Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders gathered in Delhi and dismissed reports of a split even as Sanjay Raut intensified attacks over alleged efforts to engineer defections.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut speaks to the media as the party seeks to counter speculation about a possible split and alleged attempts to engineer defections. | ANI video grab
Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders moved to contain rumours of an internal revolt on Wednesday as party MPs assembled in Delhi amid mounting speculation that a section of the parliamentary wing could break away.
The developments come against the backdrop of persistent claims that several MPs from the Uddhav Thackeray-led party are in touch with the Eknath Shinde camp. While no official split has been announced, the reports have triggered a fresh round of political sparring in Maharashtra.
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Lok Sabha MPs Arvind Sawant and Anil Desai met Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut at his Delhi residence. Desai avoided commenting on the reports, while Sawant also joined discussions as party leaders sought to address the growing speculation.
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Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs were expected to meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. The party has also scheduled a meeting of its Lok Sabha members at its Parliamentary Party Office in the national capital.
As ‘Operation Tiger’ buzz grows, Shiv Sena (UBT) summons MPs to Delhi; leaders deny split talk
Nashik MP Rajabhau Waje rejected suggestions of any internal rebellion and reiterated his loyalty to party chief Uddhav Thackeray.
“I am with Uddhav ji and will remain with him. I have no contacts with anyone else. I have not received any call, and no contact has been established with me by Shinde ji. I am not upset, and I am with them (Shiv Sena-UBT),” Waje told ANI.
Explaining his presence in Delhi, Waje said he had travelled for a committee meeting.
He also sought to downplay reports surrounding an emergency meeting convened by Uddhav Thackeray earlier this week.
“Nothing much happened. Four people were physically present in that meeting, and five people spoke to Uddhav ji through video conferencing,” he said.
When questioned about reports of MPs leaving the party, Waje declined to speculate.
“I don’t know yet. You are talking to me while I’m still on the train. I haven’t even got down. What would I know? There is no network in the train,” he said.
As speculation continued, Sanjay Raut sharpened his attack on leaders allegedly considering a switch.
In a post on X, Raut referred to reports of a chartered aircraft landing at Nanded Airport and alleged that two MPs were being ferried as part of what he described as “Operation Tiger”.
“A chartered plane lands at Nanded Airport… Under the guise of Operation Tiger, it picks up two MPs and takes off. They didn’t have the means to even travel by rickshaw. Thanks to Thackeray’s name, their worth has risen to the level of flying in private jets,” Raut wrote.
He also warned that those leaving the party would face consequences.
“An account of every single thing will be taken. The escape of cowardly foxes has been thwarted. Why Operation Tiger, you ask?” the post said.
Earlier in the day, Raut said those wishing to leave the party should resign first.
“If anyone wants to go, they can resign and leave. If such reports emerge about our MPs, then they should refute them. This time, the people of Maharashtra will not remain silent,” he said.
The political row escalated after BJP MLA Ashishrao Deshmukh alleged that Raut was working towards a merger of Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar’s faction with the Congress.
“I have heard that Sanjay Raut wants all UBT MLAs and MPs to merge with Congress. With this, Sharad Pawar will be appointed the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, and Uddhav Thackeray will be appointed president of the Maharashtra Congress. Sanjay Raut is working on this,” Deshmukh told ANI.
He claimed to have received “credible information” about such efforts and suggested that dissatisfaction over the proposal could be behind the MPs’ visit to Delhi.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) has not responded to the allegation.
Raut also took aim at what he described as attempts to engineer defections through financial incentives.
Responding to a social media post by Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, he wrote: “Apna Sapna Money Money! No, no Mahua ji, the Minimum Support Price is fixed at 50 crore per MP. ₹15 crore is just the advance. Frankly, these people aren’t even worth ₹50,000. Their price has only gone up because of the Shiv Sena and TMC brand label.”
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi also joined the debate, accusing the BJP of encouraging defections.
In a post on X, she compared defecting politicians to snakes and warned that those brought into the ruling party’s fold could eventually turn against it as well.
No official announcement regarding any split in Shiv Sena (UBT) has been made so far. However, the continuing speculation has placed the party under intense political scrutiny as Maharashtra’s political landscape witnesses another round of uncertainty.
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