NEW DELHI: Four years after the rebellion led by Eknath Shinde split the Shiv Sena, Uddhav Thackeray‘s faction is facing the prospect of another major political rupture.At least six of the nine Lok Sabha MPs of Shiv Sena (UBT) are reported to have formed a separate group and are expected to join the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, potentially handing the NDA a boost in Parliament and further weakening Uddhav Thackeray’s position within the party.The development has triggered alarm within the Thackeray camp, which convened a meeting of its parliamentary party in Delhi on Thursday. The six MPs believed to be part of the breakaway group did not attend.The rebel MPs have submitted a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking recognition as a separate bloc. Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Arvind Sawant, Anil Desai and Sanjay Raut met the Speaker and urged him not to recognise any such group.The rebellion comes amid what Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders have dubbed “Operation Tiger”, an effort to engineer defections from the party. Senior leader Sanjay Raut alleged that MPs were being offered large sums of money to switch sides.“I have information that Rs 15 crore each was delivered to the MPs, after which they boarded chartered flights from three places, including Nanded and Pune. We have issued a whip for the Parliamentary Party meeting tomorrow. Arvind ji (Arvind Sawant) has written to the Lok Sabha Speaker,” Raut said.He later escalated the charge, claiming the “Minimum Support Price” for an MP had reached Rs 50 crore.Taking a swipe at the alleged attempts to engineer defections, Raut claimed that the “Minimum Support Price” of an MP had been fixed at Rs 50 crore and that Rs 15 crore was “merely an advance amount”.Responding to an X post by Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, Raut wrote: “Apna Sapna Money Money! No, no — Mahua ji, the Minimum Support Price is fixed at Rs 50 crore per MP (pachaas khoke). Rs 15 crore is just the advance. Frankly, these people aren’t even worth Rs 50,000. Their price has only gone up because of the Shiv Sena and TMC brand label.”Mocking the alleged rebellion, Raut wrote on X: “A chartered plane lands at Nanded Airport. Under the guise of Operation Tiger, it picks up two MPs and takes off. They didn’t have the means to even travel by rickshaw. Thanks to Thackeray’s name, their worth has risen to the level of flying in private jets.”The potential split has revived memories of the 2022 rebellion, when Shinde and a large group of MLAs broke away from Uddhav Thackeray, ultimately leading to the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government and the division of the Bal Thackeray-founded party.Here are six Uddhav camp MPs at the centre of latest political storm:Omraje Nimbalkar (Dharashiv)A two-time MP from Dharashiv and a prominent leader from the Marathwada region, Omraje Nimbalkar has long been considered one of Uddhav Thackeray’s loyalists. The son of late Congress leader Pawanraje Nimbalkar, served as an MLA between 2009 and 2014.His absence from a recent meeting at Matoshree fuelled speculation about his future.Sanjay Dina Patil (Mumbai North-East)A prominent Mumbai politician, Sanjay Dina Patil is a two-time MP and former NCP leader who joined the undivided Shiv Sena in 2019.Patil comes from a well-known political family. His father, Dina Bama Patil, was a trade union leader and former MLA.Sanjay Jadhav (Parbhani)One of Shiv Sena’s most recognisable faces in Marathwada, Sanjay Jadhav has won the Parbhani Lok Sabha seat three consecutive times.A former MLA and deputy leader of the party in the region, Jadhav was once considered a close confidant of Uddhav Thackeray.Sanjay Deshmukh (Yavatmal-Washim)A significant political figure in the Vidarbha region, Sanjay Deshmukh has played an important role in building the party’s grassroots presence.
Before entering Shiv Sena politics, Deshmukh served two terms as an independent MLA and was Maharashtra’s Sports Minister between 2002 and 2004. His influence in Yavatmal-Washim makes him an important figure in any prospective realignment.Nagesh Patil Ashtikar (Hingoli)A first-time Lok Sabha MP, Nagesh Patil Ashtikar is considered an influential organiser in the Hingoli and Nanded regions.An MCom graduate and former MLA, he has built a reputation as a grassroots leader. His absence from recent meetings convened by the party leadership has intensified speculation about his future political plans.Bhausaheb Vakchaure (Shirdi)Representing the Shirdi reserved constituency, Bhausaheb Vakchaure is a two-term MP and former government official.Why the numbers matterIf six MPs formally break away, Shiv Sena (UBT) would be reduced to just three Lok Sabha members: Arvind Sawant, Anil Desai and Rajabhau Waze.The move would strengthen Eknath Shinde’s position within the NDA and further bolster his claim over the Shiv Sena legacy. It would also mark the second major rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray in four years, raising fresh questions about the future of his faction ahead of the 2029 political battle in Maharashtra.
