Chandrakant Khairē claims 20 MLAs are set to leave Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena within nine months
Chandrakant Khaire
Senior leader Chandrakant Khairē has asserted that nearly 20 legislators from the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena are deeply unhappy and likely to defect in the coming nine months, raising party instability concerns.
Mumbai, Maharashtra | Nov 18, 2025 – :
A bold political claim by veteran Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Chandrakant Khaire has intensified speculation about unrest within the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. Khaire has said that nearly 20 MLAs currently supporting Shinde are preparing to leave the party within the next nine months. His statement has triggered fresh debate on the stability of the ruling Mahayuti alliance, which governs Maharashtra in partnership with the BJP and Ajit Pawar’s NCP.
Khaire alleged that these MLAs are deeply unhappy with the current leadership and feel sidelined in terms of power and financial allocation. According to him, the complaints have been brewing for months but have not been addressed. He said the legislators are frustrated with the way funds are distributed and how decisions are taken, accusing the BJP of dominating the alliance at the cost of Shinde’s original supporters.
He added that many of these MLAs had joined Shinde in 2022 believing they would gain greater influence and access to development funds. However, they now feel they have been reduced to “junior partners” in their own government. The dissatisfaction, Khaire claimed, has reached a point where several of them have made up their minds to exit, but are waiting for an appropriate political moment.
The Shinde faction has so far not issued an official response. However, sources in the government have dismissed Khaire’s comments as political posturing by the UBT Shiv Sena ahead of elections. They insist that there is no large-scale discontent and that Khaire is attempting to provoke MLAs into defecting by creating doubt and division.
Political observers say the remark is strategic and may be aimed at weakening Shinde’s clout while boosting morale within the UBT camp. They also point out that even if such a move were underway, any mass defection would involve legal and disqualification risks under the anti-defection law. The numbers also matter. A departure of 20 MLAs could drastically alter the balance of power and leave Shinde vulnerable inside the coalition.
The claim also comes at a time when murmurs within the ruling alliance have been growing. Several reports have surfaced of MLAs demanding more funds for constituency work and seeking better coordination with the administration. The absence of prominent Shinde faction ministers from the recent cabinet meeting has already fueled whispers of tension.
Whether the alleged rebellion materialises or not, Khaire’s remarks have revived political chatter around stability, loyalty and internal bargaining in Maharashtra politics. The statement has landed just months before local body polls and ahead of a crucial election year, adding to the uncertainty already surrounding the state’s shifting alliances.
For now, the MLAs in question remain unnamed, and no formal resignations have been filed. But Khaire’s claim has put Shinde camp leaders on the defensive and created anticipation about possible political moves in the coming months. If such an exit does occur, it would reshape the state’s political landscape and could potentially force realignments across alliances.
