'Operation Tiger doesn't hold any water': Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Anil Desai dismisses split rumours

Shiv Sena UBT MP Anil Desai on Thursday rejected reports of an alleged Operation Tiger aimed at engineering defections from the Uddhav Thackerayled party asserting that the speculation has been amplified beyond its actual significanceHis remarks came ahead of a crucial meeting of the Shiv Sena UBT Parliamentary Party in New Delhi called amid reports that a section of the partys Lok Sabha MPs could be considering a shift to the Eknath Shindeled Shiv SenaDespite the political buzz Desai maintained that there was no basis for the claims and insisted that the party remained unitedDesai says Operation Tiger lacks substanceSpeaking to ANI in the national capital Desai dismissed the narrative surrounding the alleged operation and said it had been exaggerated by sections of the mediaIt doesnt hold any water but the media has blown it out of proportion he saidMaharashtras political landscape has been dominated in recent days by speculation that several Shiv Sena UBT MPs may be in contact with the Eknath Shindeled faction The reports have drawn comparisons with the 2022 rebellion that split the undivided Shiv Sena and led to a major political realignment in the stateHowever Desai maintained that the current situation was being overstated and did not reflect the actual mood within the partyParty rejects reports of a possible splitThe Lok Sabha MP said Shiv Sena UBT had already rejected what he described as mediadriven conjecture about a possible rebellionAccording to Desai party MPs understand the significance of parliamentary meetings and have regularly attended such gatherings in the pastHe said there was nothing unusual about the current meeting and argued that speculation about a split had been repeatedly denied by the party leadershipWe have already rubbished these conjectures I do not think that is going to happen he saidHis comments came as party leaders sought to project unity amid continued reports of political unrestParliamentary meeting described as routine exerciseDesai also sought to downplay the significance of the whip issued by the party ahead of Thursdays meetingHe said issuing a whip for parliamentary party meetings is a standard organisational practice and should not be interpreted as evidence of an internal crisisThe Shiv Sena UBT Parliamentary Party had directed all Lok Sabha MPs to attend the meeting scheduled for 11 am in New DelhiWhile political observers have described the gathering as a crucial test of loyalty Desai insisted that such meetings are a normal part of parliamentary functioningUddhav Thackeray monitoring developmentsThe Shiv Sena UBT leader said party chief Uddhav Thackeray is closely monitoring the evolving political situation and remains in regular contact with party leaders and MPsAs party president he is closely watching developments We are in touch with him and other members are also in touch with him Desai saidThe statement was aimed at reinforcing the impression that communication between the leadership and lawmakers remains intact despite reports of dissatisfaction among some MPsThe party leadership has consistently maintained that no parliamentarian has officially informed it of any decision to leaveRival camp claims six MPs have joined Shinde factionDesais remarks came shortly after Shiv Sena MLC Chandrakant Raghuvanshi claimed that six Shiv Sena UBT MPs had expressed confidence in Eknath Shinde and joined his factionRaghuvanshi described the development as the success of Operation Tiger and welcomed the MPs into the ruling partys foldHowever no MP has publicly confirmed such a move and Shiv Sena UBT leaders have strongly disputed the claimSeveral MPs including Rajabhau Waje and Sanjay Dina Patil have recently reaffirmed their loyalty to Uddhav Thackeray and denied reports linking them to any rebellionFocus shifts to parliamentary party meetingWith conflicting claims emerging from both camps attention is now centred on the parliamentary party meeting in DelhiThe attendance of MPs and the decisions taken during the gathering are expected to provide the clearest indication yet of whether the Uddhav Thackerayled party faces a genuine threat of another split or whether the reports remain part of ongoing political speculationAs Maharashtra witnesses another round of political uncertainty the outcome of the meeting could have significant implications for the future of Shiv Sena UBT and its strength in ParliamentWith inputs from ANI