Amid the growing rift within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal, with several rebel MPs and MLAs distancing themselves from party chief Mamata Banerjee, a new political storm seems to be brewing in Maharashtra.
What is Operation Tiger?
Over the past two days, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena has held a series of meetings with its nine Lok Sabha MPs amid fears that the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena will try to poach at least six of them under what is being dubbed ‘Operation Tiger’. Notably, the tiger was a symbol and mascot of the united Shiv Sena, drawn by party founder Bal Thackeray.
Shiv Sena (Shinde) leaders claimed that six MPs from the rival Shiv Sena (UBT) are likely to form a separate group and submit a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. According to Sena insiders who spoke to Hindustan Times, the breakaway faction could later merge with the Lok Sabha unit of the Shindhi Sena.
Read also | After the TMC, the Uddhav Thackeray camp seems to be heading towards a split in Parliament
An HT correspondent had earlier reported that the six MPs who are likely to form a splinter group are Sanjay Jadhav (Parbhani), Bhausaheb Wakshuri (Shirdi), Sanjay Deshmukh (Yavatmal-Washim), Nagesh Patil Ashtekar (Hingoli), Umraji Nepalkar (Dharashiv) and Sanjay Patel (Mumbai North East). However, these claims cannot be independently verified.
On Sunday, Uddhav called a meeting of his party’s MPs. While MPs Arvind Sawant, Anil Desai, Waje and Patel attended the meeting in person, Nimbalkar, Wakshor, Ashtekar and Deshmukh were present online. Sanjay Jadhav spoke to Thackeray over phone, party leader Sanjay Raut said.
However, on Wednesday afternoon, Patel dismissed speculation about him joining the rival camp and asserted that he had no plans to quit his party.
“I have already made it clear in the past that I will not join any other party as I am in Mumbai today. I will also attend the party meeting scheduled for Thursday in New Delhi,” Patel told Hindustan Times.
He added: “I did not receive any offer, and no party or political leader contacted me.”
Read also |₹’50 Crore’: Sanjay Raut’s Big Claim Amid Buzz of Shiv Sena-UBT Mutiny”>”MPs Promise $50 Crores’: Sanjay Raut’s Big Claim Amid Shiv Sena-UBT Mutiny Uproar
Raut launches an attack on the rebel MPs
Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut of the Shiv Sena (UBT) launched a scathing attack on party leaders allegedly involved in the defection talks. He claimed that earlier some of them “did not even have the means to travel by auto-rickshaw” but now they travel in private planes because of the political status they gained under Uddhav Thackeray.
Addressing a press conference in Delhi alongside party MPs Arvind Sawant and Anil Desai, Raut warned that the people of Maharashtra will not remain silent if the elected representatives betray the mandate. Raut also hurled abuses at the rebel MPs in the party and asked the media not to interrupt his comments.
“If anyone wants to leave, they can resign and leave. If such reports arise about our MPs, they should refute them publicly. This time, the people of Maharashtra will not remain silent,” Raut said.
In a post on
“A chartered plane lands at Nanded airport. Under the guise of Operation Tiger, it picks up two MPs and takes off. They did not have the means even to travel by auto-rickshaw. Thanks to the Thackeray name, their value has risen to the level of flying in private jets,” Raut wrote.
He also warned that those who abandon the party will be held accountable.
“Every action will be held accountable. The escape of the cowardly foxes has been thwarted. Why wonder why Operation Tiger?” Raut said in his post.
Raut also alleged that some MPs were lured with huge financial inducements to change their positions.
He promised the rebel deputies $Rs 50 crore, Raut claims
“I received a call from an important person, telling me that the representatives had made a promise $50 Crores, with $15 crores are paid in advance. “MPs are being bought off in Maharashtra,” Raut alleged during a press conference attended by Arvind Sawant, Anil Desai and Rajabhau Waje.
According to reports, Arvind Sawant, Anil Desai and Rajabhau Waje are among the few Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs who continue to strongly support Uddhav Thackeray. The three leaders, along with Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut, also met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
BJP distances itself from Operation Tiger
The BJP has distanced itself from the alleged operation. “The BJP has nothing to do with Operation Tiger. We know nothing about it,” Maharashtra Revenue Minister and senior BJP leader Chandrashekhar Bawankole said.
New development after clarification by Sanjay Patel
Patel’s denial greatly weakened the prospects for any rebellion. Under the anti-defection law, at least six of the Shiv Sena’s nine Lok Sabha MPs (UBT) will need to secede together to form the required two-thirds of the parliamentary party and avoid disqualification. If one MP withdraws, the rebels will not reach the minimum, jeopardizing any plans for a formal split.
(With inputs from agencies, Shailesh Gaikwad and Faisal Malik)
