Six rebel Lok Sabha MPs from the Shiv Sena (UBT) joined the Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday [1].
This shift significantly weakens the faction led by Uddhav Thackeray and provides Shinde with the legislative strength necessary to avoid disqualification under India's anti-defection law.
Shinde announced the move in Mumbai, describing the strategic shift as "Operation Tiger" [1, 2]. He said the operation was a success [1, 2]. The defection increases the Lok Sabha strength of Shinde’s Shiv Sena to 13 members, up from seven [3].
By securing these members, Shinde said the party has now secured the two-thirds majority required under the anti-defection law [4]. This threshold represents approximately 66.7% of the party’s Lok Sabha seats [4].
The move leaves the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction with only three members in the Lok Sabha [1]. The transition took place amidst reports of activity at Balasaheb Bhavan and the Maharashtra Assembly [1, 2].
While some early reports on Monday indicated the MPs were expected to join, subsequent confirmations verified the switch had been completed [1, 4]. The realignment represents a major blow to the UBT faction's influence in the lower house of Parliament.
“"Operation Tiger a success"”
The migration of these six MPs provides Eknath Shinde with critical legal protection against disqualification by meeting the two-thirds majority requirement of the anti-defection law. By reducing the Uddhav Thackeray faction to just three members, Shinde has effectively marginalized his rival's presence in the Lok Sabha, shifting the balance of power within the split party toward the Shinde-led camp.
