Several members of parliament from the Shiv Sena (UBT) have met with Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde amid reports of potential defections [1].
These meetings signal a deepening rift within the split Shiv Sena, as lawmakers seek political alignment in the wake of the party's 2022 division. The movement of lawmakers between factions could shift the balance of power in Maharashtra's volatile political landscape.
Reports from early June 2024 indicate that UBT MPs renewed contact with Shinde at his Nandanvan residence in Mumbai [1, 2]. While some reports suggest a wave of rebels joining the Shinde-led faction, Shinde has sidestepped formal merger talks, citing the people's mandate [3].
Shinde has previously criticized the leadership of the UBT faction. "Those who abandoned Balasaheb Thackeray's principles for the sake of power have suffered," Shinde said [2].
Sanjay Raut, a senior leader of the Shiv Sena (UBT), has countered these developments by questioning the legitimacy of the Shinde camp. Raut said the real Shiv Sena remains with chief Uddhav Thackeray and described the Shinde-led group as a "sister concern" established by BJP leader Amit Shah [3].
The internal struggle continues as both factions vie for the legacy of the original party. Despite the meetings, there is no verified evidence confirming that a specific number of MPs have officially switched their allegiance, or that the Lok Sabha strength of the UBT faction has been reduced [1, 2].
Shinde has characterized recent developments as a prelude to a larger shift. He said the current situation is only a trailer and the full picture is yet to come [2].
“"Those who abandoned Balasaheb Thackeray's principles for the sake of power have suffered."”
The renewed contact between UBT lawmakers and Eknath Shinde reflects the precarious nature of party loyalty in Maharashtra following the 2022 split. By downplaying a formal merger while simultaneously mocking his rivals, Shinde maintains psychological pressure on the UBT camp. This strategy allows the Shinde-led faction to attract defectors without committing to a formal reconciliation that might alienate his current coalition partners.
