Mumbai: Disgusted by the frequent defections of party MPs, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has stated bluntly that the Shiv Sena can only exist once, as its primary objective is to protect the rights of Marathi people. Speaking on Sunday, Thackeray said that in 2024, he fought the 2024 elections against the alliance led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and won with the blessings of the people. He alleged that some MPs, driven by their hunger for power and money, are now betraying not only the organization but also the trust of the general public. Amid this crisis, Thackeray has launched his public relations campaign from the Mumbai North-East Lok Sabha constituency, represented by defecting MP Sanjay Dina Patil.
This internal rebellion within the Shiv Sena (UBT) has posed a major challenge for Uddhav Thackeray. Two of the party’s six dissident MPs officially joined Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s faction on Sunday, fueling speculation that the remaining four MPs might also switch sides. Dharashiv MP Omraje Nimbalkar quit the party immediately after the court verdict in his father Pawanraje Nimbalkar’s murder case, while Hingoli MP Nagesh Ashtikar announced his move to the Shinde faction via a social media live. After the court acquitted all the accused in the murder case on Saturday, Uddhav Thackeray made a last-ditch effort to stop Omraje, but it failed.
Since the Maharashtra Assembly elections, the Shiv Sena, led by Eknath Shinde, had been working on a strategy to weaken the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction. After the delimitation bill failed to pass in Parliament, this plan, dubbed “Operation Tiger,” was swiftly implemented. According to insiders, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his MP son, Shrikant Shinde, took advantage of this political situation and convinced the BJP high command that they could increase the party’s strength by wooing MPs from the opposition camp.
After splitting the MPs, the Eknath Shinde faction has now set its sights on the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), where there are rumors of large-scale defections. The Shinde faction claims that around 45 former councillors from the Uddhav camp are in touch with them and may take a major decision soon. This number represents two-thirds of the total councillors, essential to avoid the purview of the anti-defection law, which is crucial to avoid disqualification. Local leaders of the Shinde faction say that the opposition camp initially dismissed the news of MPs’ departure as mere rumors, but the ground reality has finally come to light.
