Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Jun 18: Speculation of a possible rebellion within Shiv Sena (UBT) gathered momentum on Thursday, Jun 18, after six of the party’s Lok Sabha MPs skipped a parliamentary meeting convened in New Delhi.

The development comes amid intense political chatter surrounding the alleged ‘Operation Tiger’, a term being used in political circles to describe a possible split or defection within the Uddhav Thackeray-led party.

Of the party’s seven Lok Sabha MPs, only four attended the meeting. Those present were Arvind Sawant, Anil Desai, Rajabhau Waje and Shiv Sena (UBT)’s lone Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut, a key party leader and close aide of Uddhav Thackeray.

The six MPs who remained absent from the meeting were Nagesh Aashtikar, Sanjay Deshmukh, Sanjay Jadhav, Sanjay Dina Patil, Omprakash Rajenimbalkar and Bhausaheb Wakchaure. Their absence has fuelled speculation that a section of the party’s parliamentary wing may be considering a revolt.

The no-show by the six MPs has triggered fresh discussions about internal discontent within Shiv Sena (UBT), which has been facing political challenges since the split led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in 2022.

While there has been no official confirmation of any rebellion, the absence of the six MPs from the crucial parliamentary meeting has intensified rumours of possible political realignments. Party leaders have so far not publicly commented on the reasons behind the MPs skipping the meeting.

With speculation mounting over the future course of events, political observers are closely watching developments within Shiv Sena (UBT), as any further defections could have significant implications for the party’s strength in Parliament and Maharashtra politics.