In a significant political development, six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs joined Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Monday. The MPs, including Omraje Nimbalkar and Sanjay Dina Patil, formally switched camps in the presence of Shinde and senior party leaders.
In a significant setback for Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT), six of its nine Lok Sabha MPs on Monday crossed over to the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, dramatically altering the political landscape in Maharashtra and strengthening the ruling Mahayuti alliance.
The high-profile defections, dubbed “Operation Tiger” by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, were formalised at an induction ceremony where the Shiv Sena leader declared the exercise a complete success.
“Operation Tiger has been successfully completed. My operations are foolproof,” Shinde said, describing the incoming MPs as seasoned leaders with strong grassroots connections. He also claimed that the Shiv Sena under his leadership has now become the second-largest party in Maharashtra in terms of Lok Sabha representation.
The MPs who joined the Shinde camp are Omraje Nimbalkar (Dharashiv), Nagesh Patil Ashtikar (Hingoli), Sanjay Jadhav (Parbhani), Sanjay Deshmukh (Yavatmal-Washim), Bhausaheb Wakchaure (Shirdi) and Sanjay Dina Patil (Mumbai North East).
With the latest exodus, the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction’s strength in the Lok Sabha has fallen from nine MPs to just three. The remaining MPs with the UBT camp are Arvind Sawant from Mumbai South, Anil Desai from Mumbai South Central and Rajabhau Waje from Nashik. Meanwhile, the Shinde faction’s tally has increased from seven to 13 MPs.
The rebellion became apparent after six MPs stayed away from a key parliamentary party meeting convened by the UBT leadership in Delhi. The dissident lawmakers subsequently approached Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, seeking recognition as a separate group. Their decision to move as a bloc of six enabled them to satisfy the two-thirds requirement under the anti-defection law, shielding them from disqualification proceedings.
Recalling his 2022 revolt that split the undivided Shiv Sena, Shinde said the latest development represented the next phase of the party’s expansion. He maintained that both moves were aimed at preserving the ideology of Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray.
Several rebel MPs justified their decision by citing developmental concerns in their constituencies. Nagesh Ashtikar and Omraje Nimbalkar argued that remaining in the Opposition had restricted their ability to secure adequate funds and execute projects. They said the MPLAD allocation of Rs 5 crore was insufficient to meet local development needs and that the absence of support from the state government had weakened their effectiveness at the grassroots level.
MP Ashtikar said he held no personal grievances against Uddhav Thackeray but expressed disappointment over what he described as a lack of trust and the aggressive language used by some senior party leaders after the MPs skipped the Delhi meeting.