Assuming that Sena rebel general Eknath Shinde must have taken into account advantages and disadvantages before finalising a collaboration with the Bharatiya Janata Party, the task is cut out for him, the new chief minister, and also for the other power centre in his cabinet, and the BJP’s lead, Devendra Fadnavis. Prima facie, Shinde’s advantage is that he does not have a direct boss, but will be under constant scrutiny from the ally. Any wrong move, especially the one that goes against the BJP, will mean trouble for him. If the dramatic events that led to his appointment are any indication, then, Fadnavis will have to handle more than what he expects till this government runs. His role will be like a jam spread between two slices of bread. He has to taste better for whosoever among Shinde, the big daddies of BJP, party MLAs and his disappointed supporters on the ground, in whatever political conditions.

This piece has been written before the Shinde Sarkar faces a floor test on Monday. Assuming that the government would go through it successfully because it won the Speaker’s election with a thumping margin on Sunday morning, we have jumped the gun to analyse what lies next. This alliance has not come into being only for keeping the Uddhav Sena out, but its architect, the BJP, has multiple goals ahead and it will be no less ruthless than we have seen in the past to achieve results. On the anvil are things beyond the obvious common between the BJP and Shinde Sena.