The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction will present its case before Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla after six party MPs switched to the Eknath Shinde camp, triggering a fresh political battle over recognition in Parliament.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray with Aaditya Thackeray and Sanjay Raut during the party's 60th Foundation Day event in Mumbai on June 19, 2026. Thackeray is set to begin a statewide outreach campaign amid speculation over possible defections by some party MPs. | IANS
The political fallout from the latest split in Shiv Sena (UBT) has now reached Parliament, with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla scheduled to hear the Thackeray faction’s position on the rebellion by six party MPs.
According to sources, Birla has called a meeting later on Wednesday evening amid a dispute over the status of the MPs who recently switched allegiance to the Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The development comes as the Uddhav Thackeray camp seeks to prevent the rebel group from receiving official recognition.
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Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs Arvind Sawant and Anil Desai are expected to appear before the Speaker and present their arguments regarding the split. The two leaders are likely to urge Birla not to recognise the breakaway faction in the Lok Sabha.
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The dispute follows the decision of six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs to join the Shinde-led Shiv Sena earlier this week. Those who crossed over are Sanjay Haribhau Jadhav, Bhausaheb Rajaram Wakchaure, Omprakash Bhupalsingh Nimbalkar, Sanjay Dina Patil, Sanjay Uttamrao Deshmukh and Nagesh Bapurao Patil Ashtikar.
The move was described by the Shinde camp as the success of “Operation Tiger”.
The political confrontation intensified on Wednesday after Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut launched a sharp attack on the rebel lawmakers.
Posting a photograph of himself holding a gun on social media platform X, Raut wrote: “Na thake kabhi pair, Na kabhi himmat haari hai. Ladna hai Maharashtra ke gaddaron ke khilaaf, Hausla hai buland, Safar jaari hai! Jai Maharashtra, Jai Bhavani, Jai Shivaji!”
The message came days after the defections dealt a fresh setback to the Uddhav Thackeray-led party.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray also sharpened his criticism of Eknath Shinde. During his remarks, Aaditya repeatedly referred to the Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister as “Fakenath Minde”.
The defecting MPs have reportedly cited a shortage of funds as one of the reasons behind their decision to switch sides.
Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske, however, rejected that narrative and instead blamed Sanjay Raut for the weakening position of the UBT faction.
“It is the result of Eknath Shinde’s hard work and the people’s faith in his leadership. The party is moving forward under his guidance, and that very trust is drawing people to us…Six MPs have already joined, and the remaining will also come over to us. I say this with full confidence because of the decline of the UBT faction,” Mhaske said.
He further alleged that Raut was attempting to dominate party affairs.
“Sanjay Raut is trying to take control of the party. Party workers, office bearers, and public representatives are frustrated by this kind of behaviour. His mental state has deteriorated. Given the party’s decline and considering that elected representatives reach their positions through hard work, if they receive no support from the party, they will naturally seek a different path,” he said.
The Speaker’s meeting is expected to be the next key step in the battle between the rival factions as both sides seek to strengthen their position following the parliamentary split.
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