All six rebel Lok Sabha MPs from Shiv Sena (UBT) formally joined the ruling Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday, confirming a split within the Opposition party’s parliamentary wing. The development came five days after the six MPs skipped an important Shiv Sena (UBT) parliamentary party meeting in New Delhi, fuelling speculation about a possible rebellion. Only three Lok Sabha MPs from the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction attended that meeting.
The six MPs who remained absent from the June 17 meeting were Sanjay Dina Patil, Sanjay Deshmukh, Sanjay Jadhav, Bhausaheb Wakchaure, Nagesh Patil-Ashtikar and Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar. With Shiv Sena (UBT) having nine Lok Sabha MPs in total, the group of six met the required two-thirds threshold necessary for a formal split.
Speaking at a press conference after welcoming the six MPs into his faction, Eknath Shinde described the development as a significant achievement for the party. He remarked that instead of one, six “tigers” had joined him and likened the move to hitting a six in cricket. Referring to the 2022 split in Shiv Sena, Shinde said that the earlier rebellion had been launched to safeguard the party’s Hindutva ideology and its bow-and-arrow symbol. He characterised the latest defections as a “second revolt” and claimed they reflected increasing support for both his leadership and the party’s ideological position.
Shinde stated that his faction had spent the past four years strengthening the organisation and remaining committed to Hindutva. He accused certain leaders of abandoning the party’s principles and betraying the mandate given by voters. He also assured the newly inducted MPs that the concerns of their constituencies and developmental issues would be addressed. Highlighting the party’s internal culture, he said there were no supreme leaders within the organisation and that everyone worked collectively as dedicated party workers.
Before the formal split, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had indirectly acknowledged the success of the widely discussed “Operation Tiger.” Responding to questions about the developments within Shiv Sena (UBT), he remarked that the operation had been successful and that the patient was in good health, adding that those who needed to introspect should do so.
The induction of the six MPs is being viewed as the latest chapter in the continuing struggle for control of Shiv Sena, which was divided in 2022 when Eknath Shinde led a rebellion against then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. That split resulted in major political realignments in Maharashtra and triggered a series of legal and electoral disputes between the rival factions.
For Shinde, the latest defections represent another important step in consolidating support within the party established by Bal Thackeray. The ruling Shiv Sena continues to maintain that it represents the original ideology and legacy of the party.
