‘Wrong picture being painted’: Sanjay Raut on Shiv Sena (UBT) MP defection rumours

Shiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut on Monday sought to dismiss speculation surrounding the political future of party MP Sanjay Deshmukh asserting that all parliamentarians of the Uddhav Thackerayled party remain united and committed to the organisationRauts remarks came a day after Deshmukh the Lok Sabha MP from YavatmalWashim met Union Minister Prataprao Jadhav in New Delhi triggering speculation about a possible switch to the ruling Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath ShindeAddressing reporters in the national capital Raut said attempts were being made to create an incorrect perception about divisions within the partyRaut says reports are creating a misleading impressionReacting to the speculation the Rajya Sabha member said a wrong picture was being presented regarding the loyalty of Shiv Sena UBT MPsAccording to Raut all party MPs continue to stand with Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray and there is no question of any split within the parliamentary groupHe maintained that the partys elected representatives remain united despite repeated rumours of defections and political realignmentsAll Shiv Sena UBT MPs are together and will remain together Raut saidMeeting attendance fuels political speculationThe speculation gained momentum after a meeting of Shiv Sena UBT MPs convened by Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday witnessed only partial physical attendanceVIDEO On reports of split in Shiv Sena UBT party leader Sanjay Raut said A split happened in Shiv Sena UBT earlier as well our party is still standing strong One party has faced many such problems in 60 years People come and people goFull video available on PTIhellip pictwittercomcuVx0RWif2mdash Press Trust of India PTI_News June 16 2026Of the partys nine Lok Sabha MPs four attended the meeting in person while several others joined virtually Party leaders said those who were unable to attend physically had cited various personal and logistical reasonsSanjay Deshmukh had reportedly informed the party leadership that family commitments prevented him from attending the meeting in personHowever his subsequent meeting with Union Minister Prataprao Jadhav led to renewed speculation about possible political developmentsParty rejects Operation Tiger rumoursThe controversy comes amid political discussions surrounding reports of an alleged Operation Tiger aimed at attracting MPs from Shiv Sena UBT into the ruling Shiv Sena campThe term carries symbolic significance because the tiger was the traditional emblem associated with the undivided Shiv Sena founded by Bal ThackerayLeaders of the Uddhav Thackeray faction have repeatedly downplayed reports suggesting that a coordinated effort is underway to engineer defections from the partyAccording to party leaders there is no evidence of any imminent split among its Members of ParliamentRaut targets BJP over defectionsDuring his interaction with reporters Raut also criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party BJP accusing it of encouraging political defections across the countryHe argued that efforts to break opposition parties were harmful to the countrys democratic and political systemWithout naming specific instances Raut alleged that encouraging elected representatives to switch parties weakens the political process and creates instability within opposition ranksThe BJP has consistently rejected similar allegations in the past maintaining that leaders join the party voluntarily and based on political convictionsBuzz over separate parliamentary group deniedRaut also rejected speculation that some Shiv Sena UBT MPs were considering forming a separate parliamentary groupReports had suggested that such a possibility could emerge amid ongoing political manoeuvring in Parliament prompting questions about whether party leaders were in touch with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla regarding procedural mattersThe Rajya Sabha MP denied any such development and maintained that there was no move to create a separate faction within the partys parliamentary wingPolitical attention remains on opposition unityThe latest episode comes at a time when opposition parties across the country are closely monitoring developments involving elected representatives amid recurring reports of defections and political realignmentsFor Shiv Sena UBT maintaining unity among its MPs remains politically significant as the party continues its efforts to consolidate support following the split in the original Shiv Sena and subsequent changes in Maharashtras political landscapeWhile speculation over individual leaders continues to surface periodically the party leadership has reiterated that its MPs remain committed to the organisation and that reports suggesting otherwise are unfoundedWith inputs from PTI