Uddhav Thackeray's Sena hit by fresh rebellion: 6 UBT MPs set to join Shinde camp; NDA to get boost in Lok Sabha
MUMBAI: Six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs reportedly formed a separate group in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday and submitted a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla .
The six MPs are expected to join the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena on June 19, the party's foundation day. Sena functionaries said the process of forming the separate group was completed smoothly.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) has nine MPs in the Lok Sabha. Barring Arvind Sawant, Anil Desai and Rajabhau Waze, all the remaining MPs are understood to have joined the new group. Sena (UBT) MPs Sanjay Raut, Sawant and Desai also met Birla and urged him not to recognise any separate group formed by defecting Sena (UBT) MPs.
However, Sena functionaries claimed that Birla had recognised the group of six MPs as a separate bloc.
Amid reports of "Operation Tiger" being underway to engineer a split in the Sena (UBT), the party has issued a whip directing all its Lok Sabha MPs to attend a meeting of the parliamentary party in Delhi on Thursday at 11 am. The whip was issued by MP Anil Desai, the party's chief whip in the Lok Sabha.
Sena (UBT) functionaries said party chief Uddhav Thackeray may also travel to Delhi in an attempt to pacify the MPs and could attend the parliamentary party meeting on Thursday.
Also read: Sanjay Raut makes explosive Shiv Sena (UBT) claim
"All Lok Sabha Members of Shiv Sena (UBT) are hereby informed that an important meeting of the Parliamentary Party regarding various issues concerning the party will be held on Thursday, June 18, 2026, at 11 am at Parliamentary Party Office 128-A, Parliament House, New Delhi. All Lok Sabha members of Shiv Sena (UBT) must remain present for the meeting," the whip stated.
The six MPs are expected to join the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena on June 19, the party's foundation day. Sena functionaries said the process of forming the separate group was completed smoothly.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) has nine MPs in the Lok Sabha. Barring Arvind Sawant, Anil Desai and Rajabhau Waze, all the remaining MPs are understood to have joined the new group. Sena (UBT) MPs Sanjay Raut, Sawant and Desai also met Birla and urged him not to recognise any separate group formed by defecting Sena (UBT) MPs.
However, Sena functionaries claimed that Birla had recognised the group of six MPs as a separate bloc.
Amid reports of "Operation Tiger" being underway to engineer a split in the Sena (UBT), the party has issued a whip directing all its Lok Sabha MPs to attend a meeting of the parliamentary party in Delhi on Thursday at 11 am. The whip was issued by MP Anil Desai, the party's chief whip in the Lok Sabha.
Sena (UBT) functionaries said party chief Uddhav Thackeray may also travel to Delhi in an attempt to pacify the MPs and could attend the parliamentary party meeting on Thursday.
Also read: Sanjay Raut makes explosive Shiv Sena (UBT) claim
"All Lok Sabha Members of Shiv Sena (UBT) are hereby informed that an important meeting of the Parliamentary Party regarding various issues concerning the party will be held on Thursday, June 18, 2026, at 11 am at Parliamentary Party Office 128-A, Parliament House, New Delhi. All Lok Sabha members of Shiv Sena (UBT) must remain present for the meeting," the whip stated.
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