Uddhav Thackeray: Maharashtra’s political landscape was rocked Thursday as a carefully orchestrated rebellion tore through the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), with two-thirds of its Lok Sabha MPs openly defying a party whip — the starkest sign yet that the Thackeray camp’s parliamentary strength is crumbling from within.
Six MPs Go AWOL — ‘Operation Tiger’ Lands Its Blow
In a major political upheaval, the Shiv Sena (UBT) suffered a crippling blow as six of its nine Lok Sabha members rebelled to bypass a crucial party whip on Thursday, marking the definitive success of Eknath Shinde faction’s meticulously executed plan, code-named “Operation Tiger”.
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The fracture became evident during a Parliamentary Party meeting convened by the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction at Parliament House. Despite a strict whip, only three Lok Sabha MPs attended — Arvind Sawant (Mumbai South), Anil Desai (Mumbai South-Central), and Rajabhau Waje (Nashik).
Six MPs staged a complete boycott: Omraje Nimbalkar (Dharashiv), Sanjay Jadhav (Parbhani), Sanjay Deshmukh (Yavatmal-Washim), Nagesh Ashtikar (Hingoli), Bhausaheb Wakchaure (Shirdi), and Sanjay Dina Patil (Mumbai North-East).
Why Are The Rebels Walking Out?
The dissenting lawmakers passed an internal resolution citing ideological differences — specifically that the Thackeray leadership has drifted from the original Hindutva ideology established by founder Balasaheb Thackeray. The resolution also flagged growing anxiety that a potential full-scale merger of Shiv Sena UBT into the Congress party could erase the regional party’s distinct identity.
Sanjay Raut Lays Out Legal Roadmap
Uddhav Thackeray: Shiv Sena UBT is not going down without a fight. Sanjay Raut outlined a clear legal plan — the party will first exhaust all internal constitutional and legislative processes within the Lok Sabha. If Speaker Om Birla acts in accordance with Supreme Court guidelines, the six MPs will inevitably face disqualification. If the legislative process fails, Raut said the party is prepared to challenge the matter directly before the Supreme Court.
