Overview
- Most ministers from the Eknath Shinde‑led Shiv Sena skipped the Maharashtra cabinet meeting, with only Shinde attending despite colleagues being in Mantralaya.
- Shiv Sena ministers protested recent BJP inductions of their former corporators and local leaders in Kalyan‑Dombivli and Thane, identified as the immediate trigger.
- After meeting Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the BJP, Shinde Sena and Ajit Pawar‑led NCP agreed to a no‑poaching understanding covering leaders, office‑bearers and corporators.
- Fadnavis countered Sena complaints by citing earlier Sena inductions in Ulhasnagar and warned alliance partners to stop drawing from each other’s ranks.
- BJP’s Chandrashekhar Bawankule and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar downplayed talk of a boycott as election‑related absenteeism, as Congress separately confirmed it will contest the BMC polls alone and faced a public warning from Shiv Sena (UBT) about splitting the Opposition vote.