Amid reports of a TMC-like rebellion in the party, Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Monday rushed to Delhi.
The development comes after Uddhav Sena Yavatmal-Washim MP Sanjay Deshmukh reportedly met Union Minister of State Prataprao Jadhav in Delhi on Monday.
According to reports, Uddhav-led Shiv Sena MPs will form a separate group. They are reportedly planning to meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and submit a letter stating they have left the party.
However, before leaving for Delhi, Raut told media persons that “there will be no split in the party. We are in touch with our MPs.”
“There is only one faction of Shiv Sena, which functions under the leadership of MP Arvind Sawant. Discussions about the MPs splitting have been ongoing for the last two years. All our MPs are in constant touch with Uddhav Thackeray. We had a dialogue with all the MPs yesterday and held discussions with them this morning as well. Uddhav Thackeray has also contacted some MPs separately,” Raut said.
When asked about the likely meeting of Uddhav Sena MPs with Speaker Birla to submit the letter, Raut said, “It would be appropriate to comment on any such letter only after its draft is out.”
According to news agency UNI, citing an Eknath Shinde-led Sena source, defecting Uddhav Thackeray MPs might be rewarded with a ministerial post if they form a separate group.
Meanwhile, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena MLA Kripal Tumane claimed here that ‘Operation Tiger’—the move to lure away Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena MPs—“is no longer only on paper but is a complete success.”
“The MLAs and MPs of Uddhav Thackeray’s party are extremely unhappy with his working methods and internal affairs. Due to this dissatisfaction, 16 MLAs and 7 MPs of Uddhav Thackeray’s Sena are in direct contact with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and the final deal between them has already been completed. Now there is no confusion left. ‘Operation Tiger’ has been finalised, and only the date of the event remains to be decided,” Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena MLA Kripal Tumane said.
Meanwhile, in his first reaction to a possible split or defection in his party, Uddhav Thackeray said, “Those who want to leave should leave happily. They should be happy. Today is not my day, but tomorrow will definitely be my day. Those who leave Balasaheb Thackeray’s Shiv Sena will definitely regret it one day.”
Reacting to a likely split or defection in the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, senior Sena leader Sushma Andhare told media persons here, “If more than half of the party’s people are involved, they could form an independent group, with one of them becoming its leader. Then they could claim that they are an independent and original party. Such a group could support the BJP. This was the method used by the Shinde group and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Perhaps the same method will be used very soon against AAP in Punjab as well.”
“Have you noticed one thing in all these events? There is only one reason why all this is happening. The fact is that the BJP cannot fight elections impartially and independently on its own. The BJP is incapable of turning public opinion in its favour and the BJP knows this very well. Therefore, by using all these methods, the BJP is trying to ensure that already elected representatives support it,” senior Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena leader Sushma Andhare said.
“What is special and common regarding all these events is that all those who break away from a party are also given a script. For example Eknath Shinde’s party was given a Hindutva script, the breakaway NCP was given a script about dissatisfaction with its leadership, while the BJP IT cell still does not seem to have written a script for the breakaway TMC group in West Bengal,” Uddhav-led Sena leader Sushma Andhare said.
However, the most interesting reaction to reports of Uddhav Thackeray MPs likely to break away, came from senior BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar, who told media persons here, “Simply because five (Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena) MPs have come, it does not mean that Eknath Shinde will become Maharashtra Chief Minister. Devendra Fadnavis will remain the Chief Minister of Maharashtra.”
Yet, Mungantiwar also claimed that he had no information about any ‘Operation Tiger’.
(With inputs from UNI)