Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut recently alleged that Deputy CM Eknath Shinde held a meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah, during which Shinde reportedly expressed grievances against Devendra Fadnavis. Despite the meeting allegedly having only two attendees, Saamana, the newspaper edited by Raut, published the purported conversation verbatim. Raut aimed to suggest that Shinde was scheming against Fadnavis. However, Fadnavis later dismissed Raut’s claims, accusing the latter of trying to rival scriptwriters Salim and Javed in crafting fiction.
Changing allegiances have given many political families a reality check. In a recent Assembly debate, Aaditya Thackeray targeted Water Supply and Sanitation Minister Gulabrao Patil from the Shiv Sena. Thackeray quipped, asking the Speaker to ensure that Patil be properly briefed on the subject before responding. Patil swiftly countered, remarking, “Aaditya doesn’t know that his father, Uddhav Thackeray, knew I was well-versed in the subject, which is why I was given the portfolio.”