Mumbai: The Shiv Sena, which has dominated Maharashtra politics as a strong regional force for decades, is once again facing a major internal crisis. From the era of party founder Balasaheb Thackeray to the current leadership of Uddhav Thackeray, the organization has seen several major splits. Now, rumors of six of the Shiv Sena’s nine MPs defecting have once again raised serious questions about the Thackeray brand’s political clout and leadership capabilities.
Formed in 1966, the Shiv Sena established its dominance in Maharashtra politics under the charismatic leadership of Balasaheb Thackeray. However, despite his universally accepted leadership, the party suffered its first major setback in 1991. Firebrand leader Chhagan Bhujbal, accusing the party of being isolated within the leadership style and the organization, rebelled against the party along with 17 MLAs and later joined the Congress.
When Uddhav Thackeray was appointed acting president of the Shiv Sena in 2003, a new, long period of internal strife within the party began, which periodically caused significant damage to the organisation:
- 2005 (Narayan Rane’s rebellion): Former Chief Minister Narayan Rane strongly opposed the appointment of Uddhav Thackeray as his successor and eventually left the party and joined the Congress.
- 2006 (Raj Thackeray’s separation): The biggest and most talked about split within the Thackeray family occurred when Bal Thackeray’s nephew Raj Thackeray parted ways and formed the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).
- 2022 (Eknath Shinde’s coup): This marked the most fateful turning point in Shiv Sena history when Eknath Shinde broke away with 40 MLAs. This rebellion cost Uddhav Thackeray the chief ministership, and after a legal battle, he also lost the party’s original name and the “bow and arrow” election symbol.
2026 (New crisis of MPs): Now, within a few years of Eknath Shinde’s major rebellion, the news of the split of 6 out of 9 Lok Sabha MPs from the Uddhav faction (Shiv Sena-UBT) has increased the worries of Matoshree.
Since the historic split in 2022, the Shiv Sena (UBT) has seen its electoral and organizational base steadily shrink. The party’s performance in the last Lok Sabha and Assembly elections was limited. Furthermore, the party’s decades-long monopoly over the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), once considered the powerhouse of Mumbai and the Shiv Sena’s financial backbone, has now significantly weakened.
Political analysts believe that these major rebellions, one after another, have made it clear that the issue of internal democracy and organizational balance within the Shiv Sena remains unresolved. These ongoing divisions are not only demoralizing workers on the ground, but also putting the Thackeray family’s leadership capabilities under pressure from all sides. Uddhav Thackeray’s biggest test now is how to preserve his remaining traditional vote bank and revitalize the organization for the upcoming political battles.
