News regarding Shiv Sena UBT is heating up Maharashtra’s political scene. After a humiliating defeat in the Assembly elections, Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) is facing a fresh blow. Reports state that six of its nine MPs are reportedly ready to switch sides and join Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction.
If this truly comes to be, it will not only further weaken Thackeray’s grip but also pave the way for a stronger NDA in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. With BJP already riding high on a national wave, the cracks in the opposition could push NDA beyond the magic figure of 300 seats.
Operation Tiger: The Final Nail in Shiv Sena Uddhav Thackeray’s Coffin?
🚨 POLITICAL EARTHQUAKE in Maharashtra 🎯
6 out of 9 Uddhav MPs are likely to join Shivsena.
NDA 300 PAAR 🔥
— This is what happens when you LEAVE your core ideology 🚩 pic.twitter.com/ztcy6geSIx
— Megh Updates 🚨™ (@MeghUpdates) February 7, 2025
For weeks, murmurs of a political shake-up in Maharashtra have been growing louder. Now, “Operation Tiger” seems to be in its final stages. Six MPs from Thackeray’s faction are reportedly in talks with the Shinde camp. The timing is crucial.
The next Lok Sabha session has a few important bills on the table, and the BJP would love to enter it with a stronger hand.
Suspicions first arose when several UBT leaders – MLAs and MPs – skipped the party’s birth anniversary celebration of its founder, the late Shri Bal Thackeray. The event, held in Andheri, saw notable absentees. MLAs Dilip Sopal, Rahul Patil, Babaji Kale and MPs Sanjay Deshmukh, Nagesh Patil Ashtikar, Bandu Jadhav, Om Raje Nimbalkar, and Sanjay Dina Patil were missing from the celebrations.
While UBT leader Sanjay Raut brushed off their absence as a matter of “prior commitments,” political insiders see it as a clear sign of rebellion.
Who keeps saying that Shinde Saab is NAARAZ?
He’s busy with Operation TIGER
6 of 9 Uddhav Sena MPs may jump ship to join Shindeji
This will bolster NDA at centre & affect UBT Sena morale before BMC & other local body polls
BMC – UBT ki sone ki murgi🔥pic.twitter.com/8Pu4clEUx1
— PallaviCT (@pallavict) February 7, 2025
Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra Industry Minister Uday Samant openly declared that high-profile desertions from UBT were imminent. Additionally, he went a step further to claim that apart from UBT MLAs – MPs and four Congress MLAs may also soon switch sides.
For Uddhav Thackeray, this would mean nothing short of a disaster. The very leaders he counts on are now looking for an exit strategy. His camp is shrinking fast. And his influence is fading. It seems that Shiv Sena UBT is on the verge of a total collapse.
Can Thackeray Survive? Or Is It Game Over?
Political Earthquake in Maharashtra!
6 out of 9 Lok Sabha MPs from Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena faction are reportedly set to join the Shinde camp.
Uddhav Thackeray Faction MPs:
1) Arvind Sawant – South Mumbai
2) Anil Desai – South Central Mumbai
3) Sanjay Dina Patil -… pic.twitter.com/SzxYMd2faV— Organiser Weekly (@eOrganiser) February 7, 2025
Uddhav Thackeray’s biggest problem isn’t just defections. It’s his political isolation in INDI Alliance due to a lack of MPs and MLAs numbers. His bitter fallout with the BJP has left no room for reconciliation. Moreover, his bet on the INDI Alliance rests on his ability to provide strength against BJP’s NDA. However, that coalition is falling apart at the seams after every Assembly Election.
With each passing week, BJP is gaining ground, while opposition leaders are struggling to stay relevant.
Sanjay Raut, Uddhav’s most vocal defender, tries to downplay the situation. He argues that the Andheri event was meant for Mumbai-based leaders. However, the damage was done. The absence of top Siv Sena UBT leaders was a clear indication that many are weighing their options.
#WATCH | On 6 Shiv Sena UBT MPs reportedly joining Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske says, "The entire UBT is about to be finished. In Maharashtra, the MLAs, former MLAs, former Councillors, officer officer-bearers of the UBT are all quitting the party are… pic.twitter.com/vhygglj8Vs
— ANI (@ANI) February 7, 2025
Meanwhile, Rajan Salvi, another former MLA from UBT, is reportedly being courted by both Shiv Sena and BJP.
He hasn’t explicitly denied the possibility of switching sides. The trend is unmistakable – Shiv Sena (UBT) is crumbling, and Uddhav is running out of options. The MPs and MLAs leaving UBT aren’t just driven by ideology. They see the ground reality. Maharashtra’s election results made it evident that BJP and its allies are on the rise. The people viewed the anti-BJP version of Uddhav Thackeray’s politics as a betrayal of his Shri Bal Tahckeray’s ideology. In politics, survival comes first. Thus, it seems that representatives of the people are ready to switch sides to survive.
NDA Strengthens, INDI Alliance Weakens?
If these defections happen, the upcoming Lok Sabha session will be a nightmare for the INDI opposition. The previous Parliament sessions saw opposition MPs disrupting proceedings and blocking crucial bills. But with every passing week, the BJP is tightening its grip. An almost bankrupt Shiv Sena UBT means fewer voices in the opposition chorus.
With Congress already struggling with AAP and losing elections in major states, the INDI Alliance is in crisis – while NDA’s dominance is only growing stronger.
If BJP and its allies cross 300 seats in the 2024 elections, it will be a game-changer. Legislations will pass smoothly. The opposition’s noise will be reduced to mere background chatter. And most importantly, PM Modi’s third term will gain strength in votes.
The Verdict: A Political Masterstroke by BJP?
The Shiv Sena split for the first time changed the game in Maharashtra. However, it was once seen as a gamble. Today, a strong public mandate ensures that it was a masterstroke. By backing the Shinde faction, the BJP effectively dismantled Uddhav’s political base.
And now, as allegedly MPs prepare to jump ship, the final phase of the takeover is complete.
For Uddhav Thackeray, this alleged betrayal is not just another setback—it’s a political obituary in the making. His father built Shiv Sena as a powerful force in Maharashtra politics. Uddhav, through his miscalculations and “gaddi moh”, has reduced it to a shadow of its former self. And if Operation Tiger succeeds, even that shadow might disappear.
As for the BJP? It’s just another step closer to 300 PAR!