Sanjay Raut alleges Rs 50 crore 'MSP' for poaching MPs, Rs 15 crore advance

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday escalated his allegations of horse-trading in Maharashtra politics, claiming the "Minimum Support Price" for poaching an MP had been fixed at Rs 50 crore and that Rs 15 crore was merely an advance payment, amid speculation of a fresh split in Uddhav Thackeray's party.

Addressing a press conference in the national capital, Raut claimed a concerted attempt was under way to engineer another split in the Uddhav Thackeray-led outfit, even as reports suggested that several of its Lok Sabha MPs could be preparing to break away.

"Maharashtra MPs are being bought at Rs 15 crore," he alleged, while conceding that the party had not yet received any official information about Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs quitting the organisation.

Later, in a post on X, the Rajya Sabha MP sharpened his charge, writing: "Apna Sapna Money Money! No no — Mahua ji, the Minimum Support Price is fixed at ₹50 crore per MP. ₹15 crore is just the advance."

The political storm intensified as only three of the party's nine Lok Sabha MPs — Anil Desai, Rajabhau Waje and Arvind Sawant — were present alongside Raut at the press conference, fuelling speculation over disquiet within the opposition outfit.

Raut said Shiv Sena (UBT) workers and party chief Uddhav Thackeray had worked tirelessly to ensure the victory of the MPs and asserted that any lawmaker wanting to change sides should first resign from Parliament and seek a fresh mandate.

He also questioned the health of democracy, saying elections become meaningless if elected representatives can be induced to split political parties after securing victory on one party's symbol and support.

The fresh round of turmoil comes amid reports that Shiv Sena (UBT) could be headed for another split, with at least six of its nine Lok Sabha MPs planning to approach the Lok Sabha Speaker to seek recognition as a separate group.

ET had reported earlier that Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde was likely to fly to New Delhi late Tuesday to secure the BJP leadership's approval for the move.

According to the report, several Sena (UBT) MPs have gone incommunicado and, if the plan gets the go-ahead, the six MPs are expected to submit a letter to the Speaker announcing their decision to form a separate group before joining the Shinde-led Shiv Sena.

The developments have gathered pace just two days after only four of the party's nine Lok Sabha MPs attended a meeting convened by Uddhav Thackeray.

While the Sena (UBT) leadership maintained that the remaining MPs joined virtually and remained committed to the party, speculation of an impending rebellion has continued to swirl.

Late on Tuesday night, Raut posted on X alleging that Rs 15 crore each was being offered as an advance payment to buy Maharashtra MPs. He tagged only Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in the post.

A Shiv Sena leader had told ET that, barring last-minute hurdles, the split could materialise on or before June 19, which marks the party's foundation day.

Amid the 'Operation Tiger' buzz and speculation over a rebellion within Shiv Sena (UBT), Raut issued a direct warning to suspected rebels, saying anyone wishing to leave the party should first resign from their posts and seek a fresh mandate from the people.

"If anyone wants to go, they can resign and leave. If such reports emerge about our MPs, then they should refute them. This time, the people of Maharashtra will not remain silent," he said.

Raut asserted that the party leadership had worked tirelessly to secure the MPs' victories and warned of action against defectors. "Our MPs, for whom Uddhav ji and we shed blood and sweat, gave money, made them win elections... still if such news comes, we will not spare them," he said.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader questioned the intentions of those allegedly planning to leave the party, saying the MPs owed their mandate to the party and its supporters. "Whoever wants to go... resign and leave, our people have elected you as MPs... you have come here after getting elected on our ticket," he said.

Raut also claimed that some lawmakers boarded chartered flights from places including Nanded and Pune after allegedly receiving the money. He said a whip had been issued for a Parliamentary Party meeting on Wednesday and that Arvind Sawant had written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.

As the rebellion rumours gathered steam, Raut vowed that the party would remain in Delhi and politically fight any attempt to weaken it under the purported 'Operation Tiger'.

Meanwhile, BJP MLA Ashishrao Deshmukh claimed that Raut was instead working towards a merger of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena and Sharad Pawar's faction with the Congress, an allegation that comes amid the intensifying political churn surrounding Sena (UBT). There has been no official confirmation of any split in the party.