Shinde Camp Strengthens as Six Lok Sabha MPs Switch Sides; UBT Calls Move ‘Betrayal’
In a major political development that could reshape Maharashtra’s political landscape, six Lok Sabha MPs formerly associated with Shiv Sena (UBT) formally joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Monday, significantly boosting the ruling faction’s strength in Parliament.
The leaders who joined the Shinde camp are Omraje Nimbalkar, Nagesh Patil Ashtikar, Sanjay Deshmukh, Sanjay Jadhav, Sanjay Dina Patil and Bhausaheb Wakchaure. They were welcomed by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, MP Shrikant Shinde, Minister Pratap Sarnaik, and other senior party leaders at a joining ceremony.
Shinde Camp’s Lok Sabha Strength Rises
Announcing the development, Minister Pratap Sarnaik said the induction marks another milestone for the party’s ongoing political outreach.
He said, “This will increase the number of our MPs from 7 to 13. This has increased the strength of Shiv Sena.”
According to party leaders, the six MPs have already submitted a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla regarding the change in affiliation.
Sarnaik also described the move as part of the party’s continuing political expansion.
“Operation Tiger continues 365 days a year. The six MPs who follow the ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray are joining Shiv Sena. They have submitted a letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker. We welcome them. We thank Sanjay Raut because, due to him, first the MLAs joined our party, and now six MPs are joining our party,” he said.
Aaditya Thackeray Hits Back
The development triggered an immediate response from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), with party leader Aaditya Thackeray accusing the defecting MPs of abandoning the mandate given by voters.
Addressing the media, Aaditya Thackeray alleged, “Today they are breaking our MPs and MLAs because they want to change Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Constitution. Voters stopped them in 2024, and they got only 240 MPs. Now they are once again trying to achieve that by breaking political parties. Their main aim is to change the Constitution.”
He also launched a personal attack on the rebel lawmakers, calling them “darrpok aur bikau” and claiming they had betrayed the mandate under which they were elected.
“They were elected in the name of Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray and MVA against the BJP. Now, the BJP wants to include them in their ‘daldal’ so that they can change the Constitution of the country by achieving a two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha,” he said.
Fresh Political Flashpoint in Maharashtra
The latest defections have intensified the political confrontation between the Shinde-led Shiv Sena and the Uddhav Thackeray faction. While the ruling camp has projected the move as an endorsement of Balasaheb Thackeray’s ideology, the UBT leadership has termed it a betrayal of the public mandate and accused the BJP of engineering splits in opposition parties.
With the parliamentary numbers shifting and both camps exchanging sharp allegations, the battle for the Shiv Sena legacy is set to enter another crucial phase in Maharashtra politics.
