Mumbai: Just as Shiv Sena prepares to mark its 60th foundation day, former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray may be staring at yet another major political rupture within his party. Reports are emerging that Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is orchestrating a fresh split in Shiv Sena (UBT), with as many as 7 out of 9 Lok Sabha MPs and 14 out of 16 MLAs said to be on the verge of switching sides.
This is not the first time Uddhav Thackeray has faced such a crisis. It was Shinde himself who triggered the dramatic 2022 rebellion that brought down the Maha Vikas Aghadi government and split Shiv Sena down the middle. Since then, the Thackeray camp has been fighting legal and political battles on multiple fronts to retain its identity and cadre base.
According to sources, the latest round of poaching could happen within a day or two, with the rebel MPs likely to meet the Lok Sabha Speaker and formally submit a letter breaking away as a separate group. The names doing the rounds as potential rebels include Bhausaheb Wakchaure, Sanjay Deshmukh, Arvind Sawant, Sanjay Jadhav, Sanjay Patil, Nagesh Baburao Ashttikar, Shri Rajabhau Waje, and Sanjay Dina Patil.
Shinde camp MLA Kripal Tumane made a pointed claim on Monday, asserting that all seven MPs have already taken a decision to form a separate faction before the Parliament’s winter session begins. He added that 14 of the 16 UBT MLAs are also ready to leave the party.
Union Minister of State and Shinde faction leader Prataprao Jadhav attributed the brewing discontent to a sense of neglect within the Thackeray camp. “The MPs and MLAs who are with Uddhav Thackeray feel restless because they are not being given the respect they deserve. That is why many of them have made up their minds to walk out,” he said.
When asked about the much talked about ‘Operation Tiger’, as this poaching drive is being referred to in political circles, Jadhav deflected with a sharp dig, saying that Sanjay Raut would be the right person to answer that.
Meanwhile, senior UBT leaders Anil Desai and Sanjay Raut have remained in Delhi, apparently working to prevent the situation from deteriorating further. Uddhav Thackeray, for his part, had earlier remarked that those who wish to leave cannot be stopped, and that the party’s time will also come.
Maharashtra politics, already on the boil through consecutive splits and court battles, could be heading into yet another turbulent phase as Shiv Sena’s anniversary weekend approaches.