Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Shiv Sena MLA Santosh Bangar on Friday claimed that “Operation Tiger” was far from over, stating that 13-14 legislators from the Shiv Sena (UBT) faction would soon join the Eknath Shinde-led faction. “In the coming days, there will be a bigger operation and 14 MLAs will switch over to the original Shiv Sena,” Bangar asserted, as he erected banners across Hingoli city welcoming MP Nagesh Patil Ashtikar.
Ashtikar was among six MPs who skipped a parliamentary meeting convened by the Shiv Sena (UBT) in New Delhi, fueling speculation about a possible defection. The banners, displayed at prominent locations throughout the city, congratulated the Hingoli MP for what Bangar described as a “right decision” taken in the interest of the district’s development. This move comes amid protests by Sena (UBT) workers across Marathwada over reports that several party MPs may switch allegiance to the Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
Blaming Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut for the current crisis, Bangar stated, “We dare him (Raut) to contest any election and become an MP in the future.” Ashtikar, who represents the Hingoli Lok Sabha constituency, had defeated Shinde Sena candidate Baburao Kadam Kohlikar in the 2024 general elections, helping the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction retain a key stronghold in the region.
Bangar’s public welcome through banners has been widely interpreted as a strong indication of a possible shift, despite his repeated denials over the past few weeks that he would join the Shinde camp. The development has triggered a sharp backlash from Sena (UBT) office bearers and workers in Hingoli district. Protests were held in Sengaon and Goregaon, where party supporters burnt symbolic effigies of the MP and accused him of betraying the voters’ mandate. Protesters demanded that if Ashtikar intended to switch sides, he should resign from the Lok Sabha and seek a fresh mandate.
