Discussions of another party split in Maharashtra politics have once again intensified. Shiv Sena Shinde faction MLA Murji Patel has claimed that Operation Tiger-4 is going to take place in the state in the coming days.
Patel says that around 14 MLAs from the Shiv Sena Thackeray faction are in contact with Eknath Shinde.
Six of the nine Lok Sabha MPs from Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena had left the party and joined Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena. Shinde’s number of MPs in the Lok Sabha has now increased from 7 to 13.
However, there has been no official announcement so far regarding the claim about 14 MLAs.
‘After MPs, MLAs may also join Shinde’, says MLA Murji Patel
According to Murji Patel’s claim, after the MPs from the Thackeray faction, MLAs and then municipal councillors may also join the Shiv Sena led by Shinde. The figure of 14 is considered extremely significant in this entire discussion.
The Thackeray faction has 20 MLAs in the legislative assembly. Under the law, if two-thirds of these MLAs defect together, a separate legal and political situation could arise under the anti-defection law.
It is also being claimed, citing sources, that some MLAs met Eknath Shinde at an undisclosed location. In addition, the absence of 37 out of 60 MLAs at the recent meeting of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has further fueled political speculation.
All six MPs joined Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde
All six MPs joined Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at a press conference in Mumbai and announced their decision to leave Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena. The Deputy Chief Minister said, ‘When we rebelled in 2022 to save the party and the bow and arrow symbol, there were 40 MLAs, and now we have hit a six.’
He said, ‘Our fight is to preserve Balasaheb’s ideology, which is why these six MPs have joined Balasaheb’s real Shiv Sena today.’
Shinde faction’s Lok Sabha MPs increased from 7 to 13
Of the 288 seats in the 2024 Assembly elections, the Mahayuti alliance comprising the BJP, Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP won 235 seats. The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) won 50 seats. Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) was reduced to just 20 seats.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the opposition INDIA alliance (Maha Vikas Aghadi) gained an advantage in Maharashtra, which has 48 seats, and won 30 seats. Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena won 9 of these seats. The NDA (Mahayuti) won 17 seats.
Chhagan Bhujbal Rebelled in the Shiv Sena 35 Years Ago
The first rebellion in the Shiv Sena took place in 1991, when Balasaheb Thackeray was leading the party. Party leader Chhagan Bhujbal joined the Congress along with 14 MLAs. In 1999, when Sharad Pawar broke away from the Congress, Chhagan also joined him. Pawar formed the NCP. When the NCP split in 2023, he joined the Ajit Pawar faction.
