Flanked by Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, Eknath Shinde rejects rift rumours

Amid reports of the rift, Eknath Shinde last week warned his detractors to not "take me lightly".

Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday laid to rest rumours that an internal discord had emerged in the state's ruling alliance, saying the Shiv Sena-BJP-NCP's partnership “will not break”.

Flanked by allies Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, Shinde refuted reports of a cold war between the trio.

"No matter how much breaking news you give, we (Mahayuti) will not break. What is the cold war? There is nothing like that. In this scorching heat of Maharashtra... how is a cold war possible?" he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI