• Source:JND

Shiv Sena-UBT Crisis: Four years after the rebellion that brought down the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT) is on the verge of another major split. On Thursday, six of the party's nine Lok Sabha MPs did not attend the parliamentary party meeting, a clear indication of their intention to leave the party.

These disgruntled MPs met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday to formalise their separation and merger with the ruling Shiv Sena faction led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

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Three Of Nine MPs Stand With Thackeray

Only three MPs, Arvind Sawant, Anil Desai, and Rajabhau Vaze, and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut, attended the party's official meeting, confirming the deep divisions within the parliamentary party.

Shocking Claim Of Merging Plan With Congress

NDTV reported that rebel MPs claimed that the Thackeray faction had deviated from the core ideology of the party founded by Balasaheb Thackeray. The rebels revealed that senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders were quietly planning a full-fledged merger with the Congress, their ally in the opposition alliance.

The revelation came days after Maharashtra Congress leader Nana Patole triggered major political speculation by claiming that NCP (SP) founder Sharad Pawar had previously proposed a merger with the Congress.

What Caused The Revolt For The Second Time

The rebellion had been brewing behind the scenes for several months, primarily due to growing dissatisfaction with Uddhav Thackeray's leadership style. Sources said the rebel MPs felt neglected during the recent elections and alleged a severe lack of support and organisational assistance during the election season.

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Furthermore, the MPs complained of a lack of access to the top leadership. They alleged that Thackeray repeatedly ignored their requests to visit their constituencies and that even his son, Aditya Thackeray, had become increasingly difficult for the party's elected representatives to meet.

The entire operation to bring the MPs to Delhi was meticulously planned. Over the past few days, six MPs—Nagesh Ashtikar, Omraje Nimbalkar, Sanjay Deshmukh, Sanjay Jadhav, Bhausaheb Wakchaure, and Sanjay Dina Patil—had their phones switched off and arrived in the capital via private jet at different times.

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Nimbalkar was accompanied by Eknath Shinde's son, Shrikant Shinde. They were all accommodated in a Noida hotel, after which they gathered at Shrikant Shinde's residence to meet the Deputy Chief. After meeting with the Speaker, these MPs immediately left for pilgrimage cities like Ayodhya, Varanasi, and Tirupati, while some returned to Mumbai and Pune.


(With Jagran.com Inputs)


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