A political split within Shiv Sena (UBT) deepens amid reports of an “Operation Tiger” aimed at bringing six Uddhav Thackeray-led Lok Sabha MPs into the rival Shiv Sena faction led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The controversy escalates after six of the nine Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs reportedly skip an emergency parliamentary party meeting in Delhi, despite the party issuing a mandatory whip. Uddhav Thackeray’s camp says it is considering disciplinary and legal steps and questions the process and transparency around the MPs’ move. Shinde’s faction denies any wrongdoing in the reports and says the MPs are joining for ideological reasons and their proximity to Congress.
Multiple outlets report the MPs submit letters to the Lok Sabha Speaker’s office and are scheduled to meet the Speaker regarding the merger process. Shinde and allies characterize the development as complete, saying the six MPs are merging with the Shinde-led Shiv Sena and will be part of the faction going forward. Meanwhile, political opponents—including Congress—accuse the BJP of engineering defections, while Shinde’s side presents the switch as legally and constitutionally valid. The episode renews comparisons to the 2022 rebellion that previously altered Maharashtra’s Shiv Sena leadership.
