Nagpur/Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday (October 23, 2026) broke his silence over Maratha activist Manoj Jarange Patil’s recent claim that Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde allegedly took ₹500 crore from the BJP’s central leadership and handed it over to the activist through the Shiv Sena leader’s son, Shrikant Shinde.
The Chief Minister said the purported audio clip will be sent for forensic examination and that the truth will be brought out. The Opposition hit out at the government, seeking a thorough probe.
‘Who Is the Target?’
“We are all wondering why this clip has been leaked after 2.5 years. What is the purpose behind it? Who is being targeted? Why? There is a demand for a thorough probe not just by Jarange Patil, but also by the Shiv Sena, but also by the BJP. We will do a thorough probe in it. We will bring out the truth in the matter,” Mr. Fadnavis said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut challenged Union Minister Amit Shah and central agencies to investigate the claim. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has already denied the allegations, while his party’s delegation has met the Chief Minister to seek a thorough probe.
Mr. Jarange Patil’s claim has caused a political storm in the State and drawn a wedge between the ruling alliance partners.
Damage to the Alliance
Sources in the BJP have admitted that the 2.5-year-old clip has damaged its image in the Maratha community and upset its alliance partners.
“It has increased the distrust among the alliance partners. There were some squabbles which were already existing. This has only added to them. It is damaging for the alliance. Not just that, it is damaging for the party too. It has distanced us further from the Maratha community. But it will not lead to anything. We have strong numbers,” a senior BJP leader said on condition of anonymity.
Shiv Sena’s Suspicions
The Shiv Sena leadership has already made public statements accusing the BJP of working against them. Party sources said they saw it as an effort by the State BJP leadership to clip its wings.
“Some elements are taking efforts to finish off the Maratha leadership in the State,” a Shiv Sena leader said on condition of anonymity.
Party sources said this comes at a time when there is discussion in the State for a Maratha Chief Minister amid the current unrest in the Maratha community.
“There are speculations within the political circles that a senior BJP leader is doing this (leaking the audio clip) to damage both Mr. Fadnavis and Mr. Shinde, so that the leader’s path is cleared. Nonetheless, it is disturbing for us that such a discussion [in the leaked audio clip] should happen in the core committee meeting of the BJP,” a Sena leader said.
Names Named
Maharashtra Cabinet Minister and Shiv Sena leader Uday Samant has named BJP leaders Shweta Shalini, MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar and YouTuber Sushant Kulkarni as some of the voices in the audio clip released by Jarange Patil. He has called out the effort to damage Shrikant Shinde’s image and asked the BJP to come clean on the charges.
What the Clip Contains
The audio clip, in which some political strategists are allegedly heard discussing strategies to counter Jarange Patil’s influence, consolidate the OBC vote bank in favour of the BJP and discuss media strategies, has not only deepened distrust among alliance partners but also affected caste equations for the BJP’s vote bank and damaged the party’s image.
