Mumbai: After the Trinamool Congress, is the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena headed for a break-up?
Reports suggesting that a significant number of legislators and parliamentarians of the Shiv Sena (UBT) could be preparing to leave the party in the coming days, as reported by abp LIVE.
India Today also quoted political sources as saying that between 14 and 16 MLAs and as many as six MPs of the party are weighing their options. If they do leave, it would mark the most serious challenge to the party since the 2022 rebellion that dramatically altered Maharashtra’s political landscape.
There are reports of an alleged “Operation Tiger,” a term being used in political circles to describe a possible effort to attract leaders from the Uddhav-led camp.
With speculation doing the rounds, Thackeray
convened a meeting of the party’s Lok Sabha MPs at his residence, Matoshree, in Mumbai.
This event was seen as an attempt to gauge support within the parliamentary wing and counter reports that several leaders were considering switching allegiance to the rival Shiv Sena faction headed by Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde.
The meeting itself became the focus of political discussion, however, after only four MPs attended in person. Those present included Arvind Sawant, Anil Desai, Rajabhau Waze and Sanjay Patil.
It was reported that four other MPs joined virtually, while MP Sanjay Jadhav spoke with Thackeray over the phone and is expected to meet him separately.
Thackeray reflected on the events of 2022, when the Shinde faction came into being and remarked that he had sensed the developments unfolding at the time but had chosen not to take coercive action against those who eventually left the party.
Those who abandoned Balasaheb Thackeray’s Shiv Sena would eventually regret their decision, though by then it would be too late, he said.
Thackeray said that he had a whiff of what was happening but didn’t pressure anyone or open investigations into their scams.
Senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut attempted to project confidence, pointing out that both Uddhav Thackeray and NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar had worked extensively during the 2024 Lok Sabha campaign to help secure victories for party candidates.