6 Rebel Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs Join Eknath Shinde-Led Sena in Mumbai

MUMBAI: After more than a week of drama and speculation surrounding their political moves, 6 rebel Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs formally joined the Dy CM Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Monday, making their crossing over official. Shinde held a show of strength at the Y B Chavan Centre at Nariman Point to welcome them into the Sena fold. “Not one but 6 tigers are present with me, and all 6 are Dhurandars,” Shinde said. He added that he doesn’t do “half- hearted operations”. “All operations are foolproof, and ‘Operation Tiger’ has been successful,” he said. The 6 MPs who have switched over are Nagesh Patil Ashtikar (Hingoli), Om Raje Nimbalkar (Dharashiv), Sanjay Dina Patil (Mumbai North East), Sanjay Deshmukh (Yavatmal-Washim), Sanjay Jadhav (Parbhani) and Bhausaheb Wakchaure (Shirdi). Their crossing over came eight days after they skipped a meeting of his MPs at Matoshree called by UBT Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, six days after they submitted a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking to form a separate group and five days after they skipped the parliamentary party meeting called by Sena (UBT) in New Delhi. The rebels’ move leaves the UBT Sena with only 3 Lok Sabha MPs now, while the number of Shinde Sena LS MPs grows to 13, adding to Shinde’s political weight in the BJP-led NDA. Flanked by the MPs, Shinde said he was welcoming them into “the real Shiv Sena family of Balasaheb Thackeray and Anand Dighe.” These “hardcore Shiv Sainiks have joined the real Shiv Sena,” he said. Speaking of the importance of the occasion, he said, “Four years ago, on June 22, 2022, we led a rebellion. We were 40 MLAs initially, but we have hit a sixer now. In 2022, to save the Shiv Sena, the bow and arrow and Balasaheb’s ideology, we rebelled and did the first operation. Now the 2nd phase has started.” Advising the UBT Sena to “introspect instead of abusing those who have left,” Shinde termed the Uddhav Thackeray camp as “people with a chemical locha (problem).” Shinde said the entry of the MPs into the Shiv Sena had been carried out within the legal, constitutional and parliamentary framework. “All legal and parliamentary processes are complete. All the 6 MPs will fight the next polls on a Shiv Sena ticket and will win,” he said. Sena ministers, MLAs, MLCs and senior functionaries were present at Monday’s show of strength. Sena functionary Ramdas Kadam claimed that a “7th MP” had also signed the letter given to the Lok Sabha Speaker seeking to form a separate group of the rebel UBT MPs and said the “7th too was on the brink of joining Shinde Sena soon.” Shinde said that all the 6 MPs were grassroots-level workers deeply connected to party activists, and each had unique qualities. He referred to Sanjay Dina Patil as “carefree and daring and very good for friendship” and called Nagesh Patil Ashtikar “our opening batsman.” On Nimbalkar, he said, “Many people tried to stop Omraje, but he had made up his mind… In Omraje’s father’s case, the verdict (acquittal on Saturday of former minister Padamsinh Patil and 7 others in the 2006 killing of Congress politician Pawanraje Nimbalkar) was unfortunate. I have told him I’m with him and so is Shiv Sena.” Shinde said there were “many misleading reports” and allegations made about the rebel MPs. “When they were with them (Sena UBT), they were real stars, and now they are being called reel stars,” he said. He added that all the 6 MPs had joined the Sena “not for personal gain but for the people of their constituency, the development of the constituency and justice.” Shinde further said, “We are not here to break anyone or stop anyone but to expand the Shiv Sena. But if anyone comes in our way, we will not take it lying down.” He added, “Even in 2022, we rebelled for a cause, to protect Balasaheb’s ideology. The common people accepted our decision…. Rivals had said none of the 40 MLAs (who had rebelled) will win again. We were 40, and then 60 MLAs got elected. People accepted us. Our intent was clear. We took the ideology of Hindutva forward. We rejoined the alliance stitched by Balasaheb and Atalji (Vajpayee). Those who abandoned the ideology were rejected by the people. ” Of the 6 rebel UBT MPs, four arrived in Mumbai on a private jet. The 6 MPs then met Eknath Shinde at Nandanvan, his official residence, before proceeding to Y B Chavan Centre for the function.