Six Lok Sabha MPs from Thackeray camp join Shinde-led Shiv Sena

Ending weeks of speculation, six of the nine Lok Sabha members from the Shiv Sena (UBT) faction publicly joined the Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday. The MPs announced their decision at a press conference in Mumbai, stating they had completed the legal and constitutional procedures required for the merger.

Shinde, who led a split in the original Shiv Sena in June 2022, welcomed the MPs, saying, 'We have completed the procedure within the legal, constitutional and parliamentary framework. All six MPs have joined the Shiv Sena. Operation Tiger has been successful.' The event was attended by several party legislators, cabinet ministers, and senior leaders.

The six MPs are Nagesh Patil Ashtikar, Sanjay Deshmukh, Sanjay Dina Patil, Bhausaheb Wakchoure, Omraje Nimbalkar, and Sanjay Bandu Jadhav. With this induction, the Shiv Sena's strength in the Lok Sabha increases from seven to 13, strengthening its position within the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

The Shiv Sena (UBT) faction, led by former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, reacted sharply. Party leader Aaditya Thackeray alleged that the defections were part of a larger plan to increase the ruling coalition's majority in order to change the Constitution. 'The people of India stopped them in the 2024 elections. But all these things are being done so that they can change the Constitution written by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar,' he said.

Shinde, addressing the six MPs, assured them of support: 'We are all party workers here. Nobody will be disrespected. Your issues will be resolved with this double-engine government. I assure you that you will not face any problems henceforth.'

Reflecting on the 2022 split, Shinde remarked, 'Four years ago, on June 22, 2022, we had rebelled in the Shiv Sena. There were 40 MLAs with us. We were told we would never get re-elected. But here we are today. Four years later, we have hit a sixer. In 2022, we rebelled to save the Shiv Sena and the ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray. This is the second stage of our rebellion.'

Shiv Sena leaders claimed that all legal aspects of the merger were verified. The group of six MPs had formed a separate group and announced its merger with the Shiv Sena, completing the necessary processes before the Lok Sabha Speaker.

Constitutional expert Anant Kalse explained the legal framework: 'The six MPs claimed a split and formation of a separate party. Their split must be recognised by the Lok Sabha Speaker. The party must be recognised by the Election Commission. This newly formed party should merge with another party as per Para 4 of Schedule Ten of the Indian Constitution. If this process is completed, we must know which is the other party into which the newly constituted party has been merged. There should be a vertical split in the party. If they claim all these things are done, then they must have done it as per constitutional provisions.'