Operation Tiger Strikes: Seven Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs Set to Cross Over to Eknath Shinde's Camp
Maharashtra politics has a way of moving fast, and right now it is moving very fast. As of today, seven Lok Sabha MPs from Shiv Sena (UBT), the party led by Uddhav Thackeray, are reportedly in active talks to join the rival faction led by Eknath Shinde. Several have already landed in Delhi. Some are at Shrikant Shinde's residence as you read this. The rest are on their way.
This is not a rumour anymore. This is unfolding.
What Is Operation Tiger, and Why Does It Matter for Maharashtra's Political Future
Political insiders have been calling it "Operation Tiger" for days. The name refers to a reported coordinated plan to pull a chunk of Sena (UBT)'s parliamentary strength into the Shinde camp, possibly before the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament.
The scale of it is significant. Sena (UBT) has nine Lok Sabha MPs total. If seven of them leave, the party's presence in Parliament shrinks to near nothing. Uddhav Thackeray, who already lost the Shiv Sena name and the bow-and-arrow election symbol to Shinde's faction after the 2022 rebellion, would then face a second, arguably more damaging, blow to the very parliamentary identity of his party.
Who Are the MPs Reportedly Switching Sides
The names surfacing from Delhi sources are specific. Sanjay Dina Patil from Mumbai North East, Sanjay Deshmukh, Nagesh Patil Ashtikar from Hingoli, Omraje Nimbalkar from Dharashiv, Bhausaheb Wakchaure, and Sanjay Jadhav are among those said to be weighing the switch. These are not fringe figures. Several of them won their seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections when the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) outperformed expectations.
The reported plan is for the MPs to first form a separate parliamentary group, then formally merge with Shinde's Shiv Sena. That two-step process is deliberate. It is designed to navigate the anti-defection law, which prohibits direct party-switching without triggering disqualification. A merger of at least two-thirds of a legislative party is technically protected.
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Uddhav Thackeray's Response and the Matoshree Meeting
On June 14, all nine Sena (UBT) MPs gathered at Matoshree, Thackeray's residence in Mumbai. Sanjay Raut, the party's most vocal face in Parliament, was also present. After the meeting, the MPs came out and publicly reiterated unity. Loyalty declarations were made.
That was three days ago.
The fact that events have moved this quickly since then says something about how fragile that unity actually was. Thackeray's camp has written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, seeking recognition of Sena (UBT) as the sole authorised Shiv Sena parliamentary group. It is a defensive move, made precisely because the threat is real.
The Bigger Picture Behind Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Rebellion
To understand why this is happening, you need to go back to 2022. Shinde's original rebellion against Thackeray was built on one central argument: alignment with the BJP and NDA is the only path to power. Staying with Thackeray meant opposition, and opposition meant irrelevance in Maharashtra politics.
That argument looks even stronger now. After the Mahayuti alliance of BJP, Shinde's Sena, and Ajit Pawar's NCP swept the 2024 Maharashtra assembly elections, Sena (UBT) was left with around 20 seats in a 288-seat house. The party is outside government, outside influence, and with 2029 on the horizon, many of its MPs are calculating their futures.
Krupal Tumane, a Shiv Sena leader and former MP, claimed publicly that the induction would happen before the Monsoon Session. That is a short window.
What Happens Next
If the defection formalises, it would be the second major split of Shiv Sena within four years, this time at the parliamentary level. The anti-defection law outcome will depend entirely on how the Speaker rules, how the merger is structured, and whether the numbers hold.
For Thackeray's Sena, the arithmetic is brutal. Losing seven of nine MPs means losing the parliamentary group status altogether. That changes the party's bargaining power, its media presence in Parliament, and its claim to be a national-level political force before 2029.
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Disclaimer: This article is based on information available across the web. Parchar Manch does not take responsibility for its complete accuracy, as the content could not be fully verified.
FAQs
What is Operation Tiger in Maharashtra politics?
Operation Tiger is the name being used in political circles for the coordinated effort to bring several Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs into Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena before the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
How many Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs are reportedly switching to Shinde's camp?
Reports indicate six to seven of the nine Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha MPs are in talks to switch, with some already in Delhi for meetings with Shrikant Shinde and potentially the Lok Sabha Speaker.
Can these MPs switch without violating the anti-defection law?
They are reportedly planning to first form a separate parliamentary group and then merge with Shinde's Shiv Sena, a legal route that can protect them from disqualification if two-thirds of the group agrees.
Why are Sena (UBT) MPs considering joining Shinde's faction?
The primary driver appears to be political survival ahead of the 2029 elections. With the Mahayuti alliance dominating Maharashtra politics and Sena (UBT) reduced to a weak opposition role, many MPs see the ruling NDA alignment as the only viable path forward.
What has Uddhav Thackeray done in response?
Thackeray called all nine MPs to Matoshree for a unity meeting on June 14. The party has also written to the Lok Sabha Speaker seeking recognition as the sole authorised Shiv Sena parliamentary group.
What happens if Sena (UBT) loses seven MPs?
The party would effectively lose its parliamentary group status, significantly weakening its position in the Lok Sabha and its relevance as a political force at the national level.