MUMBAI: In a twist to "Operation Tiger", only four of the six Lok Sabha MPs from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) have signed the letter, while two are yet to do so.
"Operation Tiger" refers to the alleged move by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to poach six Lok Sabha MPs from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT).
According to highly placed sources, four Shiv Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha MPs – Nagesh Patil, Sanjay Deshmukh, Sanjay Jadhav and Bhausaheb Waghchore – have signed a letter proposed to be submitted to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla for the formation of a separate group before its merger with Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena. However, Omraje Nimbalkar and Sanjay Dina Patil are yet to sign the letter.
Following the development, the Shiv Sena had cancelled its scheduled meeting with the Lok Sabha Speaker on Wednesday.
Lok Sabha MP Sanjay Dina Patil said that Sena (UBT) group leader Arvind Sawant had informed him that he was in Mumbai, was not going anywhere, and would continue to remain with Shiv Sena (UBT).
Sawant later confirmed the same during a press conference in Delhi.
The other Sena MP, Omraje Nimbalkar, who was incommunicado on Wednesday, later spoke with the media, clarifying that he did not go to Delhi and was in Pune. He further said that he would clarify his stand on June 20, 2026.
All six MPs, out of the nine, will need to sign the letter to form a separate group and avoid disqualification under the anti-defection law.
Meanwhile, Shiv Shiv (UBT) chief whip in parliament and Lok Sabha MP Anil Desai issued the whip asking all Lok Sabha MPs to attend the Shiv Sena (UBT) parliamentary member meeting on Thursday at 11.00 am at the party office in Delhi.
Desai further instructed that disciplinary action will be taken against those who violate the whip.
Sawant has also written to the Lok Sabha Speaker to not recognise any rebel UBT MPs as a separate group without seeking the submission from Uddhav Thackeray.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut alleged that attempts were made to poach the party's Lok Sabha MPs by offering them Rs 50 crore each, along with development projects worth Rs 100 crore in their respective constituencies.
He further claimed that MPs willing to join the Shiv Sena had already received Rs 15 crore as an advance, with the remaining amount to be paid once what he described as the “shameful operation” was completed.
Raut also said that despite the party having given these leaders “everything”, they were now seeking to abandon Uddhav Thackeray.
