Mumbai, July 13 (IANS). Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and prominent Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde’s announcement that ‘the picture is still pending’ regarding ‘Operation Tiger’ signals an even more aggressive turn in the fight over Balasaheb Thackeray’s legacy.
Warning that the operation is not over yet and ‘more breaking news’ is to come, Deputy Chief Minister Shinde is sending a clear psychological and strategic message to the remaining elements of the opposition.
Shinde’s use of a popular Bollywood dialogue is meant to create maximum psychological disruption. By getting six of the nine Lok Sabha MPs from the Shiv Sena (UBT) to defect, the Shinde camp has achieved the necessary legal edge (two-thirds majority) to avoid anti-defection penalties under the Tenth Schedule.
However, keeping the threat of Operation Tiger 2.0 alive is hindering the remaining activists of Uddhav Thackeray (UBT) from settling down or formulating a counter strategy.
The phrase ‘picture abhi baaki hai’ indicates that the trend of defection is not limited to New Delhi only. The Shinde faction is signaling to the remaining UBT MLAs and municipal councilors (especially in Mumbai, Thane and Marathwada regions) that the doors are open, thereby creating a sense of political alienation among the remaining ones.
Shinde’s public rhetoric regarding the ongoing campaigns is targeted at coalition partners as well as the opposition.
However, political analysts say that while sustained political maneuvering may generate immediate headlines, the long-term Operation Tiger has several structural weaknesses.
The number of leaders in any political party remains limited, after which the institutional benefits (tickets, ministries, chairpersons of government corporations) disappear. If Shinde continues to bring in more opposition leaders, it could trigger internal rebellion among his loyal supporters who were with him in 2022 and are waiting for political patronage.
–IANS
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