There are no friends in politics

What goes around really does come around and politics is no exception Eknath Shindersquos rise was boosted by what many people call ldquoOperation Lotusrdquo 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 ldquoMr Coolrdquo is said to be losing his temper oftenldquoOperation Lotusrdquo is a phrase that is often used to describe the BJPrsquos behindthescenes strategy to alter political equations without a direct electoral battle The technique worked for the BJP in states like Karnataka and Madhya PradeshIn 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 advantageThe 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 Pawarled NCP undivided and Samajwadi Party SPThe 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 Thackerayrsquos hardline Hindutva this gap between words and actions became a serious worry even a threat to their longterm survivalThe BJP leadership quickly sensed the shifting undercurrents and what followed was a rude shock for Uddhav Thackeray and his party The BJP and Shiv Senarsquos alliance was among Indiarsquos oldest and longest political unions formed in the late 1980s on the common ground of HindutvaFor such a longstanding partnership to collapse the way it did essentially over ldquoSinhasaanrdquo a seat of power Maharashtra chief ministerial post showed just how deep the political rift had becomeThe strategy to topple Uddhav Sarkar worked as per the BJPrsquos plan but instead of them getting rewarded initially the real beneficiary of the entire exercise was Shinde and his team membersThe 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 45plus MLAs on his side Shinde bagged the coveted post that made him famous even in political circles across IndiaWhile Shinde was rising sharply the BJP brought in the breakaway NCP faction led by Ajit Pawar into the Mahayuti fold The ldquodouble engine governmentrdquo now turned into ldquotriple engine sarkarrdquo with Shinde as CM and Devendra Fadnavis BJP and Ajit Pawar NCP as deputy chief minister But Ajit Pawarrsquos entry was widely seen as a classic divideandrule 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 uneasyEven then Shindersquos ambition to retain the CMrsquos 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 Shindersquos dream collapsed as his party bagged 57 seats The BJP took control of the steering wheel and the Shindeled Sena was pushed to the backseat a second major blow to Shinde and his teamThe friction was compounded in Thane as BJP leader Ganesh Naik was appointed guardian minister on Shindersquos home turf and bastion mdash Thane Naik and Shinde are said to be archrivalsThese moves have only fuelled speculations that the BJP is subtly undermining Shindersquos influence in the state and deepening cracks within the allianceHowever 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 ldquoOperation Lotus mdash Part 2rdquo against its own allyPoaching alliesrsquo workers is not new in politics especially within the Mahayuti For years Shinde brushed off such moves with a smile insisting ldquoall is wellrdquo But now the BJP appears to have struck where it hurts most mdash Shindersquos own family By luring Sena workers in KalyanDombivli 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 fragileKalyanDombivli is no ordinary constituency It is politically active and both the BJP and Shinde camps claim it as a stronghold The BJPrsquos 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 Shindersquos influence in the regionRecognising 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 becomeldquoOperation Lotusrdquo 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 waySanjeev Shivadekar is political editor midday He tweets SanjeevShivadekSend your feedback to mailbagmiddaycomThe views expressed in this column are the individualrsquos and donrsquot represent those of the paper