Will Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena see another split? Inside ‘Operation Tiger’

After Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress witnessed a rebellion, it seems that now Uddhav Thackeray is staring at a split as a majority of the Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha MPs are set to defect to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.

Rumours of a defection — now titled Operation Tiger — gained momentum on Tuesday evening, two days after only four of the nine Sena (UBT) MPs attended a meeting called by Uddhav Thackeray at his residence in Mumbai.

What’s going on? Will the Sena UBT split even further? Why does this possible rebellion pose a bigger problem for Uddhav Thackeray? We take a closer look and get you all the answers.

Sena MPs skip party meet, head to Delhi

The buzz of a possible rebellion first emerged on Sunday (June 14) when party leader Uddhav Thackeray had called a meeting of his MPs at his residence, Matoshree. Only four of the nine MPs of the Sena (UBT) faction showed up for this meeting.

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At the time, the party played down the absence of the others, saying four had joined the meeting virtually while one spoke to Uddhav over the phone.

On Monday, rumours of a split intensified when Yavatmal MP Sanjay Deshmukh, who had skipped Uddhav’s meeting, met Union minister Prataprao Jadhav in Delhi. However, both of them denied any political angle, saying the meeting was related to “constituency work”.

But the biggest blow emerged on Tuesday when MPs Sanjay Deshmukh (Yavatmal Washim), Sanjay Dina Patil (Mumbai North East), Sanjay Jadhav (Parbhani), Nagesh Ashtikar (Hingoli), Omraje Nimbalkar (Dharashiv), and Bhausaheb Waghchowre (Shirdi) went to Delhi, where, according to some sources, they met Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Party insiders also noted that these six MPs are expected to submit a letter to Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla about their decision to split from the Uddhav faction and merge with Shinde’s unit. Experts have pointed out that if all six of them do cross over, it would make up two-thirds of the party’s Lok Sabha unit, allowing them to avoid disqualification under the anti-defection law.

It seems that the Sena UBT MPs may look to merge with the Eknath Shinde-led faction. File image/PTI

Sena UBT’s big Rs 15 crore charge

After initially downplaying the rumours of an internal rebellion, Shiv Sena (UBT) veteran leader Sanjay Raut came out with big allegations on Wednesday. He posted on X that every rebel is being given an advance of Rs 15 crore to switch sides.

“Apna Sapna Money Money! It’s shocking and revolting that Maharashtra MPs are reportedly being offered 15 crore each tonight to switch sides,” Raut wrote. He also tagged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s account in the same tweet.

He was further quoted as telling the media, “The rebels will not be able to get the numbers they need. The BJP is trying to lure MPs with money, but they will not succeed. We are committed followers of Balasaheb Thackeray’s ideology.”

Moreover, Raut, along with the party’s group leader in the Lok Sabha, Arvind Sawant, rushed to the national capital. They have also called a meeting of party MPs for Thursday. It is also being reported that the party plans to approach the courts if the breakaway faction forms a separate group.

And in attempts to stop the rebellion, Sawant also wrote a letter to Speaker Om Birla, stating that any separate group should not be recognised. “The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) continues to be recognised as a single political party represented in the House through its duly authorised leader and whip, and that no separate recognition, status, privilege or facility be accorded to any purported faction or breakaway group claiming to represent the party,” Sawant said in his letter.

“No decision be taken on any such request, if received, without first affording the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) an opportunity to place its submissions before your office,” he wrote.

Reasons behind the possible split

But what has led to this likely internal rebellion? NDTV, citing sources, said that one of the main reasons for the MPs looking to leave and merge with Eknath Shinde was the inability to get time with the party leadership — primarily Uddhav Thackeray.

There’s also dissatisfaction over Thackeray’s decision not to visit constituencies despite repeated attempts.

Insiders have also reportedly complained of a lack of regular internal meetings, leaving their concerns unaddressed for extended periods. An NDTV report further stated that many MPs were frustrated over the lack of funds and organisational backing for local body elections.

A huge challenge for Uddhav Thackeray and the opposition

This possible revolt is yet another blow to Uddhav Thackeray’s leadership and evokes memories of the 2022 split. It was then that Eknath Shinde, a trusted aide of Bal Thackeray, engineered the most dramatic of rebellions. The revolt saw 40 of the Sena’s 55 MLAs back Shinde, triggering the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government headed by Uddhav Thackeray.

An exodus would raise uncomfortable questions about the party’s ability to retain elected representatives despite electoral success, reported News18.

The likelihood of a revolt doesn’t just hurt Uddhav’s Sena, but also the opposition. The India bloc is already facing multiple problems. Recently, the DMK announced its exit from the bloc. The Trinamool Congress has also been dealing with a major internal crisis, as a large group of MPs are looking to move to a newly formed political entity.

Against this backdrop, a weakening of Shiv Sena (UBT) would further reduce the heft of the bloc within Parliament premises.

We will have to wait and watch to see how things unfold next, but it is definitely a nail-biting time for the Uddhav-led Sena and the opposition.

With inputs from agencies