Maratha activist Manoj Jarange Patil released an audio clip on Thursday claiming that ₹500 crore was routed to him through Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, sparking a feud between the BJP and Shiv Sena.
Shrikant Shinde, the son of Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde, has been a pivotal figure in the coalition that governs Maharashtra, but the claim suggests a clandestine cash transfer ahead of the March 2024 elections, a period when both parties are tightening their ranks.
BJP MLC Pravin Darekar dismissed the allegations, saying the party would not tolerate being portrayed as a conduit for illicit money. Shrikant Shinde himself denied that he ever sent the money, calling the claim “nonsense” in a statement to the press.
Former Shiv Sena minister Ramdas Kadam accused a faction of the BJP of plotting to “finish” Eknath Shinde, linking the ₹500 crore claim to a broader conspiracy. The BJP’s Prasad Lad and Darekar countered, warning that the party would respond “in kind” and that the allegations were a political attack.
The state government, led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, has ordered a forensic examination of the audio clip, with investigators slated to start work next week. The probe will be overseen by the state police and the Department of Forensic Sciences, according to the official notice issued on Friday.