Eknath Shinde is learning the hard way that karma exists. It is looking increasingly possible that Operation Lotus, which catapulted him to national fame, could well be used to bring him down today
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP (left) and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, the head of the Shiv Sena. File pic
What goes around really does come around, and politics is no exception. Eknath Shinde’s rise was boosted by what many people call “Operation Lotus”, the strategy used to shake up the alliance. Now it seems to be swinging back like a boomerang. The same strategy that once helped him climb is today creating more headaches than support. The situation has escalated so much that Shinde, known as “Mr Cool”, is said to be losing his temper often.
“Operation Lotus” is a phrase that is often used to describe the BJP’s behind-the-scenes strategy to alter political equations without a direct electoral battle. The technique worked for the BJP in states like Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh.
In Maharashtra, too, the BJP is accused of engineering a split in its oldest ally, the Shiv Sena (undivided). The strategy helped reshape the government to its advantage.
The rebellion itself did not come out of nowhere. Many MLAs with Uddhav Thackeray were not comfortable with their party chief partnering with ideological rivals like Congress, Sharad Pawar-led NCP (undivided) and Samajwadi Party (SP).
The Opposition did come together to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) with the single aim of keeping the BJP out of power. But, for the Sena camp, this alliance created a deeper problem. They were still talking about Hindutva, yet were forced to tone it down in actual governance. For leaders whose entire political identity was shaped by Bal Thackeray’s hardline Hindutva, this gap between words and actions became a serious worry, even a threat to their long-term survival.
The BJP leadership quickly sensed the shifting undercurrents, and what followed was a rude shock for Uddhav Thackeray and his party. The BJP and Shiv Sena’s alliance was among India’s oldest and longest political unions, formed in the late 1980s on the common ground of Hindutva.
For such a long-standing partnership to collapse the way it did, essentially over “Sinhasaan”, a seat of power (Maharashtra chief ministerial post) showed just how deep the political rift had become.
The strategy to topple Uddhav Sarkar worked as per the BJP’s plan, but instead of them getting rewarded, initially, the real beneficiary of the entire exercise was Shinde and his team members.
The defection plan made Shinde the chief minister of Maharashtra, a stature that he could never have dreamt or achieved while staying with his old party setup. With just 45-plus MLAs on his side, Shinde bagged the coveted post that made him famous even in political circles across India.
While Shinde was rising sharply, the BJP brought in the breakaway NCP faction led by Ajit Pawar into the Mahayuti fold. The “double engine government” now turned into “triple engine sarkar” with Shinde as CM and Devendra Fadnavis (BJP), and Ajit Pawar (NCP) as deputy chief minister. But, Ajit Pawar’s entry was widely seen as a classic divide-and-rule move by the BJP, and it quietly created resentment within the Shinde camp, even if no one said it out loud. This was the first major moment that left Shinde uneasy.
Even then, Shinde’s ambition to retain the CM’s post remained strong, especially with the 2024 Assembly elections fought under his leadership. But as results came in and the BJP secured 132 of the 288 seats, Shinde’s dream collapsed as his party bagged 57 seats. The BJP took control of the steering wheel, and the Shinde-led Sena was pushed to the backseat, a second major blow to Shinde and his team.
The friction was compounded in Thane, as BJP leader Ganesh Naik was appointed guardian minister on Shinde’s home turf and bastion — Thane. Naik and Shinde are said to be arch-rivals.
These moves have only fuelled speculations that the BJP is subtly undermining Shinde’s influence in the state and deepening cracks within the alliance.
However, recent developments where Sena leaders and workers close to Shinde were inducted into the BJP seem like the last nail in the coffin. The move started giving the impression that the BJP might be, in a very subtle manner, running “Operation Lotus — Part 2” against its own ally.
Poaching allies’ workers is not new in politics, especially within the Mahayuti. For years, Shinde brushed off such moves with a smile, insisting “all is well”. But now, the BJP appears to have struck where it hurts most — Shinde’s own family. By luring Sena workers in Kalyan-Dombivli, the parliamentary constituency of Dr Shrikant Shinde, the BJP sent a message impossible to ignore. In Indian politics, family stakes amplify tensions, making ordinary conflicts sharper and alliances more fragile.
Kalyan-Dombivli is no ordinary constituency. It is politically active, and both the BJP and Shinde camps claim it as a stronghold. The BJP’s moves are not limited to worker poaching. The appointment of local MLA Ravindra Chavan as state BJP president is widely seen as a strategic step to counter Shinde’s influence in the region.
Recognising the risk of open confrontation, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Shinde reportedly reached an unwritten understanding that there would be no further inductions from either side. The very need for such informal pacts highlights how tense and fragile the alliance has become.
“Operation Lotus”, which many say once helped propel Shinde to power, is now turning into the biggest test of his political career. In the end, it is a reminder that in politics every move comes back for a reckoning, and Shinde appears to be learning that lesson the hard way.
Sanjeev Shivadekar is political editor, mid-day. He tweets @SanjeevShivadek
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The views expressed in this column are the individual’s and don’t represent those of the paper
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