Mumbai, April 10 Political circles in Maharashtra were abuzz on Friday with speculation about Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs defecting to the party led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, but both the Sena factions denied such a possibility.
The Shiv Sena has secretly launched 'Operation Tiger' to induce defections in the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena (UBT), claimed some reports, but Shinde dismissed them as baseless.
The intention of those spreading these rumors was "to create sensation," Shinde said in a statement, adding that reports about a secret meeting between him and Sena (UBT) MPs were also mischievous.
Naresh Mhaske, an MP from Shinde's party, claimed that Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders themselves were spreading these rumors.
The Sena (UBT) has ten MPs – nine in the Lok Sabha and the lone Rajya Sabha member, Sanjay Raut.
In 2022, Shinde led a rebellion within the Shiv Sena led by then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, breaking away with a majority of MLAs. Shinde's faction subsequently got the name and bow-and-arrow symbol of the original party founded by Bal Thackeray.
Sanjay Raut on Friday asserted that all nine Lok Sabha MPs were with Uddhav Thackeray.
Arvind Sawant, a Sena (UBT) MP from Mumbai, said he had been with Uddhav Thackeray all his life, and would stay with him until the end. Holding a press conference in New Delhi, Sawant produced a written "guarantee" that he would not join the rival Shiv Sena.
Some reports claimed that Sawant was among those who would cross over to Shinde's party. The MP, however, said such rumors were being spread ahead of a hearing in the Supreme Court of a case related to the Shiv Sena symbol later this month.
Senior Opposition leaders dismissed as speculation the reports that a section of the Sena (UBT) would split and join the rival faction.
Talking to reporters in Nagpur, senior Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar said, "Despite being in power, there appears to be a sense of discomfort in the Shiv Sena, including its top leaders like Eknath Shinde and his ministers."
Asked about reports that Shinde held a secret meeting with Sena (UBT) MPs in Thane, he said, "What is the harm in meeting ruling alliance ministers for development works in their constituencies? I don't see any possibility of a political realignment."
NCP (SP) leader Anil Deshmukh said the talk of 'Operation Tiger' was speculative, and all the Sena (UBT) MPs were firmly behind Uddhav Thackeray.
Given this unity, the likelihood of any major political upheaval or split appeared remote, Deshmukh said.