Mumbai: The shooting incident in Thane district has brought to the fore the simmering tensions between the ruling BJP and Shiv Sena in Kalyan with both parties eyeing this Lok Sabha constituency, currently represented by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's son Shrikant Shinde.
Although the Shiv Sena and the BJP are ruling partners in the state, their relationship is under strain in the Kalyan constituency in Thane district, a bastion of CM Shinde.
On Friday night, Kalyan MLA Ganpat Gaikwad, who belongs to the BJP, shot at and injured Mahesh Gaikwad, the chief of Shinde-led Sena in Kalyan, inside the senior police inspector's chamber in a police station in Ulhasnagar, sending shockwaves in state political circles.
According to the police, Ganpat Gaikwad’s son went to the police station on Friday evening to lodge a complaint in connection with a land dispute when Mahesh Gaikwad arrived there with his men. Ganpat Gaikwad also reached the police station.
An altercation broke out between the MLA and the Sena leader, and Ganpat Gaikwad fired shots at Mahesh Gaikwad inside the senior inspector’s chamber, injuring him and Mahesh's associate Rahul Patil, a police officer said.
Defending his act, Ganpat Gaikwad said he used the firearm as his son was being beaten at the police station.
Targeting Eknath Shinde, he said only criminals will be born in Maharashtra if Shinde is the chief minister.
Notably, the state Home department is headed by senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnvais, who has ordered a high-level inquiry into the firing incident.
"Shinde sahib betrayed Uddhav (Thackeray). He will betray the BJP. He owes me crores of rupees. Shinde should resign if Maharashtra has to be well-managed," Ganpat Gaikwad told Marathi news channel Zee24 taas over the phone before his arrest.
Though there had been instances of sharp exchanges between the Shinde-led faction of Shiv Sena and local BJP leaders in Kalyan, the firing incident indicates that the political rivalry has taken a dangerous turn.
In December, following the BJP's victory in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan elections, Ganpat Gaikwad demanded that the party field its candidate from Kalyan for the Lok Sabha polls.
Last June, BJP leaders passed a resolution to not support Shrikant Shinde's candidature after a case was registered against one of their workers over a conflict with Shiv Sena workers. Though both sides patched up later, the discontent brewed.
State minister and BJP leader Ravindra Chavan, who comes from the Kalyan region, had also sparred with Shrikant Shinde.
The Kalyan constituency was once represented by the BJP but it later went to Shiv Sena (undivided) after two saffron parties started contesting elections as allies. The Shiv Sena (undivided) has won all three elections from this constituency, which was created in 2008.
However, with areas in Kalyan, Dombivli and Ulhasnagar having sizable BJP pockets, local cadres have been demanding that the BJP field its candidate from Kalyan in upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Shiv Sena led by Shinde is, however, not ready to vacate the seat for BJP.
Of the six assembly segments in Kalyan, the BJP won three in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, while MNS, Shiv Sena and the NCP bagged one each.