Maharashtra's politics is heating up once again, and this time the spotlight is on Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT). Murmurs of a fresh, major split inside the party are growing louder, with claims that most of Uddhav's Lok Sabha MPs are getting ready to join Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena. In political circles, the entire exercise has been nicknamed 'Operation Tiger'.
What is unfolding
According to sources, 7 of the 9 Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs are on the verge of joining the Shinde faction. Six to seven MPs from the Uddhav camp are said to be fully prepared to cross over and could move to the Shinde side very soon. As part of this, a crucial meeting of these MPs is reportedly being planned in Delhi on Wednesday.
Wednesday morning meet, followed by a visit to the Speaker
Information available with TrendKia suggests that these MPs of the Uddhav Thackeray group (UBT) will gather at Shrikant Shinde's Delhi residence at around 8:30 am on Wednesday. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Shrikant Shinde are also expected to be present at the meeting. It is believed that once the meeting concludes, the MPs will head straight to meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
Sources claim the strategy is clear. The MPs will first complete the formal process of forming a separate group in the Lok Sabha, and this group will then be merged with the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde.
The names making the rounds
There is talk that 6 MPs of the Uddhav Thackeray group (UBT) are in regular contact with the Shinde Shiv Sena. The names being mentioned are as follows:
- Sanjay Dina Patil
- Sanjay Deshmukh
- Nagesh Patil Ashtikar
- Omraj Nimbalkar
- Bhausaheb Wakchaure
- Sanjay Jadhav
Apart from these, the name of Rajabhau Waje is also part of this discussion.
Kesarkar's claim: several MPs will join Shinde
Shinde faction leader Deepak Kesarkar, speaking to TrendKia, claimed that many of Uddhav Thackeray's MPs will come over to Eknath Shinde, and that one only has to wait a few days for it. Kesarkar said several public representatives want to align with Shinde so they can carry out development work in their own constituencies.
He also said that every MP and MLA in the Shiv Sena practises Bala Saheb's Hindutva politics. Given that, he argued, all those MPs who are in touch with him will end up in this camp.
Uddhav scrambles to hold his party together
Sensing the threat of his party splitting for a second time, Uddhav Thackeray has also swung into action. After the MPs, he is now set to call a meeting of his MLAs on the 22nd in a bid to head off any possible revolt.
How strong is Uddhav's numbers game
Looking at the figures, Uddhav's party Shiv Sena (UBT) has a total of 10 MPs, of which 9 are in the Lok Sabha and 1 is in the Rajya Sabha. The Shinde faction claims that 7 of these 9 Lok Sabha MPs are in contact with it, meaning two-thirds of the MPs want to move to the Shinde camp.
The Shinde faction has made a big claim about the MLAs too. According to it, 16 of the 20 MLAs of the Uddhav Sena are also in touch, which is more than two-thirds. If these MPs and MLAs do indeed switch sides, it will be the second time in five years that Uddhav Thackeray's party faces a major split.
