Six rebel Members of Parliament from Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT) faction have officially joined Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, a move orchestrated by Shinde's son, Dr. Shrikant Shinde, and reportedly initiated after the 2024 assembly election results. The defecting MPs, including Nagesh Patil Ashtikar, Sanjay Jadhav, Sanjay Deshmukh, Bhausaheb Wakchaure, Sanjay Dina Patil, and Omraje Nimbalkar, cited Uddhav Thackeray's alleged inaccessibility and insufficient development work in their constituencies as reasons for their departure, believing alignment with the ruling dispensation would better serve their constituents. This significant development leaves Uddhav's faction with only three Lok Sabha MPs and strengthens Eknath Shinde's position within the NDA, giving his party more Lok Sabha MPs than the BJP in Maharashtra and potentially positioning him as the state's most influential Maratha leader, particularly in anticipation of the 2029 assembly elections and his own aspirations for the chief ministership.

Six rebel Members of Parliament from Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT) faction have officially joined Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, a move orchestrated by Shinde's son, Dr. Shrikant Shinde, and reportedly initiated after the 2024 assembly election results. The defecting MPs, including Nagesh Patil Ashtikar, Sanjay Jadhav, Sanjay Deshmukh, Bhausaheb Wakchaure, Sanjay Dina Patil, and Omraje Nimbalkar, cited Uddhav Thackeray's alleged inaccessibility and insufficient development work in their constituencies as reasons for their departure, believing alignment with the ruling dispensation would better serve their constituents. This significant development leaves Uddhav's faction with only three Lok Sabha MPs and strengthens Eknath Shinde's position within the NDA, giving his party more Lok Sabha MPs than the BJP in Maharashtra and potentially positioning him as the state's most influential Maratha leader, particularly in anticipation of the 2029 assembly elections and his own aspirations for the chief ministership.

Six rebel Members of Parliament from Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT) faction have officially joined Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, a move orchestrated by Shinde's son, Dr. Shrikant Shinde, and reportedly initiated after the 2024 assembly election results. The defecting MPs, including Nagesh Patil Ashtikar, Sanjay Jadhav, Sanjay Deshmukh, Bhausaheb Wakchaure, Sanjay Dina Patil, and Omraje Nimbalkar, cited Uddhav Thackeray's alleged inaccessibility and insufficient development work in their constituencies as reasons for their departure, believing alignment with the ruling dispensation would better serve their constituents. This significant development leaves Uddhav's faction with only three Lok Sabha MPs and strengthens Eknath Shinde's position within the NDA, giving his party more Lok Sabha MPs than the BJP in Maharashtra and potentially positioning him as the state's most influential Maratha leader, particularly in anticipation of the 2029 assembly elections and his own aspirations for the chief ministership.

A FORTNIGHT OF drama and speculation ended on the afternoon of June 22 when six rebel MPs from Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) joined Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena. “Operation Tiger is now complete and successful,” Shinde told the media in Mumbai.

The rebel MPs are Nagesh Patil Ashtikar, Sanjay Jadhav, Sanjay Deshmukh, Bhausaheb Wakchaure, Sanjay Dina Patil and Omraje Nimbalkar. The Uddhav-led Sena is now left with just three Lok Sabha MPs: Anil Desai, Arvind Sawant and Rajabhau Waje.

If the 2022 split in the Shiv Sena was led by Eknath Shinde, the architect of the latest operation was his son, Dr Shrikant Shinde, a third-term MP. Sources said the operation began soon after the Mahayuti secured a massive mandate in the 2024 assembly elections. It started with quiet lunch and dinner diplomacy. The MPs met discreetly at Dr Shrikant Shinde’s Delhi residence, where he argued that Uddhav’s leadership had strayed from the ideals of Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray.

Over time, he cultivated close ties with the rebels. As speculation over the defections intensified, Dr Shrikant camped in Mahabaleshwar and coordinated developments from there.

The MPs cited several reasons for their decision, including Uddhav’s alleged inaccessibility and the lack of development work in their constituencies which they attributed to funding constraints. They argued that their constituents would be better served by aligning with the ruling dispensation.

In response, Uddhav announced plans to tour the constituencies of the rebel MPs. He began with a rally in Mumbai North East, represented by Sanjay Dina Patil. Patil hit back, saying that had Uddhav engaged with party workers and leaders more regularly, such a situation would not have arisen.

The successful defections have enhanced Eknath Shinde’s standing within the NDA. In Maharashtra, his party now has more Lok Sabha MPs than the BJP. His political calculations are also shaped by the 2029 assembly elections, which the BJP is believed to be keen to contest independently. In that scenario, Shinde will need to ensure that his party emerges as the second-largest force in the state, giving him leverage in any future power-sharing arrangement.

It is evident that Shinde harbours ambitions of becoming Maharashtra’s chief minister once again. To achieve that goal, he must continue to expand his political influence. His supporters also point out that, after Devendra Fadnavis, the BJP lacks another leader in Maharashtra with comparable administrative and organisational experience. Following Ajit Pawar’s death, Shinde appears determined to position himself as the state’s most influential Maratha leader.

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