Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Apr 7: A political slugfest broke out on Sunday between NCP (SP) leader Eknath Khadse and Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan, with both leaders levelling serious accusations against each other in a fiery exchange.

The controversy was sparked after Khadse, currently a member of the legislative council, claimed that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had raised concerns over Mahajan’s alleged ties with a woman IAS officer before approving his induction into the state cabinet following the 2024 assembly elections.

"Shah had questioned Mahajan's association with the officer before greenlighting his cabinet post," Khadse alleged, reigniting old tensions between the two leaders.

Khadse, once a senior BJP leader and cabinet minister, resigned in 2016 following controversies. He later joined the undivided NCP and, after the party's split in 2023, aligned with Sharad Pawar's faction.

Mahajan, who currently serves as the state minister for water resources and disaster management, hit back strongly at the allegations, branding them as baseless and defamatory.
"I challenge him to show any proof. If he has any, I will resign from public life and never show my face again," Mahajan retorted.

He further warned Khadse to refrain from personal attacks, cryptically adding, "If I start speaking about Khadse, he won't be able to show his face in society. The matter is from his own home. People will beat him if I reveal it."

The war of words marks yet another chapter in the long-standing rivalry between the two leaders, who were once colleagues in the BJP before turning into political adversaries.