The six MPs – Nagesh Patil Ashtikar, Sanjay Deshmukh, Sanjay Dina Patil, Bhausaheb Wakchaure, Omraje Nimbalkar and Sanjay Bandu Jadhav – publicly appeared alongside Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and announced that they would continue to work under his leadership.
Declaring the success of “Operation Tiger”, Shinde said all legal, constitutional and parliamentary procedures had been completed before the MPs joined his party. He added that the induction marked the second phase of the rebellion that began in June 2022, when he led a split in the undivided Shiv Sena.
The move significantly strengthens the Shinde faction’s presence in the Lok Sabha, taking its tally from seven MPs to 13. It also enhances the party’s standing within the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Shinde said the MPs had chosen to join his camp to uphold the ideology of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray. He assured the newly inducted leaders that their concerns and constituency-related issues would be addressed by the state and central governments.
The development triggered a sharp response from Shiv Sena (UBT). Party leader Aaditya Thackeray accused the BJP and the Shinde-led Shiv Sena of engineering defections to expand their political dominance and weaken the opposition.
The media reports suggested that the process would be subject to scrutiny under provisions of the anti-defection law and would require recognition by the relevant authorities.
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