For nearly four years, Eknath Shinde and the BJP have presented their alliance as a partnership forged in the interest of Maharashtra. But the Rs 500-crore allegation involving Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil has brought an old question back to the fore: how secure is Shinde’s position in an alliance in which the BJP has emerged as the dominant partner?

The immediate controversy centres on an audio clip released by Jarange-Patil , purportedly containing a discussion about Rs 500 crore being routed to him through Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, the son of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde , ahead of the 2024 Assembly elections. Shinde has denied the allegation, while the BJP has questioned the clip’s authenticity and raised the possibility of fabrication.

The political fallout, however, has been swift.…