Ruling Alliance About to Break? Eknath Shinde and Ganesh Naik’s Fight Heats Up
Published 2 Oct 2025, 12:02 PM IST
Key Points
- A major political fight has erupted in Navi Mumbai between Chief Minister Eknath Shinde (Shiv Sena) and veteran BJP leader Ganesh Naik.
- The two leaders, who are supposed to be partners in the ruling alliance, have been openly attacking each other in public speeches.
- The fight has become personal, with leaders making sharp comments about each other, signaling deep problems within the alliance.
- Both parties are now hinting that they might fight the upcoming Navi Mumbai (NMMC) elections separately, which could completely change the city’s politics.
What it means for Navi Mumbai
This fight between top leaders is not just political drama; it directly affects the city’s future. When leaders in the ruling alliance are busy fighting each other, important city work and development projects can get delayed. For the people of Navi Mumbai, this means uncertainty about the city’s governance. The upcoming NMMC election will now be very confusing. Instead of working together, these powerful parties might compete against each other, leading to an unstable result and making it harder to run the city effectively.
Main News
The political partnership that governs Navi Mumbai is showing serious signs of cracking. A growing fight between two of the state’s most powerful leaders, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Navi Mumbai’s veteran BJP MLA Ganesh Naik, has now burst into the open, leaving many to wonder if their alliance will survive until the next city election.
What started as political rivalry has now become a direct and personal war of words. At recent public meetings, Ganesh Naik has made several strong statements, including calling himself the “tallest political leader in Thane district,” a direct challenge to CM Shinde, who is also from Thane. Reports also highlighted Naik’s sharp remark dismissing the Chief Minister’s rise to power as a mere “lottery win.”
This kind of language has angered the Shiv Sena camp and has made the fight much more bitter than a simple political disagreement.
In response, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has not stayed quiet. He has made strategic moves to challenge Ganesh Naik’s long-standing control over Navi Mumbai. Shinde held a large party meeting in Vashi, right in the heart of Naik’s territory, sending a clear message of his intent.
In another major move, Shinde welcomed Ankush Baba Kadam, a local leader who has previously fought elections against Naik, into his Shiv Sena party. Leaders from the Shiv Sena have also started openly criticising Naik’s style of working, calling it family-run politics and promising a different approach.
Will They Fight the City Elections Separately?
With the important Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) elections expected soon, this fight could lead to a major political split. Leaders from both sides have started making threats. Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske has publicly said that his party is “ready to contest the civic polls alone” if the attacks on CM Shinde continue. On the other hand, Ganesh Naik has often reminded people that he has “ruled the Navi Mumbai civic body singlehandedly” for years, showing he is also ready to go it alone.
This open conflict between the top leaders has put the future of their alliance in serious doubt, and the fight for control of Navi Mumbai is only getting more intense.
