Pragmatic shift

The omission of several welfare schemes from Maharashtra's latest state budget has raised serious questions about the political undercurrents within the ruling Mahayuti alliance.

- 

Popular initiatives introduced by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde during his tenure as Chief Minister – such as Anandacha Shidha, Mukhyamantri Tirtha Darshan Yojana, and Shiv Bhojan Thali – found no mention in the budget presented by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar. While the government insists these schemes have not been scrapped, their absence points to a deeper power struggle within the coalition. The schemes in question were more than welfare initiatives. They represented Mr Shinde's bid to consolidate his position as a mass leader after he split from the undivided Shiv Sena and aligned with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to form the Mahayuti government. Programmes like Anandacha Shidha, which provided subsidised food kits during major festivals, and the Mukhyamantri Tirtha Darshan Yojana, offering pilgrimage opportunities to senior citizens, were designed to appeal to specific sections of the electorate. Shiv Bhojan Thali, which ensured nutritious meals at Rs 10 for the poor, was a continuation of the earlier Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government's flagship welfare scheme that Mr Shinde retained even after his political realignment. With the 2025-26 budget focusing heavily on fiscal discipline, these schemes have been conspicuously sidelined. Leaders like Maharashtra's Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik and Minister Shambhuraj Desai have been quick to clarify that supplementary demands may be raised later to fund the initiatives. Yet, the silence in the budget has sparked speculation of an on-going cold war between Mr Fadnavis and Mr Shinde, something both sides have publicly denied. Opposition leaders, such as Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Waddettiwar, have been vocal in their criticism. Mr Waddettiwar pointed out that apart from a mention of the Ladki Bahin Yojana, which of