NEW DELHI: Is Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) in line for another major blow?Four years after Eknath Shinde‘s rebellion split the party, the Maharashtra deputy chief minister is reportedly in touch with a fresh group of Lok Sabha members from the Thackeray camp. Reports suggest that at least six of Shiv Sena (UBT)’s nine Lok Sabha MPs are in discussions with Shinde as part of “Operation Tiger”.According to reports, Shinde met members of the potential breakaway group in New Delhi before leaving for Jaipur, triggering speculation of yet another split in the Uddhav camp.According to news agency ANI, the number of rebel MPs could reach seven, one more than enough to cross the two-thirds threshold to dodge the anti-defection legalities.If successful, Shinde’s “Operation Tiger” would further strengthen his hold over the Bal Thackeray-founded Shiv Sena’s legacy. The development could mirror the 2022 rebellion that split the party and dealt a major blow to Uddhav Thackeray‘s leadership.Amid growing speculation and insecurities, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader in the Lok Sabha Arvind Sawant has urged Speaker Om Birla to “not entertain any claim by defecting MPs seeking recognition as a separate group or merger with another political party.”
Shiv Sena (UBT) presser on split buzz
Amid growing speculation over a possible split in the Thackeray camp, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut addressed a press conference and issued a warning to potential defectors.“If anyone wants to go, they can resign and leave. If such reports emerge about our MPs, then they should refute them. This time, the people of Maharashtra will not remain silent,” Raut said.He also levelled serious allegations about attempts to engineer defections, claiming, “I have information that Rs 15 crore each was delivered to the MPs, after which they boarded charter 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.”Shiv Sena (UBT)’s leader in the Lok Sabha, Arvind Sawant, also addressed the media and said he had written to Speaker Om Birla over the issue.“I have written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla over safeguarding the Constitution. Until now, no party leader has told us that they are leaving,” Sawant said.
Raut’s ‘Operation Wolf’ and attack on rebels
However, senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Uddhav Thackeray loyalist Sanjay Raut has earlier dismissed reports of any rebellion among the party’s Lok Sabha MPs. He also responded to the reported move by dubbing it “Operation Wolf.”A possible merger of the rebels with the Shinde camp would strengthen the NDA led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi while majorly reducing the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena’s influence in Parliament.The renewed rebellion could emerge as one of the toughest tests yet for Uddhav Thackeray and the political relevance of his faction.
‘Chartered plane and 50 crore offer’
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 (TMC) 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.(pcaas 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 reported 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.”
‘Shiv Sena UBT will be finished’
Meanwhile, the Shinde camp has made strong claims about the future of Shiv Sena (UBT).Backing “Operation Tiger”, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam said, “The party called Ubatha is slowly dying. Their MLA and MP no longer have faith in Ubatha’s leadership. By 2029, the party will be finished. People are leaving Ubatha every day. As far as their MPs are concerned, we have nothing to do with it. This is an internal matter of their party. This party will slowly die, and people will leave,” Nirupam told ANI.The speculation has also drawn a sharp response from Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi, who targeted the BJP over recent defections from opposition parties joining the NDA.“The BJP should not remain under the illusion that by assembling a gang of cobras, they will feed the snakes milk and they will only bite the opposition. Your time will also come because it is the nature of a snake to bite; if today is our turn, tomorrow could be yours too,” she wrote on X.
Not the first INDIA bloc rebellion
However, the developments in Shiv Sena (UBT) would not be the first instance of turmoil within an INDIA bloc constituent.Recently, following a major electoral setback in West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress faced an internal rebellion, with a large section of MLAs expressing dissatisfaction with the leadership of Mamata Banerjee and the growing influence of Abhishek Banerjee.The dissenting camp eventually rallied behind expelled TMC leader Ritabrata Banerjee, supporting him for leader of opposition and distancing itself from Didi.The rebellion soon spilled over to Delhi, where a group of 20 MPs led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar broke away from the TMC, formed a separate bloc in the Lok Sabha and offered support to the NDA.Weeks earlier, the Aam Aadmi Party witnessed a similar development in the Rajya Sabha. Raghav Chadha, once considered one of Arvind Kejriwal’s closest aides, emerged as a critic of the party leadership following AAP’s Delhi loss and led a rebellion against the top brass.Chadha, along with six other Rajya Sabha MPs, eventually merged his faction with the BJP, voicing strong differences with the AAP leadership and strengthening the NDA’s position in the Upper House.
Boost for NDA’s numbers game?
With the NDA continuing to attract opposition dissidents, the Narendra Modi-led alliance appears better placed to navigate key legislative battles, particularly after facing hurdles over issues such as the Delimitation Bills months ago.
