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Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Movement and Political Split Rumors

Wednesday, June 17, 2026
5 min read
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Movement and Political Split Rumors

One MP drove for hours. From Hadgaon to Hyderabad before catching a flight. Two others did the same, separate road trips to Nanded Airport, then boarded chartered planes heading to Delhi. Another one came in from Mumbai. And yet another took a direct flight straight from Shirdi.

These journeys felt routine. Just travel. But together, they’ve become this big source of worry for Uddhav Thackeray .

As six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs quietly started moving towards the capital through road trips and planes, rumours about a split were gathering speed in Maharashtra. People getting hard to reach. Speculation about forming a separate parliamentary group. The focus shifted from Mumbai’s crisis almost 1,400 kilometres away, to Delhi.

Four years is a long time for political shifts. Eknath Shinde’s rebellion redrew the map back then. Now, Uddhav Thackeray faces that same familiar question: is there another breakaway faction forming?

The rebel MPs didn't travel together. That fact stuck out.

Hingoli MP Nagesh Patil Ashtikar drove from Hadgaon to Hyderabad first. Then a commercial flight to Delhi. Sanjay Deshmukh and Sanjay Jadhav, the Yavatmal and Parbhani MPs, travelled separately by road to Nanded Airport before hopping on chartered aircraft for the capital. Omraje Nimbalkar, Dharashiv MP, flew in from Mumbai. Bhausaheb Wakchaure, Shirdi MP, took a direct flight straight there. And Sanjay Dina Patil, the Mumbai MP, also ended up in Delhi via a chartered plane.

Reports keep coming that several MPs are just stopping calls. Communication is breaking down with senior leaders in Mumbai. Things got worse for Uddhav’s camp when some MPs allegedly went silent on the phones. That's when the focus had to jump to what was happening in Delhi instead.

All this brings back memories of ‘Operation Tiger’. That phrase, it’s become shorthand around Maharashtra politics for trying to pull defections from the Uddhav Thackeray side.

Recently, rumours about a fresh operation started gaining traction again. Some Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders publicly acknowledged that rival camps were trying to lure elected representatives. Tuesday, Sanjay Raut took to X. He claimed there was an advance payment of fifteen crore offered to MPs just to switch sides. “Apna Sapna Money Money!” he wrote. “It’s shocking and revolting that Maharashtra MPs are reportedly being offered ₹15 crore each tonight to switch sides.”

Mahua Moitra, a Trinamool Congress MP, reposted his message. She shot back with sarcasm about the amount. “No no Mahua ji,” Raut replied. “The Minimum Support Price is fixed at ₹50 crore per MP. Fifteen crore is just the advance. Frankly, these people aren’t even worth ₹50,000. Their price only went up because of the Shiv Sena and TMC brand label.”

Political observers see something different now than in 2022. Back then it was about MLAs and state government control. Now, the battle seems focused more on Parliament. On symbolism.

The real weight is in Delhi. It’s not just about the MPs themselves. It's what their numbers mean. The Shiv Sena (UBT) came out of the 2024 elections with some seriously strong opposition showing in Maharashtra. Any split among them hits Uddhav Thackeray hard. He spent four years trying to rebuild his organization after losing the original name and symbol to Eknath Shinde’s side.

Even a small breakaway group would strengthen the argument that support for Uddhav is slipping away across multiple levels of the party.

There are real discussions happening now about forming a separate parliamentary bloc. One that could eventually line up with the NDA. The buzz got louder on Wednesday when reports surfaced that these rebels were planning to meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Eknath Shinde in Delhi today.

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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