18 June,2026 02:47 PM IST | Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar | mid-day online correspondent
Maharashtra minister Sanjay Shirsat. Pic/X
Amid continuing political turmoil within the Shiv Sena (UBT), Maharashtra minister Sanjay Shirsat on Thursday claimed that six Lok Sabha MPs from the Uddhav Thackeray-led party have formed a separate group and formally informed Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla of their decision.
The claim comes amid escalating speculation over a possible split in the Shiv Sena (UBT)'s parliamentary wing and allegations of an alleged "Operation Tiger" aimed at attracting MPs to the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
However, the Shiv Sena (UBT) leadership has maintained that it will challenge any such move and has already initiated disciplinary action against MPs who skipped a key parliamentary party meeting in New Delhi.
Speaking to reporters in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Shirsat said the process of forming a separate parliamentary group had already moved forward.
"The MPs have formed a separate group and informed the Lok Sabha Speaker. Once the entire process is completed, they will decide which party they wish to join. If they want to merge with us, the decision will be taken by Eknath Shinde. Whatever decision he takes will be accepted by all of us," he said.
According to the minister, the matter is now largely in the hands of the MPs involved and further decisions will be taken after procedural formalities are completed.
The claim is significant because it comes at a time when the Shiv Sena (UBT) leadership is attempting to prevent a possible split in its Lok Sabha unit.
Shirsat indicated that if the MPs decide to align with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, the final decision regarding their induction would be taken by the deputy chief minister.
He suggested that the ruling Shiv Sena would await the completion of the parliamentary process before taking any formal decision on the future of the MPs.
The minister's remarks add to claims made by leaders of the Shinde faction that a majority of Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs are prepared to move away from the Uddhav Thackeray camp.
However, there has been no official announcement from the alleged dissident MPs confirming such a move.
The claims emerged on a day when the Shiv Sena (UBT) convened a crucial parliamentary party meeting at its Parliament office in New Delhi.
Ahead of the meeting, the party issued a three-line whip directing all MPs to attend.
Lok Sabha leader Arvind Sawant said the whip was formally delivered to all MPs through multiple channels.
"The whip was hand-delivered to the residences of the MPs, and additionally transmitted via email and WhatsApp to ensure legal compliance. The meeting was convened to assess the physical presence of the MPs in Delhi and to deliberate on key parliamentary strategies," Sawant said.
The party later initiated disciplinary proceedings against MPs who failed to attend the meeting.
Addressing a joint press conference before the parliamentary party meeting, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut took a strong stand against those allegedly attempting to split the party.
Referring to reports of defections, he said, "Looking at the media atmosphere, even though we officially have nine MPs, it feels like 15 will turn up today."
Raut said party chief Uddhav Thackeray was closely monitoring the situation and had issued clear instructions regarding the handling of the political crisis.
The Sena (UBT) leader has repeatedly alleged that attempts are being made to engineer defections, though no evidence has been publicly presented to support those claims.
Raut also claimed that NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar had expressed solidarity with the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction amid the crisis.
"Pawar Saheb has reached out and expressed his readiness to hold joint public rallies in the home constituencies of any rebel MPs. This fight will be fought collectively by the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition, including Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (SP), and the Congress," Raut said.
The statement signals that the opposition alliance is preparing to politically confront any lawmakers who decide to leave the party.
The latest claims and counterclaims have deepened uncertainty surrounding the future of the Shiv Sena (UBT)'s parliamentary wing.
While leaders from the Shinde camp insist that six MPs have already formed a separate group and informed the Speaker, the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction has responded with disciplinary action, show-cause notices and warnings of possible disqualification proceedings.
With both camps hardening their positions, the political and legal battle over the future of the MPs is expected to intensify in the coming days.
(With inputs from IANS)
