Uddhav Thackeray offers to step down as Shiv Sena UBT chief amid MP defection rumors
On Friday, June 19, 2026, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray offered to step down as party chief during the party's 60th Foundation Day event at Shanmukhananda Hall in Mumbai. The announcement came amid an escalating political crisis and intense speculation that six of the party's Lok Sabha MPs are planning to defect to the rival faction led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
The six MPs at the center of the defection rumors—Sanjay Jadhav, Omraje Nimbalkar, Nagesh Ashtikar, Babasaheb Wakchaure, Sanjay Deshmukh, and Sanjay Dina Patil—fueled further speculation by skipping the foundation day events of both rival factions.
Addressing the gathered party workers at Shanmukhananda Hall, Thackeray made an emotional appeal, stating that he does not believe in clinging to power if the cadre loses faith in him. He declared that he was ready to quit his post the moment party workers no longer had trust in his leadership, though the crowd responded with loud slogans urging him to stay.
Thackeray also targeted the absent parliamentarians, accusing them of backstabbing the voters who had elected them. He apologized to the voters in their constituencies, stating that the MPs had won their seats because of the legacy of Bal Thackeray and his own support. He urged party workers to directly confront these MPs.
Meanwhile, rival Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde addressed his faction's event at NESCO in Goregaon. Highlighting the ongoing crisis within the opposition camp, Shinde remarked that the current exodus from Shiv Sena (UBT) was "just a trailer" and that the main movie was yet to come.
During his speech, Thackeray also dismissed rumors that Shiv Sena (UBT) might merge with the Congress party. He pointed out that his party had remained allied with the BJP for 30 years without merging, and asserted that they would not merge with Congress now. Instead, he claimed that the Maharashtra BJP would eventually merge with Shinde's faction.
