Six Shiv Sena UBT MPs Defect to Merge With Eknath Shinde Faction
On Sunday, June 21, 2026, six Lok Sabha Members of Parliament from the Shiv Sena (UBT) split from their party to merge with Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena faction. The defecting lawmakers, including Nagesh Patil Ashtikar of Hingoli and Omraje Nimbalkar of Dharashiv, signed a letter to form a separate group and met with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in a move dubbed "Operation Tiger" by ruling coalition leaders.
The defection of the six MPs—who comprise a two-third majority of the Shiv Sena (UBT)'s nine Lok Sabha members—safeguards them from disqualification proceedings. The six MPs transitioning to Shinde's faction are Sanjay Dina Patil, Sanjay Jadhav, Sanjay Deshmukh, Bhausaheb Wakchaure, Ashtikar, and Nimbalkar. At least three of these lawmakers are scheduled to hold rallies in their respective constituencies on Monday.
Speaking on Sunday evening, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde declared the operation a success, stating, "Those who know me, know that we do not leave any operation incomplete." Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis added, "Operation Tiger is successful. The body is healthy."
The dissident MPs cited a lack of development funds and negative remarks from their former party leadership as the primary reasons for their exit. Ashtikar, representing Hingoli, stated in a video message that his decision was made after June 18 when Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders spoke about them in a derogatory manner. He emphasized that the lack of funds prevented work in local nagar parishads and nagar palikas, leaving them with no alternative. Ashtikar added that he had not abandoned his core ideological beliefs.
Nimbalkar, the MP for Dharashiv, announced his decision after holding a closed-door meeting with his party cadre. He clarified that his move to join the Shinde-led Shiv Sena was not for money or position, and pledged not to speak against "Matoshree," the residence of the Thackerays.
In response to the developments, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray criticized the BJP during a public rally in Mumbai North East on Sunday. Thackeray blamed the BJP for trying to break his party, contrasting their actions with the Congress. Thackeray is scheduled to tour six locations in Maharashtra from June 26 to 29, which will include the constituencies of the departing MPs. Meanwhile, Aaditya Thackeray labeled the six dissident MPs "shameless and ungrateful."
A senior Shiv Sena leader confirmed that the central BJP leadership provided support to overcome last-minute obstacles during the transition.
