Amid the recent newspaper ad controversy, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who had been absent from two scheduled events alongside Chief Minister Eknath Shinde over the past two days, finally joined him at a function held in Palghar on Thursday.
While speaking at the event, Fadnavis asserted, "The strength of our government surpasses the impact of any advertisement or statement. Our purpose in forming this government was to make a transformative difference in the lives of the people, not merely to hold positions of power."
Fadnavis: No cause for concern
Fadnavis further stated,"Upon reaching Palghar, a journalist asked me about my sentiments regarding traveling with the Chief Minister in a helicopter. I reassured him that our alliance, spanning 25 years, has only grown stronger over time. There is no cause for concern or doubt about the path we are taking together."
The background:
The Shiv Sena, under the leadership of Eknath Shinde, faced severe criticism from its coalition partner, the BJP, as well as the Opposition MVA, following the publication of a full-page newspaper advertisement on Tuesday. The ad had featured Shinde while omitting his deputy, and highlighted a survey indicating Shinde's higher popularity compared to the BJP leader.
A recent advertisement featuring the slogan "Modi For India, Shinde For Maharashtra. The dream team is loved by all" garnered attention as it highlighted survey results indicating Shinde's higher popularity as Chief Minister with 26.1 percent support, followed by Fadnavis with 23.2 percent support.
Following the ad controversy, Fadnavis seemed to have avoided joint appearances with Shinde, cancelling two scheduled events where they were supposed to attend together.
However, Fadnavis proceeded with his individual meetings. In a notable development, both Shinde and Fadnavis traveled together to Palghar in a helicopter on Thursday to attend the government's Shasan Aplya Dari event.
Political ripples in state
The front-page advertisement published in newspapers across the state on Tuesday caused political ripples, signaling possible tensions within the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena alliance.
In an attempt to control the damage, the party released another ad on Wednesday, featuring Fadnavis, all Sena ministers led by Shinde, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the late Sena founder Bal Thackeray, and Aanand Dighe, a Sena leader and Shinde's mentor. The revised ad included the symbols of both ruling parties, the lotus and the bow and arrow, and expressed gratitude to the people of the state.
On the day the controversial ad surfaced, Fadnavis canceled a scheduled Shasan Aplya Dari event in Kolhapur, where he was expected to share the stage with Shinde. Similarly, he skipped an event in Mumbai the following day that he was supposed to attend alongside the Chief Minister.
