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Maharashtra BJP chief shakes hands with Shiv Sena MP amid strained relations
Maharashtra BJP chief Ravindra Chavan shook hands with Shiv Sena MP Shrikant during the event, though the two did not speak.
Maharashtra BJP chief Ravindra Chavan and Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde exchanged a formal handshake at an event on Saturday, triggering speculation of a reconciliation bid amid strained ties between the two allies.
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Chavan was seen initiating the handshake, while Shrikant Shinde, son of Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, responded positively, although he did not speak to the BJP leader during the event held in Kalyan, Thane district.
Political observers said the exchange may be an early sign of both camps attempting to undo weeks of hostility that marked the campaign for local body polls held on December 2.
In the run-up to recent municipal council elections, leaders and district-level workers on the Shinde-led Shiv Sena and the BJP had openly criticised each other.
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Tensions escalated after BJP leaders inducted several local Shiv Sena functionaries in Kalyan, a move seen within the Shinde camp as an attempt to weaken its organisational hold in a key bastion.
The dispute deepened when Shiv Sena MLA Nilesh Rane publicly accused Chavan of attempting to distribute money to influence voters in Sindhudurg during the elections. Rane had categorically stated that he had no disagreement with any BJP leader except Chavan, a remark seen as an unusually direct attack from within the ruling alliance.
However, after polling ended on December 2, Rane softened his tone, hinting that the leadership might be working towards reconciliation. The strain had also surfaced within the cabinet, with state minister Sanjay Shirsat remarking that "Chavan is acting on his own. Every action has a reaction."
