Eknath Shinde: Shiv Sena (UBT) revolt is just a trailer, movie yet to come

Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde on Friday said the revolt brewing in Shiv Sena (UBT) was "just a trailer" and that the movie was "yet to come".

Shinde, a former Thackeray loyalist-turned arch nemesis, played a pivotal role in the party's 2022 split and may again hurt Uddhav politically by accommodating "disgruntled" Lok Sabha MPs in his fold under what is being called "Operation Tiger".

Taking dig at Uddhav, Shinde said: "Introspection should be done on why people are abandoning you," calling him "a wolf in tiger's hide."

"A wolf doesn't become a tiger by covering itself with tiger's hide," Shinde said.

"Opposition won't win even single seat in just-held Maharashtra legislative council polls: Ekanth Shinde at party's foundation day rally," news agency PTI reported Shinde as saying.

Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Lok Sabha unit appeared on the verge of a formal split on Thursday after six of its nine MPs stayed away from a parliamentary party meeting in Delhi despite the party issuing a whip.

Only Arvind Sawant, Anil Desai and Rajabhau Waze attended the meeting, reaffirming their loyalty to party chief Uddhav Thackeray.

The six dissident MPs need the support of at least two-thirds of the party's Lok Sabha strength to avoid disqualification under the anti-defection law.

The rebellion became public on Wednesday when the six MPs wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking recognition as a separate group.

In the letter, they cited apprehensions over a possible merger of Shiv Sena (UBT) with the Congress and alleged that the party had strayed from its core ideological principles.

The rebel lawmakers also sought seating arrangements alongside MPs of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena in Parliament.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders reacted sharply to the boycott of the meeting.

Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut said disciplinary proceedings would follow as the legislators had ignored a party whip.

Sawant said notices had already been dispatched to the absent MPs.

Sources said five of the six rebel MPs were shifted to Jaipur on Thursday, while Omraje Nimbalkar remained in Pune.

The move was reportedly aimed at keeping the group away from the UBT meeting.

The MPs had been in the national capital a day earlier before leaving for Rajasthan.

The dissidents are expected to formally align with the Shinde-led Sena next week after meeting the Lok Sabha Speaker and obtaining recognition for their separate bloc.

Party sources said Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Jadhav is leading the breakaway group.

Arvind Sawant said, “The absent MPs have betrayed the party. We are going to issue showcause notices to them by the evening. If they do not respond within seven days, legal action will be taken. We will write to the Speaker as well as the MPs. Our party’s directive (whip) was issued, and everyone received it. Despite that, they were not present here today.”

Raut also intensified his attack on the dissidents, claiming that NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar had spoken to him and suggested organising protests in the constituencies represented by the rebel MPs. He further claimed that Pawar himself was willing to take part in such demonstrations.