What does the Supreme Court hold for Maharashtra’s political parties? That’s the question the corridors of power have been facing ever since the apex court completed the hearing in the case of the Shiv Sena faction feud and subsequent change of guard at Mantralaya last June. The oral observations the court made and the questions it raised during the hearing, especially in its last two days, have prompted many to predict the outcome even as the court has reserved its judgment in a bouquet of petitions it has been hearing for nine months. Predictions are a mixed bag, preparing the parties to meet any political eventuality.

Some see the collapse of the government coming, some see the government escaping the fall even if the Shinde faction MLAs are disqualified, some see the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) taking control of the government by stitching the required majority to make Devendra Fadnavis the new chief minister, some even see Shinde continuing as the CM even if he gets disqualified as an MLA. Some see the president’s rule coming and some simply foresee the court verdict going in favour of the current government, rendering all hypothesis dead. Yet, the uncertainty can be seen in the anxious inquiries being made by politicians, common people and the bureaucracy, including the lower level of the workforce which is on strike these days. The protesters have been looking at the current situation as an apt opportunity to force the government to meet their demand for the old pension scheme, knowing that the elections will be announced very soon, and no party can afford to upset the voters, however small or big their numbers are.