayuti?

Shinde’s remarks come at a time when tensions between him and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis appear to be escalating, particularly over the guardian minister's post in the state government.

Reports suggest growing differences between the BJP and Shiv Sena factions, with Shinde and Fadnavis holding separate review meetings, forming individual medical cells, and setting up separate ‘war rooms’ for monitoring projects.

Despite the BJP-led Mahayuti coalition’s landslide victory in the Assembly polls, winning 230 out of 288 seats, the alleged ‘cold war’ between the two top leaders refuses to die down.