Six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs Switch to Shinde Faction
Six Lok Sabha MPs from the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) faction defected to the rival group led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday. Shinde declared 'Operation Tiger' complete as he welcomed the lawmakers, calling them grounded grassroots leaders and true 'Dhurandhars' (stalwarts) of the state.
Impact on Lok Sabha Strength
The defections reduce the Uddhav Sena's Lok Sabha presence to just three MPs, while the Shinde faction's tally rises to 13. The breakaway group now holds a two-thirds majority, shielding them from disqualification under the anti-defection law.
The six MPs who switched sides are: Hingoli MP Nagesh Patil Ashtikar, Omprakash Nimbalkar from Osmanabad, Mumbai North-East MP Sanjay Dina Patil, Sanjay Deshmukh from Yavatmal-Washim, Sanjay Jadhav from Parbhani, and Bhausaheb Wakchaure from Shirdi.
Reasons for Defection
The rift became apparent when six of the nine Uddhav Sena Lok Sabha MPs skipped a key parliamentary party meeting in Delhi. They later submitted a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking recognition as a separate group.
Ashtikar and Nimbalkar explained that remaining in the Opposition for two years had hampered development work in their constituencies. They argued that the Rs 5-crore MPLADS allocation was insufficient and that the lack of state government support weakened grassroots development.
In a Facebook Live address, Ashtikar said he held no personal grudge against Uddhav Thackeray but accused senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders, including Sanjay Raut, of using 'harsh and abusive language' and showing distrust after the rebel MPs skipped the meeting.
Reactions from Both Camps
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had on Sunday described the split as an 'operation' and said it had been successful. Meanwhile, Uddhav Thackeray's son and party MLA Aaditya Thackeray called the defecting MPs 'greedy' and said their action proved their loyalty was 'for sale'. 'All those who are jumping sides now were elected on the platforms of the MVA and INDIA bloc against the NDA,' he posted on social media.
Background of the Shiv Sena Split
The Shiv Sena originally split in June 2022 when Eknath Shinde and 39 MLAs rebelled against the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition government, which also included the undivided Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress. After over a week of political drama, Shinde was sworn in as Chief Minister with BJP support. He became Deputy Chief Minister after the BJP-led NDA, comprising the Shinde Sena, BJP, and Ajit Pawar's NCP faction, retained power in the 2024 Assembly elections.
