ALL the six rebel Lok Sabha members of the Shiv Sena (UBT) on Monday joined the ruling Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in Mumbai, formalising a split in the Uddhav Thackeray-led party. They joined the Shiv Sena at an event in the presence of Shinde and other senior party leaders, five days after skipping a crucial parliamentary party meeting of the Shiv Sena (UBT) in New Delhi. The meeting was attended by only three Lok Sabha MPs of the Opposition party. The Lok Sabha MPs of the Shiv Sena (UBT) who crossed over are: Sanjay Deshmukh (Yavatmal), Sanjay Jadhav (Parbhani), Sanjay Dina Patil (Mumbaj North East), Nagesh Patil-Ashtikar (Hingoli), Omprakash Rajenimbalkar (Dharashiv) and Bhausaheb Wakchaure (Shirdi). They had won against BJP and Shiv Sena candidates in the 2024 general elections.

 

The Shiv Sena (UBT) had won nine Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra in 2024. Speaking to reporters, Shinde said, “These Lok Sabha members have now joined the original Shiv Sena that follows the teachings of late Balasaheb Thackeray. Four years back I took a strong step and now I have hit a sixer (a reference to the number of MPs who have switched loyalties).” “I did it earlier (split Shiv Sena in June 2022) to save the principles of late Balasaheb Thackeray and to save the Shiv Sena. Now, this move (rebellion in the Lok Sabha wing of the Sena UBT) is the second stage of Shiv Sena expansion,” Shinde asserted.

 

“Operation Tiger” is now complete and successful,” the Deputy CM declared while talking to reporters and added the Shiv Sena is now the second largest party in Maharashtra in terms of MPs. “My operations are fool proof,” said Shinde while referring to the six defected MPs as Dhurandhar (stalwarts/experts) who are connected to ground. Uddhav strategises with MLAs to corner MahaYuti Govt: At least 3 legislators of Shiv Sena (UBT) on Monday skipped a meeting convened by embattled Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai to discuss a strategy to corner the MahaYuti Government during the ongoing monsoon session of the Maharashtra legislature.

 

The meeting, held at the party’s ‘Shivalay’ office on the first day of the monsoon session, took place even as six Sena (UBT) MPs defected to the rival Shinde-led faction just 500 meters away at the Yashwantrao Chavan Pratishthan. One of the legislators who attended the meeting said that Thackeray asked the MLAs to corner the Government over a range of issues, including the farm loan waiver, pressing for complete relief instead of a partial one. The MLA also said Thackeray asked lawmakers to target the Government over the law and order situation, crime against women and rising cases of drug peddling in the State.