Ties that fail to bind the Mahayuti

Raksha Bandhan day did not translate into one where the finest of fraternal feelings were on display among the partners of the ruling Mahayuti government.

- Ravikiran Deshmukh

Rather, it was the coconut-breaking feature of the day - Naral Purnima - that dominated, figuratively speaking.

Sharp comments by Shiv Sena leader Ramdas Kadam sparked intense infighting in the alliance, involving senior leaders such as Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Kadam dubbed Public Works Department Minister Ravindra Chavan a 'useless minister' over the poor state of the much-delayed Mumbai-Goa Highway. A peeved Fadnavis responded, "We are only human and such remarks are painful. I am going to talk to CM Eknath Shinde about this." Then there were a couple of other incidents in the course of the day.