The leader of Shiv Sena, Shrikant Shinde, who is said to have been responsible for implementing ‘Operation Tiger,’ believes that political alignments may come up in the future after the defection of six MPs of Shiv Sena (UBT) to the Eknath Shinde faction. Speaking in light of the current political development, Shrikant Shinde believes that the surprises are not yet over and added that political shocks will keep coming like in the past four years. Hinting at future developments, he added that the recent move was merely a trailer, with the main story yet to unfold.
The political shift occurred after six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs — Sanjay Dina Patil, Sanjay Deshmukh, Sanjay Jadhav, Bhausaheb Wakchaure, Nagesh Patil Ashtikar, and Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar — officially joined the Shinde-led Shiv Sena. This defection has increased the number of Shinde faction MPs from seven to 13, significantly strengthening the party’s position in Parliament. Speculation regarding their future plans had intensified after all six skipped a Shiv Sena (UBT) parliamentary party meeting in Delhi on 17 June. Prior to the official announcement, Nagesh Patil-Ashtikar and Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar had already publicly confirmed their intention to move to the Shinde camp.
Commenting on the extensive media attention surrounding the developments in Maharashtra, Shrikant Shinde joked with journalists about the relentless pace of breaking news. He suggested that two major national headlines in a single day ought to be enough, advising reporters to rest before the momentum picks up again.
Welcoming the six MPs into the fold, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde described their induction as the second phase of a political realignment that originally began with his revolt against Uddhav Thackeray in 2022. Shinde confirmed that all formal procedures had been completed, making the MPs official members of the Shiv Sena faction he claims is the true inheritor of Bal Thackeray’s ideology. Describing the development as a "sixer" for his camp, he reiterated that their ongoing struggle has always been focused on protecting the vision and values of the party's founder.
Maharashtra Transport Minister and Shiv Sena leader Pratap Sarnaik added that the six MPs were largely influenced by the work of Eknath Shinde and MP Shrikant Shinde. As per Sarnaik, the MPs have written a formal letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. The move is taken to be in tune with the ideology of the Shinde group, following Balasaheb Thackeray’s philosophy. These defections have come as a massive boost for the Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena party after almost four years of restructuring politics of the state.
Also read: Only one Shiv Sena headed by Shinde exists: Shah targets Uddhav
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