MVA Slams Six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs Over Defection Reports, Labels It 'Operation Bazaar'

The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on Wednesday strongly criticised six Lok Sabha members of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) following reports that they are planning to defect to the rival Shiv Sena faction led by Eknath Shinde. The opposition alliance, which includes the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) alongside the Uddhav Sena, termed the situation an "Operation Bazaar" and accused the MPs of betraying both the alliance and the voters who elected them.

Maharashtra Congress chief Harshvardhan Sapkal said, "The actions of six MPs from the Shiv Sena (UBT) is not only a betrayal of Uddhav Thackeray and his party, but also a betrayal of the Congress and entire Maha Vikas Aghadi." He added that the people had voted these MPs to victory against the ruling Mahayuti alliance, and that "the people will teach such traitors a lesson."

The six MPs—whose names have not been officially confirmed—won their seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as part of the MVA coalition, which had united to challenge the Mahayuti comprising the Shinde-led Shiv Sena, the Bharatiya Janata Party, and the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP. The alleged defection, if carried out, would significantly reduce the Uddhav Sena's parliamentary strength and deal a blow to the opposition's unity in Maharashtra.

The Shiv Sena split in June 2022 when Eknath Shinde, then a senior minister in the Uddhav Thackeray government, led a rebellion with a majority of party MLAs. Subsequently, the Election Commission and the Lok Sabha Speaker recognised the Shinde faction as the real Shiv Sena, assigning it the party's 'bow and arrow' symbol. Uddhav Thackeray's faction has been contesting these decisions in court and continues to use the name Shiv Sena (UBT). The possibility of further defections from the Uddhav camp has been a recurring political concern since the split.

Sapkal emphasised that the MVA would not tolerate such actions. "The people voted them to victory against the Mahayuti. The people will teach such traitors a lesson," he reiterated, reflecting the alliance's resolve to hold its ground despite internal challenges. His remarks came a day after local media reported that a section of Uddhav Sena MPs were in talks with the Shinde camp, though there was no immediate response from either Shiv Sena faction on the allegations.

Political analysts note that defections in Maharashtra have intensified since the 2022 split, with both factions attempting to consolidate their positions. For the MVA, any loss of its Lok Sabha numbers could weaken its bargaining power in the state and nationally, especially ahead of upcoming legislative council elections and the 2024 state assembly polls. The opposition bloc has been striving to project a united front, but such events expose internal fissures.

The term "Operation Bazaar"—suggesting a marketplace for political loyalties—has been used by MVA leaders to allege that money and inducements are being offered to engineer defections. While no concrete evidence has been presented, the rhetoric underscores the deepening acrimony between the two Shiv Sena factions and their allies. As the story develops, all eyes remain on the six MPs and the response from the Uddhav Sena leadership.