Mumbai, 19th August:  The political landscape in Maharashtra continues to simmer as Mahesh Tapase, Chief Spokesperson for the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Sharad Pawar, launched a blistering attack on the ruling Shinde government. Tapase has predicted that the Maha Yuti (Grand Alliance) will collapse before the upcoming state elections, highlighting growing rifts within the coalition.

Tapase's accusations were particularly pointed towards the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which he accused of engineering splits within key opposition parties, including Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray’s Shiv Sena and Sharad Pawar’s NCP. According to Tapase, these moves were calculated attempts to destabilize the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, which previously held power in the state.

"The BJP has dismantled the political fabric of Maharashtra by orchestrating defections and weakening the opposition," Tapase stated. "However, the people of Maharashtra sent a resounding message by rejecting the ruling coalition in the recent Lok Sabha elections, demonstrating their discontent with this unholy alliance."

The NCP spokesperson pointed to recent incidents as evidence of the growing unrest within the Maha Yuti. He cited allegations by Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) leader Ramdas Kadam, who openly criticized BJP minister Ravindra Chavan as ineffective and redundant, as a sign of the deteriorating relations within the alliance. Additionally, Tapase referenced an incident where BJP supporters showed black flags to Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar during his Jan Samman Yatra, further fuelling speculation about deepening fissures within the government.

"There is no coordination between the constituent parties of the Maha Yuti, no mutual respect, and no genuine concern for the welfare of the people of Maharashtra," Tapase asserted. "The Maha Yuti alliance exists solely to retain power and protect its members from legal scrutiny."

In a particularly bold claim, Tapase suggested that both Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis were dissatisfied with Ajit Pawar’s attempts to hijack the "Ladki Bahin Yojana," a flagship scheme of the current administration. Tapase questioned why opposition leaders, MLAs, and MPs were not invited to the launch of this government-funded scheme, hinting that the ruling coalition was more interested in playing politics than serving the people.

As the state gears up for the upcoming elections, Tapase confidently predicted the resurgence of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, positioning it as the true representative of the people’s will.