New Delhi / Mumbai

The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) appeared headed for another political crisis on Wednesday as six of its nine Lok Sabha MPs are reportedly seeking to form a separate parliamentary group, triggering concerns over a possible another split within the party after the one happened in 2022.

The development, dubbed "Operation Tiger" in political circles, sparked intense activity in Parliament as Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders moved swiftly to counter any attempt to secure official recognition for a breakaway faction.

Amid mounting pressure , a flurry of activity was witnessed in the Parliament House on Wednesday. Senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders, including Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut and Lok Sabha MPs Arvind Sawant and Anil Desai, held a high-level meeting with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to register their protest against any potencial political recognition of a breakaway faction.

In a formal communication to the Speaker, the party leadership has asserted that the Shiv Sena (UBT) remains a unified political entity. Parliamentary party leader Arvind Sawant underscored that the authority to appoint the whip and steer legislative conduct remains rests with the parent political party and not with individual legislators or a legislature party acting independently.

Escalating the political confrontation, Raut alleged that attempts were being made to engineer defections through "financial inducements," though he did not provide evidence to support the claim.

Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena (UBT) has issued a formal whip, directing all its MPs to attend a crucial parliamentary party meeting scheduled for Thursday morning in New Delhi. The party has cautioned that failure to comply with the directive may invite disqualification proceedings under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.

With reports suggesting that the alleged "Operation Tiger" could culminate around the party's foundation day on June 19, Political observers are now keenly watching the Speaker's office for any procedural developments while the UBT camp intensifies its efforts to maintain internal cohesion..

The reported rebellion, if it materialises, would deal a significant blow to Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, whose party has already faced major defections since the split led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in 2022.

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Mumbai, Correspondent

BJP leader Prasad Lad has thrown a direct challenge at the Thackeray brothers, saying, “Let not just two, but even four brothers come together. Bring in nephews and cousins too. Let there be a grand battle—we are ready for the fight.”

This statement comes in the wake of the Marathi Vijay Melava, which witnessed Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS chief Raj Thackeray sharing the same stage after nearly 19 years. While Raj refrained from making any political comments during the event, Uddhav hinted strongly at a potential alliance by saying, “Now that we’re together, we’ll stay together. Anyone who tries to push us down, we’ll push them out.”

Commenting on this possible alliance, Prasad Lad said there was a noticeable difference in the tone of both leaders’ speeches. “What did Uddhav Thackeray say about Marathi? Nothing. He only spoke about betrayal, daggers, and traitors. There was no mention of Marathi pride,” he criticized.

Lad emphasized that the Bharatiya Janata Party is a national party and is prepared to take on any alliance or front. He also questioned Uddhav’s sincerity in teaming up with Raj, stating, “Uddhav has insulted Raj on many occasions in the past. Is he now willing to apologize for that?”

Speaking about the Marathi language issue, Lad said, “We are all proud of being Marathi. Everyone living in Maharashtra should know Marathi—there’s no disagreement there. But using violence against someone just because they don’t speak Marathi is completely unacceptable.”

This political exchange has further heated up the already intense atmosphere in Maharashtra’s political landscape, especially as speculations of a Thackeray-Thackeray alliance gather momentum.

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