Arvind Sawant, Anil Desai meet Sanjay Raut amid Shiv Sena (UBT) rebellion buzz

Amid mounting speculation over a possible rebellion within the Shiv Sena UBT senior party leaders Arvind Sawant and Anil Desai met Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut at his residence in New Delhi on Wednesday adding to the intense political activity surrounding the partyThe meeting comes at a time when reports of an alleged Operation Tiger have fuelled speculation that a section of the partys Lok Sabha MPs could be considering a shift to the Eknath Shindeled Shiv Sena which is part of the ruling alliance in MaharashtraWATCH Delhi Amid speculations of a split in Shiv Sena UBT party MP Sanjay Raut says I have information that Rs 15 crore each was delivered to the MPs after which they boarded charter flights from three places including Nanded and Pune We have issued a whip for thehellip pictwittercoms50XxiJV3Emdash ANI ANI June 17 2026Key party leaders hold meeting in DelhiAnil Desai was seen arriving at Rauts residence earlier in the day While political observers closely monitored the meeting Desai declined to comment on reports of internal differences within the partySoon after Lok Sabha MP Arvind Sawant also joined the discussions Although details of the meeting were not disclosed the gathering assumes significance given the ongoing rumours of political realignments involving some Shiv Sena UBT parliamentariansVIDEO Delhi Shiv Sena UBT MPs Arvind Sawant and Anil Desai arrive at the residence of party leader Sanjay Raut amid speculation over a possible split in the partyFull video available on PTI Videos httpstcon147TvrpG7 pictwittercomZ1rxcogvqQmdash Press Trust of India PTI_News June 17 2026The party leadership has not officially commented on the agenda of the meetingOperation Tiger speculation intensifiesPolitical circles in Maharashtra have been abuzz with reports that several Shiv Sena UBT MPs may be in contact with leaders of the Eknath Shindeled Shiv SenaAccording to political speculation as many as seven of the partys nine Lok Sabha MPs could be exploring their options although no lawmaker has publicly announced plans to leave the Uddhav Thackerayled partyThe reports have revived memories of the 2022 political upheaval in Maharashtra when Eknath Shinde and a large group of MLAs rebelled against Uddhav Thackeray leading to a split in the Shiv Sena and a change in the states political landscapeDespite the speculation Shiv Sena UBT leaders have maintained that the party remains unitedParty schedules parliamentary meetingAmid the uncertainty the party has called a meeting of all its Lok Sabha MPs in New Delhi on June 18 The meeting is scheduled to be held at the Parliamentary Party Office and is expected to focus on organisational and parliamentary mattersReports also suggested that a group of Sena UBT MPs could meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla although no official details were immediately available regarding the purpose of such an interactionThe developments have triggered heightened political interest with observers watching for any indication of a split within the partys parliamentary ranksRajabhau Waje dismisses reports of riftShiv Sena UBT MP Rajabhau Waje who arrived in Delhi on Wednesday rejected speculation about any division within the party and reaffirmed his loyalty to Uddhav ThackeraySpeaking to reporters the Nashik MP said he remained firmly with the Shiv Sena UBT chief and had not been contacted by leaders from any other political partyWaje also clarified that his visit to Delhi was related to an official parliamentary committee meeting and not connected to any political negotiationsAccording to him reports suggesting he was involved in discussions about a possible realignment were incorrectQuestions remain over partys future courseWaje also provided details about the emergency meeting convened by Uddhav Thackeray earlier this week He said only a few MPs attended the meeting in person while others participated through video conferencingHowever when asked whether any MPs were planning to break away from the party or whether a dissident group had the required numbers to form a separate bloc Waje declined to comment saying he was not aware of the latest developmentsThe Shiv Sena UBT has so far dismissed reports of an imminent split but speculation continues to dominate Maharashtras political discourse With key meetings scheduled in Delhi and party leaders engaged in consultations the coming days are expected to provide greater clarity on whether the rumours of a rebellion have any substance or remain part of the ongoing political chatterAs uncertainty persists attention remains focused on the partys MPs and the leaderships efforts to maintain unity within its parliamentary ranksWith inputs from ANI