Six Lok Sabha MPs from the Shiv Sena (UBT) joined the Shiv Sena, led by Deputy Prime Minister Eknath Shinde, at an event in Mumbai on Monday, reducing the Uddhav Thackeray-led rival party to just three parliamentarians in the lower house of Parliament.
“The required operation has been completed. All six MPs have joined the Shiv Sena. ‘Operation Tiger’ has been a success,” Shinde announced at a press conference held at the YB Chavan Center in south Mumbai. The six legislators — Sanjay Jadhav, Bhausaheb Wakchwar, Sanjay Deshmukh, Nagesh Patil Ashtekar, Umraji Nimbalkar and Sanjay Dina Patel — were present on the podium during the announcement.
“We have completed the legal, parliamentary and constitutional requirements,” Shinde said, responding to a question on whether Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had decided on the request of the breakaway group of six rebel Sena MPs (UBT) to merge with his party. There has been no official announcement from the Office of the Speaker of Parliament yet.
The Shiv Sena has been trying to woo MPs for months.
As news emerged of the Sena reaching out to its MPs for the first time, Uddhav Thackeray called a meeting of the party’s nine Lok Sabha MPs on June 14. Only four of them attended in person. Four others attended the meeting virtually, and only one was absent.
On June 17, the rebel MPs arrived in New Delhi and submitted a letter to Birla, declaring that they had formed a separate group and wanted to merge with the Shiv Sena led by Shinde.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) hurriedly called a meeting of its parliamentary wing and issued a whip to all its MPs to attend the meeting in Delhi on June 18. However, the six rebel MPs were absent from the meeting.
On the same day, Sena Chief Whip (UBT) in Parliament Anil Desai issued a show-cause notice seeking a response within seven days. On June 19, Desai issued another notice asking MPs to respond within 24 hours. The party has not taken any further steps yet.
On Monday, four MPs – Ashtekar, Wakshwar, Jadhav and Deshmukh – traveled from Delhi to Mumbai on a chartered plane and were taken to the Deputy Prime Minister’s residence on Malabar Hill. Sanjay Dina Patel and Umraji Nimbalkar went to Shinde’s house.
From his official residence, Nandanvan, Shinde accompanied the six to the YB Chavan Center where he formally welcomed them to the Shiv Sena.
“The six MLAs have joined the Sena who believed in Balasaheb Thackeray’s principles and I welcome these dedicated Senaiks. I rebelled in June 2022 when 40 MLAs joined me. Now we have reached six. This is the second phase,” he said.
Shinde said the six MPs did not join for selfish motives but for the sake of their constituencies. He also said that their joining will strengthen the party and Sena will do his best to solve the problems of people there.
He specifically mentioned Deputy Prime Minister Umraji Nimbalkar, saying he would support him in seeking justice for his father, Pawanraj Nimbalkar, who was murdered in 2006.
Last week, a special court in Mumbai acquitted eight people, including former Maharashtra home minister Padamsinh Patil, 86, who faced murder charges in the murder case. Patil, the alleged mastermind behind the conspiracy and then working with the undivided NCP, is the half-brother of Deputy Prime Minister and NCP chief Sunetra Pawar. The Central Bureau of Investigation said it would appeal the ruling.
Speaking about the grievances of the six MPs regarding development work in their constituencies, the Deputy Prime Minister said that he would soon organize a meeting of all ministers so that the problems of all MPs are resolved immediately.
Shinde said the six MPs will re-contest on Shiv Sena tickets in 2029 and will win again.
Monday’s developments raised the Shiv Sena’s strength in the Lok Sabha from the existing 7 MPs to 13 MPs. The reorganization puts the Senate on par with the Congress as the largest state legislative party in the Lok Sabha. One independent MP, Vishal Patel, is in Congress.
Of the 48 MLAs from Maharashtra, the BJP has 9, and its alliance partner, the NCP, has 1 seat. The Congress Party (SP) has 8 MPs and the Shiv Sena (UBT) has only 3 MPs.
In 2022, Shinde walked out of the Shiv Sena with 40 Sena MLAs and 10 independents. He later withdrew with 13 other deputies. Many companies also left the party with him at that time.
