Amid speculation over “Operation Tiger”, Uddhav Thackeray held a meeting with his party’s Lok Sabha MPs. Of the nine MPs, four attended in person while five joined virtually.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut claimed that all nine Lok Sabha members participated in the meeting and said this should put an end to speculation surrounding Operation Tiger. He asserted that no such operation would succeed and hinted that the party would instead launch initiatives that would “surprise everyone”.
Raut also said that Aaditya Thackeray attended the meeting at Matoshree, Uddhav Thackeray’s residence. Operation Tiger is believed to be an effort led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to lure Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs into his camp.
The five MPs who did not attend in person — Omraje Nimbalkar, Bhausaheb Waghchaure, Sanjay Deshmukh, Nagesh Patil and another member — cited personal reasons such as a daughter’s wedding, illness in the family, or health issues. However, they joined the meeting online and reportedly assured Thackeray of their loyalty, saying they would not succumb to any poaching attempts.
The four MPs present at Matoshree were Arvind Sawant, Sanjay Dina Patil, Rajabhau Waje and Anil Desai.
Sources in the Shiv Sena claimed that seven of the party’s nine Lok Sabha MPs had shown interest in switching sides, prompting the launch of Operation Tiger by Eknath Shinde’s camp.
“A two-thirds split in Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) was expected before the monsoon session of Parliament. Reports of this operation forced Thackeray to convene the meeting to assess where his MPs stand and prevent another major split. Whenever Eknath Shinde and the BJP leadership decide, Operation Tiger can be executed without delay,” a Shiv Sena leader close to Shinde said on condition of anonymity.
During the meeting, Uddhav Thackeray asked MPs to publicly reject rumours of defection and reassure party workers that there was no imminent split. He also urged them to stay in touch with party leaders and cadres and not allow speculation to spread.
The meeting also discussed key political issues, including the demand for a complete farm loan waiver without conditions and concerns over rising inflation.