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Maharashtra

Over three decades of rebellions and defections: Shiv Sena’s turbulent political journey

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Mumbai, June 18: As the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) stares at the prospect of a fresh rebellion within its Lok Sabha ranks, political observers point out that internal revolts have been a recurring feature of the party’s history.

Established by Balasaheb Thackeray on June 19, 1966, on the twin pillars of Marathi identity and Hindutva politics, the Shiv Sena has weathered several major splits over the past three and a half decades. From the first major defection in 1991 to the dramatic rupture of 2022, almost every decade has witnessed a prominent leader breaking away from the organisation.

The first serious challenge to Balasaheb Thackeray’s authority emerged in 1991 when senior Other Backward Classes (OBC) leader Chhagan Bhujbal rebelled against the party leadership. Disenchanted with internal functioning and his position within the organisation, Bhujbal walked out with 17 MLAs and joined Sharad Pawar’s camp. He later went on to serve as a minister and Deputy Chief Minister in Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) governments. The episode marked the first major legislative revolt against the Shiv Sena leadership.

Another significant departure followed in 1999 when Navi Mumbai strongman Ganesh Naik severed ties with the party and joined the newly formed NCP. Naik, who wielded considerable influence in the Navi Mumbai region, remained a key NCP leader for nearly two decades before switching to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2019, while retaining his political dominance in the area.

The next major setback came in 2005 with the exit of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Narayan Rane. Growing differences with the emerging leadership of Uddhav Thackeray led to a bitter fallout and eventual expulsion from the party. Rane joined the Congress, later floated the Maharashtra Swabhiman Paksha, and eventually aligned with the BJP, where he continues to be an influential figure in the Konkan region.

A year later, the Shiv Sena suffered what many regarded as its most emotional split. Raj Thackeray, Balasaheb Thackeray’s nephew, parted ways with the Shiv Sena, citing marginalisation within the organisation and disagreements over Uddhav Thackeray’s style of functioning. In 2006, he launched the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). The party made an impressive debut, winning 13 Assembly seats in 2009, but gradually lost political ground and now has only a limited electoral presence.

Unlike previous rebellions in which leaders simply left to form or join other parties, Eknath Shinde’s revolt in 2022 fundamentally altered the Shiv Sena itself. Leading a rebellion by 40 MLAs and a majority of the party’s MPs, Shinde challenged Uddhav Thackeray’s leadership and claimed to represent the party’s original ideology.

With support from the BJP, he not only split the organisation but also secured control of the official Shiv Sena name and its iconic bow and arrow symbol through legal and constitutional processes. The development forced Uddhav Thackeray’s faction to function under the Shiv Sena (UBT) banner.

Now, amid speculation surrounding “Operation Tiger” and reports that six of the nine Shiv Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha MPs could cross over to the Shinde camp, the party once again finds itself confronting familiar political turbulence. Should the defection materialise, it would become the latest chapter in a long history of internal revolts that have repeatedly reshaped both the Shiv Sena and Maharashtra’s political landscape.

Maharashtra

Public representatives have high confidence in Shinde’s work, Uddhav Thackeray MPs did not have confidence in his leadership: Milind Deora

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Shiv Sena leader and Rajya Sabha MP Milind Deora strongly criticised the absence of several MPs from the Uddhav Thackeray faction meeting. He said that only the UBT leadership can answer why UBT MPs did not attend the meeting called by his party. He said that the members who were absent from the meeting lacked faith in their party leadership. Deora said that today the people and public representatives have faith in the work and leadership of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Eknath Shinde sahib works to strengthen the hands of those who trust in Shinde sahib’s leadership. Targeting Sanjay Raut, Milind Deora said that he is not aware of parliamentary traditions and rules. Other UBT MPs should understand what kind of meetings are held and what are the whip rules. On the issue of whip, Deora said that whip is issued only for voting in the House, not for attending any political meeting. This is a parliamentary rule and those who have been members for years should be aware of it. Milind Deora further said that Sanjay Raut sometimes abuses his own MPs, sometimes claims that all MPs are with him, sometimes says that his MPs were given money, and sometimes accuses MPs of corruption. This reflects his contradictory behavior. Sanjay Raut insulted his own MPs. With such behavior, who would want to work with him? He said that no leader has any faith left in the UBT leadership. Public representatives want their leader to be available to them. That is why many leaders still want to work under the leadership of Eknath Shinde. Shiv Sena welcomes anyone who wants to work for the development of their area. Our aim is not to weaken anyone but to strengthen the people. Finally, Deora said that the UBT leadership needs to examine itself instead of blaming others. I can only wish them well.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai Municipal Corporation and Customs Department sign MoU for conservation and restoration of Mahim Fort

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The vision of the conservation and restoration of the Mumbai Mahim Fort is to revive its historical beauty. Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide said that it is a matter of pride and honour that the Municipal Corporation is preserving this fort. An MoU was signed between the Mumbai Municipal Corporation and the Customs Department today (June 18, 2026) at the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Headquarters for the conservation and restoration work of Mahim Fort, which has been declared a State Protected Monument.

Additional Municipal Commissioner (City) Dr. Ashwini Joshi, Principal Commissioner of Customs Department Shri Ajay Kumar Pandey, Additional Commissioner of Customs Department Nitin Tagde, Vikram Phadke, Deputy Commissioner (Commissioner Office) of Mumbai Municipal Corporation Prashant Gaikwad, Deputy Commissioner (South Zone) Prashant Gaikwad, Assistant Commissioner (South Zone) Prashant Gaikwad were also present on the occasion. Yogesh Desai, Advisor on Conservation of Ancient Heritage Vikas Dilawari, Dr. K. K. Sangle, Head of the Department of Structural Engineering, Virmata Jijabai Institute of Technology, etc. were present on the occasion.

As per the directions of Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide, the conservation and preservation of ancient structures in Mumbai is being done under the guidance of Additional Municipal Commissioner (City) Dr. Ashwini Joshi. On this basis, the Municipal Corporation has taken the initiative to conserve and revive the Mahim Fort.

Under this agreement, the dilapidated structure of Mahim Fort will be strengthened and reconstructed. The historical well present in the fort area will be searched and excavated. A pedestrian path will be made all around the interior of the fort. In addition, a protective wall will also be constructed to protect the foundation of the fort. Rs 20 crore has also been allocated for this. Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide said that the Municipal Corporation’s G (North) Department has removed the encroachments on the Mahim Fort and rehabilitated the local residents. So now help will be given to restore the glory of this fort. Additional Municipal Commissioner (City) Dr. Ashwini Joshi said that the Municipal Corporation has made great efforts to remove the encroachments on the Mahim Fort, which is a historical and ancient heritage, and to preserve it. Now the administration is planning to develop this fort as a tourist destination.

Principal Commissioner of the Customs Department Ajay Kumar Pandey said that apart from being a historical heritage, Mahim Fort is known as the customs station of the Customs Department. The conservation and restoration work undertaken by the Municipal Corporation will make this fort famous. Also, this fort will develop as a tourist destination for Mumbaikars. Mahim is an ancient fort and the descendants of Raja Bimbadev built this fort around the 12th and 13th centuries. Mahim was the main centre of power among the seven islands of Mumbai and this fort is a symbol of that glorious history. The Maharashtra government declared Mahim Fort as a state protected monument in 1975. The total area of ​​the fort is about 3,796.02 sq m. Currently, the fort is under the jurisdiction of the Customs Department. The existing structure of Mahim Fort was encroached upon in the form of slums. After surveying the entire area, proper documents were verified and 275 slums have been rehabilitated in flats available for project victims in Kurla and Malad. However, the restoration of a religious structure is underway.
The restoration and conservation work of the fort is proposed to be carried out under the guidance of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation’s G (North) Division Office, Customs Department, Advisor on Conservation of Ancient Cultural Heritage Vikas Dilawari and Dr. Sangal K. Jijabai, Head of the Structural Engineering Department of Veermata.

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Maharashtra

Operation Tiger rebel MPs in Maharashtra should be disqualified: Abu Asim Azmi

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Mumbai: Talking about the ongoing Operation Tiger of Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, Samajwadi Party Mumbai/Maharashtra state president and MLA Abu Asim Azmi said, “Today’s public representatives, leaders, and workers are no longer guided by ideology, they have become greedy. Those who take the votes of the people and then change parties of their own accord, their positions should be declared null and void.” Abu Asim Azmi further said that if someone contests elections on behalf of a party, he is provided with the party’s flag, banner, symbol and money. Workers are working day and night to ensure the victory of their candidate. Those representatives are elected on the basis of the party’s ideology, and people agree with this ideology, so they vote for them. However, after victory, they rebel against the party. A law should be made that if a candidate joins another party after winning, his position should be declared null and void. Taking a dig at the BJP, he said that the BJP is trying to lure, intimidate and It misuses power to intimidate and bring them into its party. If they do not join, they are sent to jail like Kejriwal and Sanjay Singh, but they were proven innocent. The BJP has tried to create a rift in other parties, which is why many parties have been split into two.

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