Maharashtra's politics is simmering once again. Talk of several MPs from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) walking away has grown so loud that it is no longer just speculation. The situation is such that senior leaders of the party are unable even to reach their own MPs on the phone. Several MPs' mobiles are reportedly switched off, and this alone has multiplied the anxiety at Matoshree.
According to sources, Uddhav Thackeray and other top leaders have now stepped onto the field themselves, trying to win over each MP one by one and keep them tied to the party. At the very same moment, fast-moving developments in Delhi have pushed the temperature of Maharashtra politics even higher.
A Delhi Gathering And The 'Operation Tiger' Buzz
The possible split being talked about within Shiv Sena (UBT) is being dubbed 'Operation Tiger' in political circles. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena chief and Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde has already reached Delhi. His son and Shiv Sena parliamentary party leader Shrikant Shinde is also expected to arrive in Delhi today. Officially, it is being said that Shrikant Shinde is coming to the capital to attend a meeting of a parliamentary standing committee, but this visit by father and son is being linked directly to 'Operation Tiger'.
It is claimed that some MPs from the Uddhav camp will hold a meeting at Shrikant Shinde's Delhi residence at around 8:30 am today, with both father and son present. There is talk that after this meeting, some MPs may also meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
First A Separate Group, Then A Merger
The strategy being described in political corridors is this: first the process of forming a separate parliamentary group in the Lok Sabha will be completed, and later that group may be merged into the Shinde-led Shiv Sena. In other words, instead of quitting the party outright, the plan is first to carve out a distinct identity inside Parliament.
The MPs whose names are echoing the loudest in this alleged exercise include Sanjay Dina Patil, Sanjay Deshmukh, Nagesh Patil Ashtikar, Omraje Nimbalkar, Bhausaheb Wakchaure and Sanjay Jadhav. The name of Rajabhau Waje is also being added to the list of possible rebels.
However, some of these leaders have publicly rejected any talk of switching sides. Nashik MP Rajabhau Waje and Mumbai North East MP Sanjay Dina Patil have stated firmly that they stand solidly with Uddhav Thackeray.
The Uddhav Camp's Counter, The Mamata Route
Amid all this speculation, Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT) has taken the very path that Mamata Banerjee once chose. Senior party MP Arvind Sawant has written to the Lok Sabha Speaker, requesting that any claim by a party MP to form a separate group or merge with another party not be recognised. A letter exactly like this had earlier been written to Speaker Om Birla by Mamata Banerjee's TMC.
Sawant's letter argues that Shiv Sena UBT is a single political party and is the only one valid in the eyes of the law. According to the letter, a party's existence in Parliament flows from the original political party, so no claim can be made to represent that same party by forming separate groups.
He also underlined that after the 2003 amendment to the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, the provision allowing the formation of a separate group has ceased to exist. Citing a Supreme Court ruling, Sawant said that an MP's legitimacy comes from the political party, not merely from the parliamentary party. He urged that if any group describes itself as a separate faction, it should not be given any kind of recognition, facility or special status.
The Incomplete Matoshree Meeting Deepens The Suspense
The groundwork for all this had been laid on Sunday itself, when Uddhav Thackeray called a meeting of all nine of his Lok Sabha MPs at Matoshree. But only four of the nine turned up in person, while the rest took part through video conferencing or by phone. This prompted questions about why so many MPs had stayed away from a face-to-face meeting. The party called it routine, while the rival camp branded it a sign of brewing discontent.
Sanjay Deshmukh's Meeting Fuels The Talk
The chatter grew further on Monday when Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Deshmukh met Union Minister and Shinde faction leader Prataprao Jadhav in Delhi. Both leaders clarified that the meeting was only about regional development works and that no political meaning should be read into it. Even so, in political circles it is being seen as a possible shift.
On the other side, Maharashtra government minister and Shinde faction leader Pratap Sarnaik has all but thrown the doors open. He said that if MPs or MLAs from the Uddhav camp place their trust in Eknath Shinde's leadership, they will be welcomed. According to Sarnaik, those leaders who believe in Balasaheb Thackeray's ideas and wish to work under Eknath Shinde will find the doors of the Shiv Sena open, and such leaders will be given priority.
Sanjay Raut Hits Back, Alleges Horse Trading
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut, who has reached Delhi, flatly rejected the reports of a split. He alleged that attempts are being made to buy Maharashtra's MPs, and that some people are being offered crores of rupees to win them over. Raut wrote on social media that up to Rs 15 crore per MP is being offered to break away Maharashtra's MPs. He expressed confidence that the party is fully united and that all its MPs stand with Uddhav Thackeray's leadership.
What is striking is that all this churn is unfolding in exactly the same season when, about four years ago in 2022, Eknath Shinde's revolt split the Shiv Sena into two at this very time. The memory of that shock is once again making hearts race at Matoshree.
