Shiv Sena (UBT) Faces Fresh Setback As Six Rebel MPs Set To Join Eknath Shinde Camp

Uddhav Thackeray faces a significant political setback as all six rebel Lok Sabha MPs from Shiv Sena (UBT) plan to officially join the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde on Monday.

Sources said the MPs are likely to merge with the Shinde faction at around 3 pm, a move that could strengthen the Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister’s position within the Shiv Sena and deal a significant blow to Thackeray’s leadership.

The six MPs who have rebelled against the Uddhav Thackeray-led camp are Sanjay Dina Patil, Sanjay Deshmukh, Sanjay Jadhav, Bhausaheb Wakchaure, Nagesh Patil-Ashtikar and Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar. Their exit would leave Shiv Sena (UBT) with only three Lok Sabha MPs.

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The development is politically significant because the rebel group is expected to attain the two-thirds strength required under the anti-defection law, potentially protecting them from disqualification proceedings.

Amid reports of the split, Shiv Sena (UBT) convened a meeting of all its MLAs and MLCs at the party headquarters in Mumbai on Monday.

The meeting coincides with the beginning of the Maharashtra Legislature’s monsoon session and is being viewed as an effort to prevent further defections.

Uddhav Thackeray is expected to address party legislators and chalk out a strategy to deal with the latest rebellion, which comes nearly four years after the original split in the Shiv Sena that brought Eknath Shinde to power.

Two of the rebel MPs, Nagesh Patil-Ashtikar and Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar, have already publicly confirmed their decision to join the Shinde-led Shiv Sena.

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Both leaders maintained that they had not abandoned the ideology of Bal Thackeray and had merely shifted from one Shiv Sena faction to another.

The crisis escalated after several MPs skipped a parliamentary party meeting convened by Shiv Sena (UBT) in New Delhi earlier this month, triggering speculation about a fresh revolt within the party ranks.

Reacting to the developments, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis described the operation as a success and said the growing support for Eknath Shinde reflected confidence in his leadership.

He also blamed Uddhav Thackeray for the situation unfolding within the party.

Uddhav Thackeray, however, has projected confidence despite the rebellion. Addressing party workers recently, he asserted that he remains the leader of the “original Shiv Sena” and vowed to continue fighting politically.