In what could be another massive jolt to Uddhav Thackeray’s Sena faction, sources say 14 UBT MLAs are in touch with Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena. This comes after Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Shinde’s “Operation Tiger” earlier in the year, which saw 6 UBT MPs jump ship.
Tensions were soaring since the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance swept the Maharashtra assembly elections in November 2024, leaving the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition with just 46 seats in the 288-member assembly, while the Shinde Sena won 57 seats. Buzz began to circulate, that another potential split could be in play.
Initially, all 11 UBT MPs publicly insisted they were staying united with Thackeray. Party leader Arvind Sawant dismissed the rumored “Operation Tiger” campaign, declaring “Tiger zinda hai.” Around the same time, Thackeray even dared Shinde to try poaching his MPs without relying on police.
But things eventually began to escalate when six of Shiv Sena (UBT)’s nine Lok Sabha MPs boycotted a mandatory parliamentary party meeting despite a strict whip issued by Thackeray. Those who did attend included Sanjay Raut, Anil Desai, Arvind Sawant, and Rajabhau Waje, while Sanjay Dina Patil, Sanjay Deshmukh, Sanjay Jadhav, Omraje Nimbalkar, Bhausaheb Wakchaure, and Nagesh Patil Ashtikar boycotted.
Uddhav Sena started moving through the gears. They began issuing show-cause notices to the absent MPs with only a few hours to respond, and threatened to petition Speaker Om Birla for their disqualification under the anti-defection law. But to no avail, the defection was well and truly over.
Five days after the boycott, on June 19, the six MPs formally joined the Shiv Sena at an event with Shinde and senior party leaders. The defectors were Sanjay Deshmukh, Sanjay Jadhav, Sanjay Dina Patil, Nagesh Patil, Omprakash Nimbalkar , and Bhausaheb Wakchaure. Shinde declared victory, saying “Operation Tiger is now complete and successful.”
The timing of ‘Operation Tiger’ was perhaps its most important aspect. June 19 was the 60th Foundation Day of the Shiv Sena. The formal induction of rebel MPs into the Shinde-led Shiv Sena, around the Foundation Day celebrations, carried enormous symbolic value. In 2022, Shinde delivered a massive blow by splitting the party’s legislative wing.
A parliamentary split on the party’s Foundation Day further strengthened Shinde’s claim to the Shiv Sena legacy and sent a powerful political message across Maharashtra. And for Thackeray, it raised several crucial and pressing questions about control and power.