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A warning shot has been fired. Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde's comment about people who "took him lightly" suffering after the fact was no less than that. The reference was clear enough: the 2022 palace coup in the state, where he pulled the rug from under then-united Shiv Sena chief and CM Uddhav Thackeray.

- Dhaval S. Kulkarni

No one missed its dire resonance in the present context. Shinde's disgruntlement at being denied another shot at the CM's chair has been evident. He has skipped meetings chaired by the new man in the hot seat, the BJP's Devendra Fadnavis, and has also been holding parallel meetings to review the functioning of various departments.

Fadnavis, meanwhile, has rolled back many decisions taken during Shinde's chief ministerial tenure, and even ordered investigations into some of them. For instance, the Rs 900 crore Kharpudi housing project in Jalna district, approved in February 2023, faces a probe; as does the move to take 1,310 buses on rent for the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), reportedly at higher rates. The decision to centrally procure uniforms for students in state-run schools, taken by Shinde's schools minister (and partyman) Deepak Kesarkar, also stands annulled. Sources say the process was marred by glitches and complaints of poor quality.

A senior bureaucrat says Fadnavis, after taking over as CM in December 2024, has moved quickly to impose his control and authority over the state administration, posting hand-picked officials in crucial positions. In particular, the CM's secretariat is said to be closely monitoring the functioning of departments controlled by ministers of the two Mahayuti allies, the Shinde Shiv Sena and NCP. 'Monitoring, in fact, is an understatement. Earlier in February, industries minister Uday Samant (Shinde Sena) had even written to the principal secretary (industries) and CEO of the Maharashtra Industries Development Corporation (MIDC) about policy decisions being taken without keeping him in the loop.