Uddhav Thackeray faction may see desertion of MPs

NEW DELHI: With the rebel TMC faction claiming to have secured the signatures of 19 Lok Sabha MPs pledging support to BJP-led NDA govt , the governing alliance is looking to further boost its numbers to get closer to the two-third mark in Lok Sabha by drawing support from members of more parties in the opposition camp to boost its legislative agenda, which had suffered a setback in Parliament’s last session due to its lack of a special majority needed to ratify constitution amendments. Sources within NDA suggest one of the parties that may see desertion from its ranks is Sena UBT, a possibility being talked about since the alliance swept the assembly polls in Maharashtra but has gained traction now. The Uddhav Thackeray-led party has nine MPs in Lok Sabha and six of them will have to merge with another party — Shiv Sena led by deputy CM Eknath Shinde seen as the most probable option — to avoid losing membership under the anti-defection law. With his grassroots network and accessibility, Shinde has been successful in supplanting the rival faction in much of the state and winning over most of its satraps, with the influence of Uddhav largely confined to Mumbai. Much of the political churn linked to BJP’s quest to boost its alliance numbers in Parliament, sources added, will also depend on the feasibility of its overall plan to cross the two-third figure of 360 in the current Lok Sabha with 540 MPs and three vacancies.