14 July,2026 03:18 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
Arvind Sawant. File Pic
The Shiv Sena (UBT) has dismissed speculation about a possible merger with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and issued a formal communication to six Members of Parliament who defected to the rival faction, reiterating that no such move has been authorised by the party.
The letter, issued by Shiv Sena (UBT) Parliamentary Party leader in the Lok Sabha Arvind Sawant, warns the MPs against making or supporting any claim of a merger without the approval of the party leadership. A copy of the communication has also been forwarded to the Lok Sabha Speaker.
The communication has been addressed to Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar, Sanjay Dina Patil, Sanjay Jadhav, Nagesh Ashtikar, Sanjay Deshmukh and Bhausaheb Waghchaure.
According to the letter, the Shiv Sena (UBT) has neither initiated nor approved any proposal to merge with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena or any other political party.
Sawant stated that the party's position has been clearly communicated by Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, adding that reports suggesting otherwise are incorrect.
In the letter, Sawant reminded the six MPs that they were elected to the Lok Sabha in the 2024 general elections on the Shiv Sena (UBT) ticket, symbol and electoral mandate.
He also noted that they had contested the elections against candidates fielded by the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
Referring to Paragraph 4 of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, Sawant stated that individual legislators do not have the legal authority to independently bring about a merger of a political party.
According to the communication, legislators can only decide whether to accept or reject a merger initiated by the original political party and cannot themselves initiate such a process.
The letter was issued following media reports suggesting that Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar and other MPs had approached the Lok Sabha Speaker seeking recognition of a merger between the two factions.
Responding to those reports, Sawant wrote, "In the absence of any merger of the original political party, no question of any merger of the legislature party arises. Further, no such merger is permissible or contemplated in law."
The Shiv Sena (UBT) has maintained that any claim of a merger without the approval of the original political party has no legal basis.
The party has also informed the Lok Sabha Speaker that no request seeking recognition of a merger or a separate legislative group involving MPs elected on the Shiv Sena (UBT) symbol should be entertained.
According to the letter, an authorised representative of the party was recently granted a hearing by the Speaker regarding the issue.
The communication further states that, as of now, no order has been passed by the Speaker recognising any claim relating to a merger.
A copy of the letter sent to the six MPs has also been submitted to the Lok Sabha Speaker to formally place the Shiv Sena (UBT)'s objections on record.
(With inputs from IANS)
