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Political Shifts and Defections in Maharashtra

Tuesday, June 23, 2026
5 min read
Political Shifts and Defections in Maharashtra

Shrikant Shinde, that guy credited with ‘Operation Tiger’ in the Shiv Sena world, he suggested something Monday. He said more political shifts could happen now that six UBT MPs have jumped over to Eknath Shinde's side. After all that movement.

He wasn’t just talking about a single move though. It felt like it was setting up something bigger.

“Explosions after explosions will continue,” he remarked, reacting to the latest mess. “For four years now, we’ve only been creating these political shocks.”

It’s that kind of talk you hear when things are boiling over. A sense that the real drama isn't finished yet.

He hinted at more trouble coming. He said this whole thing was just a trailer. “Yeh to bas trailer hai,” he mused. “Picture abhi baaki hai.” The main story hasn’t even started unfolding, you know?

The actual event happened when those six MPs officially joined the Shinde camp. Sanjay Dina Patil, Sanjay Deshmukh, Sanjay Jadhav, Bhausaheb Wakchaure, Nagesh Patil Ashtikar, and Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar. They all moved over to Eknath Shinde’s group.

This move immediately changes things inside the party. The number of Shiv Sena MPs jumps from seven up to thirteen. A real strengthening there in Parliament.

All this happened after those six MPs skipped a big meeting back in Delhi on June 17th. That skipping, that silence it just sparked all these wild speculations about where they were actually headed politically.

Nagesh Patil-Ashtikar and Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar, they had already made it public earlier. They confirmed they were heading to the Shinde side. It wasn’t a secret anymore.

Then you have Pratap Sarnaik, the Transport Minister and another Shiv Sena leader. He weighed in on the situation. He pointed out that these MPs weren't just acting alone. They were influenced by Eknath Shinde and Shrikant Shinde’s moves. It was linked to their work.

Sarnaik said they submitted a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. Why? Because they decided to follow the ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray. That foundation, that core belief that was the driving force for them. They wanted to stick with that vision.

It really marks a new chapter here in Maharashtra politics. These defections are a huge boost for Shinde’s faction. It adds another layer to the realignment that started with the split nearly four years ago. It keeps shifting, it keeps moving.

And then there’s the media circus surrounding all this. Everyone is chasing headlines. Shrikant Shinde joked about it, you know? He joked about journalists running around like maniacs trying to catch every breaking story.

“And tell me,” he asked them, with that tired exasperation, “wasn’t today enough for you? Two major news stories, both national headlines. How many do you want in a single day?”

He was really talking about the exhaustion of it all. Breaking news after breaking news since morning. He seemed to be telling everyone to just stop running around. Take some rest. Stay calm. Tomorrow, they will start afresh. Just another round.

Eknath Shinde, welcoming those six MPs into his fold, described this whole shift as a "second phase." It wasn't the beginning. It was part of something that started with his revolt against Uddhav Thackeray back in 2022. That’s where the real realignment really kicked off.

Shinde said all the formalities were done. The MPs officially belonged to the Shiv Sena now. He claimed his faction is the true inheritor of Bal Thackeray’s ideology. It's about who gets to define that legacy moving forward.

He called it a "sixer" for his camp. He implied that the entire struggle of his group was always aimed at protecting the original vision and values of Balasaheb Thackeray. That’s where the fight really lies, isn't it? In those core ideas.

Written by Gree News Team — Senior Editorial Board

Gree News Team covers international news and global affairs at Gree News. Our collective of senior editors is dedicated to providing independent, accurate, and responsible journalism for a global audience.

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