New Delhi / Mumbai

Sources close to Shrikant Shinde, leader of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, said about six “rebel” Sena (UBT) MPs are already in Delhi.

Even as speculation grows over a possible split within the Shiv Sena (UBT), with six of its nine Lok Sabha MPs reportedly preparing to approach Speaker Om Birla for separate recognition, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party has issued a whip directing all its lawmakers to attend a parliamentary party meeting Thursday.

Sena (UBT) leader Anil Desai told reporters in Delhi that all MPs had expressed support for the party at a June 14 meeting, but added that they needed to remain cautious amid reports circulating in the media and on social platforms.

Desai said the party has submitted a memorandum to the Speaker and that the Sena (UBT) parliamentary party would meet Thursday.

However, a clear picture will emerge only after the rebel MPs meet the Lok Sabha Speaker.

Meanwhile, Sena (UBT) MP Bhausahab Wakchaure told reporters he had not been contacted by anyone from the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and would continue to support Uddhav Thackeray.

‘Apna Sapna Money Money’

While Desai said that the Sena (UBT) has faith in its MPs, party leader Sanjay Raut alleged that the lawmakers were being offered Rs. 50 crore to shift sides.

“Apna Sapna Money Money! …The Minimum Support Price is fixed at Rs 50 crore per MP. Rs 15 crore is just the advance. Frankly, these people aren’t even worth Rs 50,000. Their price has only gone up because of the Shiv Sena and TMC brand label,” Raut said on X.

Sources close to Shrikant Shinde, leader of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, said about six “rebel” Sena (UBT) MPs are already in the national capital. They had planned to meet Birla at his house in the morning, but they may now see the Speaker in Parliament later in the day.

“Mostly, two-thirds of the Sena (UBT) will make the shift today, thus not attracting the anti-defection law,” said a source.

However, while Shinde-led Shiv Sena is claiming support of two-thirds of the nine Shiv Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha MPs, Arvind Sawant of Sena (UBT) said that democracy had been reduced to a “market”. “Those accused by the Prime Minister of being corrupt are made chief ministers,” he said.

Sawant added that the party had written to the Speaker to save the Constitution. “The party is the party. Individual MPs and MLAs are not the party,” he said, adding that the Sena (UBT) had issued a whip for a meeting Thursday.

000

Mumbai, 25 Oct 2025

Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP and chief party spokesperson Sanjay Raut met Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) founder Raj Thackeray today to chalk out plans to ensure that the November 1 rally of all Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) opposition parties including Congress, Sharad Pawar-led NCP as well as Shiv Sena-UBT, will witness a huge attendance which will rattle the EC.

Sanjay Raut reached MNS chief Raj Thackeray's 'Shivthirth' residence at Shivaji Park near the Arabian Sea in Dadar West, where he was received by Raj Thackeray's son Amit Thackeray.

Raut said, “Electoral rolls should be clean. All major parties except ruling parties have raised the issue of tainted voters' lists. The Election Commission is not ready to accept that voters’ lists are not clean. So we are left with no other option, but to give the Election Commission a jolt by hitting the streets.”

“On November 1, there will be a grand rally in Mumbai with participation by all opposition parties against the EC's corrupt acts. Lakhs of people who have lost their voting rights will take to the streets and show their strength. This fight is to protect democracy and if the Election Commission is not ready to listen, then they will have to listen to the message from the people on the street”, he added.

The meeting between Sanjay Raut and Raj Thackeray took place immediately after the latter met top MNS office-bearers at his 'Shivtirth' residence today.

At the meeting with MNS office-bearers, the party chief spoke about ways to ensure that the forthcoming November 1 joint rally by opposition parties is a grand success. The meeting was attended by top MNS leaders including Bala Nandgaonkar, Avinash Abhyankar, Abhijit Panse, Avinash Jadhav, Gajanan Kale and Yashwant Killedar.

"This march will not be to display power, but to fight for the truth. This march will not be for fake voters in the voters' list, but for real voters. You must do everything to ensure that those sitting in Delhi will not be able to ignore this 'Galli To Delhi' march. You must organise such a rally which has never been witnessed in the past before and will not be witnessed in the future as well," Raj Thackeray told MNS leaders.

After Raj Thackeray's instructions, MNS leaders and office-bearers issued instructions to lower level cadres to organise the November 1 rally.

MNS president Raj Thackeray made a serious allegation that 96 lakh fake voters have been registered in the Maharashtra voters' list in order to manipulate the local civic body elections to be held in the state.
Thackeray said, “Around 8 to 10 lakh fake voters have been registered in Mumbai, around 8 to 8.5 lakh fake voters have been registered in Thane, and a similar number of fake voters have been registered in Pune and Nashik. We had requested the Election Commission that local civic body elections must be postponed until the voters' list is completely cleaned up to the satisfaction of all political parties.”

“But our request fell on deaf ears because the BJP is hellbent on monopolising power right from the panchayat to the Parliament. They want to retain power at the Centre, in the states, in municipal corporations, in zilla parishads and even panchayats,” Raj Thackeray added.

Raj Thackeray attacked the Adani Group and the BJP government for allegedly facilitating every project eyed by the Adani Group, alleging that the BJP government plans to shut down the existing Santacruz domestic airport in Mumbai, which is run by the Adani Group so that the domestic airport land can be used for real estate projects.
“By closing the Santacruz airport and shifting operations to the upcoming Wadhwan airport in Palghar, the entire Santacruz domestic airport land can be made open for real estate development,” he alleged.

“From Lok Sabha to Zilla Parishad, why do they want to keep all power with them? They want such dictatorial power only to help these businesses do whatever they want. How do they keep power with them? They do it by manipulating voters’ lists. I want all of you to keep this in mind,” Raj Thackeray told MNS party workers.

000

Pune, City Correspondent

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi recently launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI), alleging large-scale voter fraud. Responding to these allegations, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that in recent times, Rahul Gandhi seems to have contacted scriptwriters Salim-Javed to write his speeches. “This script is highly entertaining and is being recited everywhere, but beyond the entertainment, there is nothing substantial in it,” Fadnavis commented. “All his claims are purely fictional,” he added.

Fadnavis was speaking at the Yashwantrao Chavan Academy of Development Administration (YASHADA) in Pune, where he was present as the chief guest for various programs. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar also attended the event. During the interaction, CM Fadnavis was asked about Rahul Gandhi’s remarks.

The Chief Minister further said, “Rahul Gandhi is now claiming issues in the voter list, but we have been pointing this out for years. He doesn’t understand what a comprehensive revision of the voter list means. He is merely trying to find excuses for his electoral losses.”

Commenting on the recent INDIA alliance meeting, where Uddhav Thackeray, Aaditya Thackeray, and Sanjay Raut were seen seated in the last row, Fadnavis took a dig at the opposition. He said, “With us, they were always in the front row sometimes even ahead of us. This shows the kind of respect they enjoy now. They used to proudly proclaim that they would never bow before Delhi or lay down the red carpet for Delhi, but it is truly painful to see their current condition despite not even being in power.”

000

Mumbai : Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut has made a strong demand for the transfer of the Santosh Deshmukh murder case outside Beed district, citing concerns about the impartiality of the investigation.

Deshmukh, a sarpanch from Beed, was murdered recently, and the case has sparked widespread outrage and protests. Raut has alleged that the investigation is being influenced by local politicians and that a fair trial is not possible in Beed.

Raut also criticized Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, saying that he had failed to take decisive action in the case. He demanded that Fadnavis should ensure that justice is delivered and that the perpetrators are brought to book.

The Shiv Sena MP also expressed concerns about the law and order situation in Beed, saying that the district has a history of violence and that the local administration has failed to take effective action to prevent such incidents.

Raut's demand for the transfer of the case has added to the growing pressure on the Maharashtra government to take decisive action in the matter. The government has already faced criticism for its handling of the case, and Raut's intervention is likely to further escalate the situation.

In a related development, Raut also took a dig at the BJP, saying that the party is trying to politicize the issue. He claimed that the Shiv Sena is committed to ensuring justice for Deshmukh's family and that the party will not let the BJP succeed in its attempts to politicize the issue.

Raut's comments have sparked a fresh row in the state's politics, with the BJP hitting back at the Shiv Sena MP. The issue is likely to dominate the state's politics in the coming days, with both parties trying to outmaneuver each other.

000