Mumbai, June 22: In a major political upheaval in Maharashtra, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Monday executed “Operation Tiger,” engineering a split within Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT). Six Lok Sabha Members of Parliament (MPs) from the UBT faction have formally joined the Shinde camp.

The six rebel MPs include Omprakash Bhupalsinh alias Omraje Nimbalkar (Dharashiv/Osmanabad), Nagesh Bapurao Patil Ashtikar (Hingoli), Sanjay Haribhau Jadhav (Parbhani), Sanjay Uttamrao Deshmukh (Yavatmal-Washim), Bhausaheb Rajaram Wakchaure (Shirdi) and Sanjay Dina Patil (Mumbai North East).

This development reduces Shiv Sena UBT’s strength in the Lok Sabha from nine to three, while the Shinde faction’s tally rises from seven to thirteen. The remaining loyalists with Uddhav Thackeray are Arvind Sawant (Mumbai South), Anil Desai (Mumbai South Central) and Rajabhau Waje (Nashik).

The cracks became evident when six of the nine UBT MPs skipped a crucial parliamentary party meeting in Delhi. Speculation turned into reality as the rebel MPs sent a formal letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, requesting recognition as a separate group. By banding together as six, they bypassed the anti-defection law, which requires a minimum two-thirds majority to split without disqualification.

Nagesh Ashtikar and Omraje Nimbalkar admitted that sitting in the Opposition for two years deprived their constituencies of development funds. They noted that the Rs 5 crore MPLAD scheme was restrictive and surviving without state-backed funding was crippling their grassroots influence.

Ashtikar said via Facebook Live that he held no personal malice toward Uddhav Thackeray but criticised the “harsh, abusive language” and lack of trust displayed by senior leaders like Sanjay Raut after they skipped the Delhi meeting.

Omraje Nimbalkar’s defection followed a sessions court acquitting the accused in the murder of his father, Pawanraje Nimbalkar. He said Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis facilitated a conversation with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, assuring him that the CBI would appeal the verdict on merit.

Uddhav Thackeray has launched a statewide outreach campaign to contain the damage, starting from the rebels’ constituencies in Yavatmal, Washim and Hingoli. He accused the defectors of “selling themselves after increasing their value post-election.”

The move by six rebel UBT MPs to join the Shinde faction reinforces their claim of being the true inheritors of Balasaheb Thackeray’s legacy. By absorbing MPs who won on grassroots anti-incumbency, Shinde strengthens the Mahayuti framework’s appeal to leaders seeking state patronage and development support.

Mumbai, June 22: Shiv Sena-UBT party chief Uddhav Thackeray is set to embark on a comprehensive tour, from June 27 to June 29, of the constituencies from where the party MPs have defected to join the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.

According to the release issued by Rajya Sabha member and Saamana Executive Editor Sanjay Raut, the tour will cover multiple key districts across the state, with specific responsibilities assigned to top party leaders for each location.

The tour comes days after six MPs — Omraje Nimbalkar (Dharashiv), Sanjay Patil (Mulund North East), Sanjay Jadhav (Parbhani), Sanjay Deshmukh (Yavatmal), Nagesh Patil Ashtikar (Hingoli) and Bhausaheb Wakchaure (Shirdi) –staged a rebellion last week, hinting at joining the Shinde faction. Thackeray has already announced that he will travel to these constituencies to publicly tender an apology to the voters who had voted for now-defected MPs during the 2024 general elections.

Thackeray will kick start his tour in Yavatmal on June 27 where senior leaders, including MP Arvind Sawant, MLA Sanjay Derkar, liaison chief (Sampark Pramukh) Rajendra Gaikwad, and district chiefs (Jilha Pramukh) Pravin Shinde, Kishor Ingale, and Sanjay Nikhade, will oversee preparations. He will then travel to Washim. The coordination is being managed by MP Sawant, MLA Derkar, liaison chief Dilip Jadhav, and district chief Balaji Wankhede. Later in the afternoon, the party chief will visit Hingoli. MLC and former Leader of Opposition Ambadas Danve, liaison chief Babanrao Thorat, and district chiefs Sandesh Deshmukh, Ajay Patil, and Gopu Sawant will lead the responsibilities here. The party chief will arrive in Parbhani for an overnight halt.

The second leg of the tour will begin on June 28 with a visit to Parbhani city. MLC Danve, MLA Rahul Patil, liaison chief Pradipkumar Khopde, and district chief Dr Vivek Navandar will handle the local arrangements.

In the afternoon, Thackeray will move to Dharashiv. Arrangements are being looked after by Danve, MLA Kailas Patil, and liaison chief Sunil Katmore. The day will conclude with a night halt at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

On the final day of the tour on June 29, Thackeray will visit the holy town of Shirdi. Raut, liaison chief and MLC Sunil Shinde, alongside district chiefs Sachin Kote and Jagdish Choudhary, have been assigned to oversee this leg.

The party chief will depart for Mumbai. The party insiders said that the entire tour is strategically planned to mobilise party workers and strengthen grassroots connections across Maharashtra ahead of crucial political alignments.

Earlier, in an emotional appeal to his party leaders and cadre on the 60th foundation day of the United Shiv Sena, Thackeray, on last Friday, offered to step down as Shiv Sena-UBT President if his leaders believed in the allegations levelled against him by the defected parliamentarians.

“The BJP is moving from ‘One Nation, One Election’, to ‘One Nation, No Election’. We will have to do Operation Lotus. The way the politics of this country is being conducted, people’s faith in democracy is eroding. This is a threat to democracy. The way we are going currently, we are moving towards anarchy,” he warned.

Mumbai: In the context of the Bhojshala-Kamal Moola Masjid case pending in the Madhya Pradesh High Court, an important public meeting was organized by the Border Gandhi Memorial Society at the historic Islam Gymkhana, Marine Lines, Mumbai. The program was titled “Fate of the Places of Worship Act, 1991”, in which eminent lawyers, historians, educationists and social intellectuals of the country participated and expressed their views.

This important meeting was presided over by renowned historian, writer and social thinker Prof. Dr. Ram Punia Ni, while former Chief Justice of Patna High Court, Justice (Retd) Iqbal Ahmed Ansari was present as the chief guest.

Renowned historian Professor Hasnain Rizvi, Senior Advocate Mahir Desai, Supreme Court Advocate Advocate Z.K. Faizan, Father Fraser Mascarenhas (St. Xavier’s College), Sajjada Nashin of Dargah Ajmer Sharif Syed Sarwar Chishti, Maulana Zahid Raza Rizvi and Senior Assistant Editor of The Times of India Muhammad Wajihuddin addressed the meeting.

In his address, Justice (Retd) Iqbal Ahmed Ansari shed detailed light on the spirit of the Indian Constitution, judicial balance and the need to maintain social harmony in the country. While Professor Hasnain Rizvi highlighted the importance of historical facts and the common cultural heritage of India.

Father Fraser Mascarenhas conveyed a message of promoting dialogue, brotherhood and mutual respect among different religions and communities. The speakers said that the Places of Worship Act 1991 plays a very important role in maintaining the historical status of religious places and maintaining peace and tranquility in the country.

The speakers emphasized that the true identity of India lies in its unity in diversity, tolerance, Ganga-Yamni civilization and common heritage, and the preservation of this heritage is the common responsibility of every Indian.

The program began with the welcome address by Advocate Syed Jalaluddin, National President of the Border Gandhi Memorial Society. The special efforts of Sultan Maldar (President Maharashtra) and Arshad Amir (President Mumbai) in organizing this successful program were commendable.

On this occasion, prominent social activists Ghaffar Khan Sahib, editor Zafar Siddiqui, Usman Khan Lala, along with prominent social, educational, religious, political and business personalities of the city, along with officials of various social organizations and a large number of people were present.

At the end of the meeting, a resolution was expressed to further strengthen peace, brotherhood, unity, social solidarity and constitutional values ​​in the country.