Who are the five rebel MPs in the Shiv Sena-UBT Parliament ‘split’ drama?

The Shiv Sena (UBT) is in the middle Serious political uproar within the Lok Sabha team. What is being discussed in political circles at the moment is a possible split among its representatives, with five of them said to be heading towards a separate caucus. Follow live updates here

The uproar increased after a recent internal meeting called by Uddhav Thackeray at his residence in Mumbai. Of the nine Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs, only four attended. The attendance gap led to Speculation that things were not well within the parliamentary wing of the party. The party later confirmed that all its members were present. “Four MPs were physically present, while five joined online,” Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut told reporters.

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Soon after, the political chatter about “Operation Tiger” accelerated. This term is used to denote alleged attempts to drag MPs away from the Shiv Sena (UBT) and into Parliament A faction led by Eknath Shinde. HT had earlier reported that a group of five MPs may be exploring the idea of ​​forming a separate bloc in Parliament.

Sanjay Haribhau Jadhav – Popularly known as Bandu Jadhav, he is a senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leader from Maharashtra and a prominent figure in the Marathwada region. He is currently representing Parbhani in Lok Sabha and has previously served two terms as MLA from Parbhani Assembly constituency.

Bhawasaheb Wakshor – A veteran politician and social worker from Maharashtra, Wakshwar represents Shirdi Lok Sabha constituency as a Shiv Sena (UBT) MP. Wakshor was elected to the 18th Lok Sabha in 2024. He is a member of the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Food Processing, and the Advisory Committee to the Ministry of Finance.

During his previous tenure in the 15th Lok Sabha, he was a member of the Home Affairs and Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes committees, besides holding leadership roles in several OBC and social welfare organizations.

Sanjay Deshmukh – Sanjay Uttamrao Deshmukh represents Yavatmal-Washem constituency in Maharashtra. An agriculturist and businessman by profession, he was elected to the 18th Lok Sabha in 2024 and currently serves on the Parliamentary Committee on Health and Family Welfare.

Nagesh Patel Ashtekar – Ashtekar represents Hingoli constituency in Maharashtra. A farmer and businessman by profession, he was elected to the 18th Lok Sabha in 2024 and currently serves on the Parliamentary Committee on Labour, Textiles and Skill Development. He previously served as a public representative for five years before entering Parliament.

Omraj Nimbalkar – Omraje Nimbalkar (Omprakash Bhupalsinh Nimbalkar) is a Shiv Sena (UBT) MP from Dharashiv (formerly Osmanabad) constituency in Maharashtra. A farmer, he was elected to the 18th Lok Sabha in 2024 and has been active in regional politics for over a decade, having previously contested the Maharashtra Assembly elections.

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Sanjay Dina Patel, who represents the Mumbai North East Lok Sabha constituency, clearly denied any plans to change his position. “I’ve already made it clear in the past that I am I will not join any other party as I am in Mumbai today. “I will also attend the party meeting scheduled to be held on Thursday in New Delhi.”

He said in response to another question: “I did not receive any offer, and no party or political leader contacted me.”

If the required numbers are met, representatives will likely submit a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla before seeking a merger with the Shiv Sena faction led by Eknath Shinde.

At present, only three MPs – Arvind Sawant, Anil Desai and Rajabhau Waje – are seen as firmly aligned with Uddhav Thackeray in the Lok Sabha.