The political developments in West Bengal are having an impact on Maharashtra. In particular, Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde’s bargaining power within the NDA appears to be diminishing.
Updated: June 12, 2026, 2:08 PM IST
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Why rift within Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool giving headaches to Eknath Shinde? Here is complete number game that connects Maharashtra to Bengal
The political turmoil in West Bengal appears to be having a direct impact on the politics of Maharashtra, thousands of kilometers away. At first glance, this connection may seem strange, but if we connect the dots, the picture becomes clear. Indeed, the split within Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal is directly impacting the bargaining power of Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena leader, Eknath Shinde.
2024 equations: Shinde’s ‘stature’ depends on seven MPs
Even though the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is in a very strong position in the Maharashtra Assembly, Narendra Modi’s government at the Centre is running on the support of its allies. The 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections completely changed the Mahayuti’s equations within the state. The BJP alone won 132 seats, more than double the Shiv Sena’s 57 seats. Due to this power difference, Eknath Shinde had to leave the post of Chief Minister and he became the Deputy Chief Minister, while Devendra Fadnavis returned as the Chief Minister.
The BJP is no longer solely dependent on the Shiv Sena in the state, as it also has the support of Sunetra Pawar’s NCP’s 41 MLAs. Therefore, Shinde’s seven central MPs were the only major leverage he had to negotiate with the BJP.
How will 20 rebel TMC MPs spoil Shinde’s game?
As soon as the 20 rebel TMC MPs formally announce their support to the NDA in the Lok Sabha, the power balance in Delhi will change.
While the BJP doesn’t immediately need new numbers to save the government, the addition of a larger parliamentary bloc will reduce the BJP’s dependence on its existing allies. Consequently, their ability to blackmail or exert pressure will be weakened.
This entire development could directly benefit Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. As dependence on allies at the center diminishes, so too will the pressure on the BJP from the Shinde faction in the state-level power equation.
U-turn in history
Eknath Shinde’s own rise was fueled by a rebellion in a regional party (the Shiv Sena), which strengthened the BJP both in Maharashtra and at the Centre. Now, a similar rebellion in another regional party (the TMC) is backfiring on Shinde.
Shinde and Fadnavis have not always had a smooth relationship since the Shiv Sena split in 2022. Tensions over power sharing have frequently surfaced, and this has only increased after the 2024 assembly elections
Amid differences with the Maharashtra BJP, Eknath Shinde’s seven MPs were his “passport” to Delhi. Whenever things went wrong in Mumbai or Nagpur, Shinde would immediately travel to Delhi to meet with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the BJP’s top leadership.
Through these meetings, Shinde bypassed the Maharashtra BJP leadership and conveyed his views directly to the high command. The BJP leadership also gave him full attention in exchange for the support of seven MPs in Parliament. However, this equation could change completely after the split in the TMC.
Why rift within Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool giving headaches to Eknath Shinde? Here is complete number game that connects Maharashtra to Bengal (AI)
What do political analysts say?
The question isn’t whether the BJP needs Shinde’s seven MPs to run the government. The real question is whether those seven MPs will continue to provide Shinde with the political leverage he once enjoyed in Maharashtra despite his party’s dwindling seats.
However, while some Shiv Sena leaders are privately expressing concern over this entire incident, some leaders still believe that BJP will follow the ‘alliance dharma’ and will not allow the interests of its old allies to be harmed.
Shinde trying to maintain power in Delhi
Following the Trinamool Congress (TMC) episode, Eknath Shinde has realised that he needs additional strength to maintain his political standing while remaining within the NDA. To achieve this, Shinde is once again preparing to weaken Uddhav Thackeray. It is being claimed that preparations are underway to bring seven of the 10 MPs from the Uddhav Thackeray faction with Eknath Shinde. The Shinde faction believes that if their number of MPs increases to 14, they will once again be in a position to bargain with the BJP’s central leadership. In fact, the BJP is currently trying to garner two-thirds support in the Lok Sabha to pass the bill to increase its Lok Sabha seats.
