Rohit Pawar Warns of ‘Operation Lotus 2.0’ as BJP Eyes Maharashtra Power Shift

The political temperature in Maharashtra has risen sharply after Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Rohit Pawar claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has kickstarted the second phase of its alleged ‘Operation Lotus’, a covert plan aimed at poaching opposition legislators and destabilizing the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance. The MVA—comprising the Congress, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray)—has reportedly been put on high alert as Pawar’s remarks triggered a wave of speculation about fresh political manoeuvres ahead of crucial elections.

Rohit Pawar’s comments come at a delicate moment for the opposition, which has already endured two major political splits in less than three years. In 2022, first the Shiv Sena, and later the NCP, witnessed mass defections to the BJP, resulting in the formation of the ruling Mahayuti coalition led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Pawar accused the BJP of using money power and pressure tactics to engineer those defections and warned that the party was now employing similar strategies once again to lure MLAs from the opposition benches.

Adding fuel to his warning, Rohit Pawar highlighted recent controversies within Maharashtra’s political landscape, including NCP MLA Sangram Jagtap’s communal appeal urging Hindus to purchase Diwali goods only from “Hindu shopkeepers.” Pawar implied that such divisive statements were part of a larger political script intended to polarize voters and distract the public from the government’s failures. He noted that the BJP and its allies were deliberately discontinuing or scaling down welfare schemes launched by non-BJP leaders, suggesting that political jealousy was dictating governance decisions rather than public welfare.

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Citing an example, Pawar pointed to the Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, a welfare initiative originally credited to the Shiv Sena faction, under which over 28 lakh beneficiaries have allegedly been cut off. According to Pawar, many social programs that were designed to uplift women, farmers, and students have been either shelved or watered down because the BJP-led government does not want credit for these benefits to go to rival leaders. “Some of these schemes were introduced to genuinely help citizens, but the BJP is unhappy when their success stories are tied to other parties,” he asserted.

In a striking political overture, Rohit Pawar also reached out to Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), which has been in talks with the opposition bloc for a potential alliance. He urged the MNS to accept the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) that binds the Congress, NCP, and Shiv Sena. “When we joined the alliance, we had to operate within the CMP’s framework. If the MNS agrees to those terms, collaboration will not be an issue,” he said, while clarifying that the final decision would rest with party chiefs. His statement was widely interpreted as a gentle push for Raj Thackeray to accelerate negotiations and formally join forces with Uddhav Thackeray’s camp.

Speculation about a Thackeray family reunion has been growing stronger in Maharashtra’s political circles. Once bitter rivals, Uddhav and Raj Thackeray have appeared together multiple times in recent months, signaling a thaw in relations. Their joint participation in Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations and shared opposition to the government’s education policies—especially the now-revoked decision to make Marathi mandatory in primary schools—has added weight to the theory that the two Thackerays could reunite politically. Analysts suggest that if such an alliance materializes, it could reshape the power dynamics in Mumbai, where both leaders command loyal urban voter bases, particularly ahead of the upcoming civic polls.

Rohit Pawar’s remarks were not limited to political alliances alone. He also took aim at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), accusing the right-wing organization of interfering in academic institutions across Maharashtra. Pawar alleged that RSS influence over university administration and curriculum decisions has led to a decline in educational standards, echoing concerns voiced by leaders in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. In those states, opposition parties such as the Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) have similarly accused the RSS of injecting communal ideology into educational spaces.

As Maharashtra heads toward another politically charged season, Rohit Pawar’s explosive statements have set the stage for what could be a high-stakes battle between the BJP’s ruling coalition and the rejuvenated opposition alliance. Whether the MVA can hold together—and possibly expand to include Raj Thackeray’s MNS—will determine the state’s political trajectory in the months to come.

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