Mumbai, Correspondent

Maharashtra's political landscape witnessed fresh turbulence on Sunday as six Members of Parliament from the Shiv Sena (UBT) were set to formally join Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, dealing another blow to Uddhav Thackeray's camp.

The development comes amid reports of the ongoing "Operation Tiger," a political outreach initiative that has allegedly been underway for over a year to attract leaders from the Thackeray faction into the Shinde camp.

In response to the latest developments, Uddhav Thackeray convened a meeting of party MLAs at Shivalaya in Mumbai to assess the situation and prevent further defections. However, the absence of three MLAs from the meeting sparked fresh speculation about possible cracks within the party ranks.

Political circles were already abuzz over the departure of six MPs, and the absence of the legislators has intensified discussions about whether more leaders could switch sides in the coming days.

Meanwhile, hectic political activity was reported at Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's residence, where meetings with the incoming MPs were underway ahead of their formal induction into the Shiv Sena. Sources indicated that senior leaders, MPs, MLAs and local representatives are expected to be present during the joining ceremony, which is likely to be projected as a major show of strength by the Shinde camp.

Security was tightened along key routes in Mumbai amid reports that Shinde and the newly inducted MPs would travel through the area where Thackeray's meeting was being held.

The developments come close on the heels of the Nanded Local Authorities Constituency Legislative Council election, where BJP-Mahayuti candidate Amarnath Rajurkar secured a decisive victory. In a related setback for the opposition bloc, Krishna Nagesh Patil Ashtekar, son of rebel leader Nagesh Patil Ashtekar, suffered a heavy defeat in the contest.

With the Shiv Sena (UBT) already grappling with the loss of several senior leaders over the past few years, the latest defections could further complicate Thackeray's efforts to consolidate the party ahead of upcoming political battles in Maharashtra.