Ahead of its foundation day on June 19, Shiv Sena (UBT), led by Uddhav Thackeray, has found itself confronting fresh signs of internal turmoil. The absence of six MPs from the party’s parliamentary meeting in New Delhi held on Thursday has fuelled speculation of another split, with political observers now watching closely to see whether the unrest spreads to the ranks of MLAs and corporators.

The six MPs who remained absent are Omraje Nimbalkar (Dharashiv), Sanjay Dina Patil (Mumbai North East), Sanjay Jadhav (Parbhani), Sanjay Deshmukh (Yavatmal-Washim), Nagesh Patil Ashtikar (Hingoli), and Bhausaheb Vakchaure (Shirdi), while those who were present at the meeting included Arvind Sawant (Mumbai South), Anil Desai (Mumbai South-Central), and Rajabhau Waje (Nashik). However, not a single MP from the dissident camp has publicly issued any clarification regarding their future political course.