Eknath Shinde's meeting with rebel Uddhav Sena MPs called off amid defection buzz
Fresh split fears have surfaced in the Uddhav Sena, with six MPs reportedly in touch with the Eknath Shinde camp. A planned Delhi meeting with Shinde was called off at the last minute, while Sanjay Raut rejected defection claims and accused the BJP of using pressure tactics to engineer a split.
Amid overnight defection buzz, the proposed meeting between rebel Uddhav Sena MPs and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde's Delhi residence this morning was cancelled at the last minute, with sources telling India Today that the group must first submit a formal letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker.
Earlier, sources close to the development told India Today that six of the party's nine Lok Sabha MPs were ready to jump ship, giving the group the two-thirds majority required to merge with another party and avoid disqualification under the anti-defection law. The defection was likely to take place ahead of June 19, the Shiv Sena's foundation day.
The MPs were also expected to meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla shortly after the meeting. However, that did not happen, as Eknath Shinde's son, Shrikant Shinde, backed out of the meeting at the last moment, sources said.
Speaking to India Today about the overnight developments, Sanjay Raut, one of the two Rajya Sabha MPs from Uddhav Sena, said the rebel camp does not have the requisite numbers and that any attempt to defect the party's MPs would fail.
"They need a two-thirds majority, but they don't have it. We have written to the Speaker as well, informing him about the BJP's nefarious plans. We trust our MPs, but they are using pressure tactics and threatening people," Raut told India Today.
Since 2022, Shiv Sena (UBT) supremo Uddhav Thackeray has hardly found himself at ease. A dramatic split orchestrated by his father’s trusted aide and his bete noire, Eknath Shinde, not only took away his party’s name and symbol but also challenged him as the undisputed heir of Balasaheb Thackeray’s political legacy. Four years down the line, the memory of that breakaway has again come back to haunt him as the party is on the verge of another schism.
The possible defection could mirror the recent split-like developments in the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal. Two MPs have already reached Delhi, while the other four are expected to arrive later. The group is likely to meet at the residence of Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde also expected to be present for discussions today, according to sources.
ABSENT MPS FUEL DEFECTION BUZZ
The episode began following the reported absence of five out of nine MPs in a meeting that was held in supremo Uddhav Thackeray's residence, Matoshree.
As buzz intensified that another poaching attempt from the Eknath Shinde camp could be made, Uddhav's longstanding aide Sanjay Raut clarified that Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar, Bhausaheb Wakchaure, Nagesh Bapurao Patil Ashtikar, and Sanjay Deshmukh, four of the five absent MPs joined virtually. Another MP, Sanjay Jadhav, spoke with Uddhav over the phone and was expected to meet him in the coming time.
However, the attempt to dismiss the potential defection barely had an impact as Deshmukh held a meeting with Prataprao Jadhav, a Union Minister from the Eknath Shinde camp. Although the MP clarified that it was stritcly a non-political meeting, it triggered the defection row further.
LET THEM GO, UDDHAV THACKERAY’S FIRM MESSAGE
After being silent for two days, Uddhav Thackeray finally opened up and addressed the issue.
Talking at a meeting of party MPs on Sunday, Thackeray drew parallels with the 2022 split in the Shiv Sena and said he had sensed the rebellion brewing long before it became public but chose not to pressure anyone into staying.
"Today might not be mine, but tomorrow definitely is. Until then, we have to endure and bear it," Thackeray said.
“I was the Chief Minister of the state. Did people really think I didn't know what everyone else could clearly see and understand? I had a whiff of what was happening. But I didn't say a word to anyone, didn't pressure them, and didn't open file investigations into their scams," he further added.
Although Uddhav Thackeray has spoken about the possible split, party leader Anil Desai dismissed the possibility. Speaking to ANI, he said, “There is no such thing. Uddhav ji convenes meetings at regular intervals. All MPs have expressed faith in Uddhav ji's leadership. Absolutely no pressure (on MPs). Such talks emerge intermittently, but they are baseless." In addition to this, Aaditya Thackeray also dispersed any possibility of MPs switching sides.
APNA SAPNA MONEY MONEY: SANJAY RAUT'S CRYPTIC TWEET
As soon as the MPs headed for Delhi on Tuesday (June 16), Sanjay Raut alleged that the MPs were paid to engineer a split in the UBT camp.
"Apna Sapna Money Money! It’s shocking and revolting that Maharashtra MPs are reportedly being offered 15 crore each tonight to switch sides," Raut wrote. He also tagged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's account in the same tweet.
The timing of the possible switch is significant. Apart from dealing a fresh political setback to Uddhav Thackeray, the move could help the BJP-led NDA shore up its numbers ahead of the Monsoon Session, where the government is keen to secure support for key bills. For the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief, another split would not only weaken his parliamentary strength but also revive memories of the 2022 rebellion that transformed Maharashtra politics.
Amid overnight defection buzz, the proposed meeting between rebel Uddhav Sena MPs and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde's Delhi residence this morning was cancelled at the last minute, with sources telling India Today that the group must first submit a formal letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker.
Earlier, sources close to the development told India Today that six of the party's nine Lok Sabha MPs were ready to jump ship, giving the group the two-thirds majority required to merge with another party and avoid disqualification under the anti-defection law. The defection was likely to take place ahead of June 19, the Shiv Sena's foundation day.
The MPs were also expected to meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla shortly after the meeting. However, that did not happen, as Eknath Shinde's son, Shrikant Shinde, backed out of the meeting at the last moment, sources said.
Speaking to India Today about the overnight developments, Sanjay Raut, one of the two Rajya Sabha MPs from Uddhav Sena, said the rebel camp does not have the requisite numbers and that any attempt to defect the party's MPs would fail.
"They need a two-thirds majority, but they don't have it. We have written to the Speaker as well, informing him about the BJP's nefarious plans. We trust our MPs, but they are using pressure tactics and threatening people," Raut told India Today.
Since 2022, Shiv Sena (UBT) supremo Uddhav Thackeray has hardly found himself at ease. A dramatic split orchestrated by his father’s trusted aide and his bete noire, Eknath Shinde, not only took away his party’s name and symbol but also challenged him as the undisputed heir of Balasaheb Thackeray’s political legacy. Four years down the line, the memory of that breakaway has again come back to haunt him as the party is on the verge of another schism.
The possible defection could mirror the recent split-like developments in the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal. Two MPs have already reached Delhi, while the other four are expected to arrive later. The group is likely to meet at the residence of Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde also expected to be present for discussions today, according to sources.
ABSENT MPS FUEL DEFECTION BUZZ
The episode began following the reported absence of five out of nine MPs in a meeting that was held in supremo Uddhav Thackeray's residence, Matoshree.
As buzz intensified that another poaching attempt from the Eknath Shinde camp could be made, Uddhav's longstanding aide Sanjay Raut clarified that Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar, Bhausaheb Wakchaure, Nagesh Bapurao Patil Ashtikar, and Sanjay Deshmukh, four of the five absent MPs joined virtually. Another MP, Sanjay Jadhav, spoke with Uddhav over the phone and was expected to meet him in the coming time.
However, the attempt to dismiss the potential defection barely had an impact as Deshmukh held a meeting with Prataprao Jadhav, a Union Minister from the Eknath Shinde camp. Although the MP clarified that it was stritcly a non-political meeting, it triggered the defection row further.
LET THEM GO, UDDHAV THACKERAY’S FIRM MESSAGE
After being silent for two days, Uddhav Thackeray finally opened up and addressed the issue.
Talking at a meeting of party MPs on Sunday, Thackeray drew parallels with the 2022 split in the Shiv Sena and said he had sensed the rebellion brewing long before it became public but chose not to pressure anyone into staying.
"Today might not be mine, but tomorrow definitely is. Until then, we have to endure and bear it," Thackeray said.
“I was the Chief Minister of the state. Did people really think I didn't know what everyone else could clearly see and understand? I had a whiff of what was happening. But I didn't say a word to anyone, didn't pressure them, and didn't open file investigations into their scams," he further added.
Although Uddhav Thackeray has spoken about the possible split, party leader Anil Desai dismissed the possibility. Speaking to ANI, he said, “There is no such thing. Uddhav ji convenes meetings at regular intervals. All MPs have expressed faith in Uddhav ji's leadership. Absolutely no pressure (on MPs). Such talks emerge intermittently, but they are baseless." In addition to this, Aaditya Thackeray also dispersed any possibility of MPs switching sides.
APNA SAPNA MONEY MONEY: SANJAY RAUT'S CRYPTIC TWEET
As soon as the MPs headed for Delhi on Tuesday (June 16), Sanjay Raut alleged that the MPs were paid to engineer a split in the UBT camp.
"Apna Sapna Money Money! It’s shocking and revolting that Maharashtra MPs are reportedly being offered 15 crore each tonight to switch sides," Raut wrote. He also tagged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's account in the same tweet.
The timing of the possible switch is significant. Apart from dealing a fresh political setback to Uddhav Thackeray, the move could help the BJP-led NDA shore up its numbers ahead of the Monsoon Session, where the government is keen to secure support for key bills. For the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief, another split would not only weaken his parliamentary strength but also revive memories of the 2022 rebellion that transformed Maharashtra politics.
