Mumbai, Jul 14

Amid speculation that the "Operation Tiger" strategy could now be replicated in the Nashik Municipal Corporation, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has convened a meeting of the party's corporators from Nashik at his Matoshree residence on Wednesday, in an apparent bid to prevent a possible split. The Shiv Sena (UBT) has 15 corporators in the Nashik civic body.

Political circles are abuzz with claims that around 10 to 12 of them are in touch with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and could switch sides at any time.  If that happens, it could significantly alter the political equations in the corporation. The development comes in the wake of the recent split in the party's Lok Sabha ranks, where six of the nine Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs first formed a separate group before joining the Shinde faction.

Before that rebellion, Thackeray had called a meeting of the party MPs and issued a whip, but the six MPs skipped the meeting.

Following the parliamentary split, Thackeray held rallies and public meetings in the constituencies of the rebel MPs to retain the support of party workers and office-bearers.

He had also adopted an aggressive stand against the defectors.  Political observers will now be closely watching whether Thackeray's outreach succeeds in preventing a similar rebellion among the Nashik corporators.

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Mumbai, Correspondent

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Maharashtra Chief Spokesperson Navnath Ban on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, alleging that Raut has weakened Aaditya Thackeray's political standing by welcoming former MLA Sachin Ahir's return to the original Shiv Sena.

Ban claimed that Raut's public expression of satisfaction over Ahir's departure from the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction suggested a deliberate weakening of Aaditya Thackeray's camp. He further alleged that Raut was aware Aaditya Thackeray could face a tough contest in retaining the Worli Assembly seat in the next Maharashtra Assembly elections.

The BJP leader also accused Raut of repeatedly undermining Uddhav Thackeray's leadership by claiming that the party had failed to identify loyal workers. According to Ban, such statements project Uddhav Thackeray's leadership as weak and are aimed at laying the groundwork for a possible merger of Shiv Sena (UBT) with the Congress.

Responding to Raut's criticism of the BJP, Ban said Raut should refrain from lecturing others on political history, alleging that "betrayal" has become synonymous with the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray and Sanjay Raut.

Praising Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Ban said the Mahayuti government remains focused on accelerating Maharashtra's development and transforming the state into the country's top-performing economy.

On Raut's allegations regarding financial irregularities, Ban asserted that anyone found guilty in the Ram Temple donation controversy would face action in accordance with the law. He also accused the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government of financial mismanagement and demanded accountability from its leaders.

The remarks come amid escalating political exchanges between the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance and Shiv Sena (UBT) over recent political developments in Maharashtra.

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By Vibha Sharma

In politics, it can never really be an endgame. So, are the devastating developments in Shiv Sena (UBT) the end of the road for party chief Uddhav Thackeray—the son of the man who started it all six decades ago, the late Balasaheb Thackeray?

Considered an introverted politician, especially when compared to the aggressive line followed by the "original" Shiv Sena and his father, many believe that the "humble and modest" Uddhav was perhaps never really cut out for cutthroat politics. For much of his early life, he remained out of the spotlight, preferring wildlife and aerial photography over public life.

His cousin Raj Thackeray was widely seen as more of a chip off the old block, resembling Balasaheb Thackeray in temperament and political style.

Uddhav took control of the party in January 2013 after the death of his father and also inherited the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance—one of the oldest and most enduring ideological coalitions in Indian politics, spanning three decades before its collapse in 2019 over power-sharing issues between the two.

Observers say breaking up with the BJP was perhaps Uddhav's biggest mistake.

After breaking up with the BJP, he formed the Maha Vikas Aghadi government with the Congress and the NCP to become the Chief Minister of Maharashtra —a decision that reshaped Maharashtra politics and the fortunes of his party. But since the first split in 2022, when he lost the government, MLAs, and the "Bow and Arrow" party symbol to Eknath Shinde, he has been battling a perception war over who carries the Balasaheb's legacy.

Observers say more than when leaders like Chhagan Bhujbal, Narayan Rane, or Raj Thackeray left, what hurt Uddhav most was when Shinde jumped ship to become Chief Minister with the support of the BJP and, later, the breakaway faction of Sharad Pawar's NCP. Unlike earlier departures led by individual leaders, the Shinde revolt directly challenged his leadership and the party's political future.

On Monday, Shinde dealt another devastating blow, taking away six of Uddhav's nine Lok Sabha MPs. With rumblings also among Shiv Sena (UBT) MLAs and no control over local bodies, especially the BMC, observers say Uddhav's uncertain future now depends on how he navigates the upcoming electoral battles with a shrinking support base.

His immediate challenge will be whether he can rally remaining supporters, reinvent the party's grassroots outreach, and show that he still holds the Thackeray legacy. "Despite losing the party name and symbol to Shinde, Uddhav and son Aaditya Thackeray still hold the Thackeray surname, which may hold some emotional value among Shiv Sena supporters," they say. There may also be a sympathy factor favouring him, but will that hold given the sharp politics of rivals BJP and Shinde? That remains to be seen.

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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.

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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.

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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.”

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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.

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