Speculation Rises Over Potential Split in Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT)

NEW DELHI: It is turning into a season of splits and rebellion in opposition parties. Amid unrest within the Trinamool Congress, similar questions of a split are now being raised over the future of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT).

Speculations intensified on Tuesday after a visit to New Delhi by senior party leader Sanjay Raut and fresh remarks from Maharashtra minister Pratap Sarnaik appeared to encourage potential defectors.

According to PTI, the buzz around a possible split gained momentum amid reports that nine Shiv Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha MPs could consider forming a separate group.

The speculation deepened after only four of the party's nine Lok Sabha MPs attended a meeting called by Uddhav Thackeray at his Mumbai residence on Sunday. MPs Arvind Sawant, Anil Desai, Rajabhau Waze and Sanjay Patil were present in person, while Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar, Bhausaheb Wakchaure, Nagesh Bapurao Patil Ashtikar and Sanjay Deshmukh joined virtually. Another MP, Sanjay Jadhav, spoke to Thackeray over the phone.

Attention then shifted to Delhi, where Raut's visit sparked talk that he could meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to pre-empt any attempt by MPs to seek recognition as a separate group.

Raut, however, dismissed the reports and insisted there was no threat to the party. “All Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs are together and will remain together,” the Rajya Sabha member told reporters at Parliament House. He also rejected suggestions that the party was facing a crisis. “The (undivided) Shiv Sena has a legacy of 60 years and has a history of agitating for different causes. We have seen many ups and downs in the past. But ours is a cadre-based party. MLAs and MPs come and go, but the party remains,” he said.

Taking aim at the BJP, Raut accused it of engineering splits in rival parties and added, “Hamara din jab aayega, hum dikhayenge party kaise todi jata hai” (We will show how parties are split when our days come).

Fuel was added to the speculation after Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Deshmukh met Union minister Prataprao Jadhav of the rival Shiv Sena in Delhi. Deshmukh had skipped Sunday's meeting, citing family reasons.

Meanwhile, state Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik appeared to extend an open invitation to dissatisfied legislators. “If public representatives like MPs and MLAs do not trust their leadership... If they believe in the ideals of Sena founder Bal Thackeray and are willing to trust the leadership of Eknath Shinde, then the doors of the Shiv Sena are open to them,” he said. Sarnaik added that such leaders would be given “priority” should they decide to join in future.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Anil Desai also sought to calm concerns, saying there was “no such thing” as a breakaway group and maintaining that all party MPs remained united behind Uddhav Thackeray.