Poster war between Shiv Sena factions on Foundation Day amid rift in Uddhav team

The political scene in Maharashtra remained turbulent on Friday as both factions of the Shiv Sena celebrated the party’s foundation day separately amid growing speculation over alleged ‘Operation Tiger’ and reports of possible defections from the Uddhav Thackeray-led camp.

Posters and banners raised by both the Shiv Sena, led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and the Shiv Sena, headed by Uddhav Thackeray, took over key locations in Mumbai, including Bandra, Kalanagar and Matoshree district, reflecting the continuing political rivalry between the two factions that emerged after the split in 2022.

The celebrations take on added significance this year against the backdrop of growing political chatter over “Operation Tiger”, a term used to describe speculation that several Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs are in touch with the Shinde-led Shiv Sena and may join the ruling alliance.

The buzz gained momentum after Shiv Sena MLC Chandrakant Raghuvanshi claimed that six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs have expressed confidence in Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and have already joined his faction. However, there has been no official confirmation from the MPs concerned regarding the allegations.

The political division within the Shiv Sena dates back to 2022 when Eknath Shinde, along with a large number of Shiv Sena members, rebelled against the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray, leading to a split in the party. Subsequent political and legal battles led to the Election Commission recognizing Shinde’s faction as the official Shiv Sena and assigning it the party’s traditional “bow and arrow” symbol, while the faction led by Uddhav Thackeray became known as the Shiv Sena (UBT).

As both camps seek to assert their political power and legacy on the party’s founding day, developments surrounding the reported ‘Operation Tiger’ are expected to keep Maharashtra politics in focus in the coming days.