NEW DELHI / MUMBAI — In a severe blow to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), six of its nine Lok Sabha members have broken ranks to officially ally with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. Dubbed “Operation Tiger” by political circles, the rebel legislators have arrived in the national capital to formalize a merger with the ruling faction.
The high-stakes defection reduces the Thackeray camp’s presence to just three members in the Lok Sabha. Meanwhile, the dissenting bloc’s move provides them with the exact two-thirds majority necessary to circumvent disqualification penalties under India’s anti-defection law.
Inside the Split: The Dissident Lawmakers
The six MPs who have banded together to split from the parent opposition party include:
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Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar (Dharashiv)
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Nagesh Bapurao Patil Ashtikar (Hingoli)
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Sanjay Dina Patil (Mumbai North East)
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Sanjay Haribhau Jadhav (Parbhani)
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Sanjay Uttamrao Deshmukh (Yavatmal-Washim)
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Bhausaheb Rajaram Wakchaure (Shirdi)
The remaining MPs staying loyal to Thackeray are Arvind Sawant (Mumbai South), Anil Desai (Mumbai South Central), and Rajabhau Parag Prakash Waje (Nashik).
“Pursuing the Path to Power”: Why the Rebels Jumped Ship
Breaking his silence following a closed-door meeting with grassroots workers, Dharashiv MP Omraje Nimbalkar shed light on the systemic resource crunch that forced the mass defection. Nimbalkar noted that remaining in the opposition corner left them virtually paralyzed when it came to addressing the basic needs of their agrarian constituencies.
“How long can we keep fighting with limited resources? I honestly feel that we, too, must now pursue the path to power,” Nimbalkar told supporters. “There are no funds available even to repair a simple transformer for farmers. Every year, only estimates are drawn up. Payments for our workers’ bills are being withheld. Should we just stand by and watch helplessly?”
Nimbalkar also revealed that senior NDA leaders, including Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, facilitated a conversation with Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The center has reportedly assured Nimbalkar that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will file a High Court appeal against the recent trial court acquittal of those accused in the 2006 murder of his father, Pawanraje Nimbalkar.
Thackeray Defiant Amid Fractured Ranks
Reacting to the exodus, a resilient Uddhav Thackeray sought to downplay the rebellion during an address to remaining party functionaries, framing the crisis as a routine trial by fire.
“I have faced such crisis before also, it has not shaken me… you should all take revenge during elections,” Thackeray stated. His close aide and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut echoed the sentiment, asserting, “Many came and many have gone… but Thackerays have stayed. It doesn’t matter.”
The Ball is in the Speaker’s Court
The fast-moving development has moved the political battleground straight to the desk of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. The rebel faction has officially submitted a petition seeking recognition as a distinct, separate legislative unit ahead of their merger into Shinde’s core outfit.
Concurrently, the Thackeray camp has filed counter-petitions urging the Speaker to reject the split and issue immediate disqualification notices. The Speaker’s ultimate ruling will dictate the survival of these parliamentary memberships and draw the final lines of control in Maharashtra’s volatile political theater.
