Mumbai/ New Delhi, 17 June

Staring at an imminent split, the Shiv Sena (UBT) on Wednesday issued a whip directing its MPs to attend a meeting in New Delhi to discuss ‘important issues,’ a move aimed at paving the way for disqualification proceedings against rebel leaders.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut alleged that some Maharashtra MPs were being offered "Rs 50 crore" and dared the rebels to quit if they want to switch sides, saying workers of the Uddhav Thackeray-led party toiled for their victory.

He also warned that the people of Maharashtra and the Sena (UBT) workers will not spare the rebels if any attempts are made to replicate the 2022 split in the party.

The Sena (UBT) is staring at a crisis, with "six to seven" of its nine Lok Sabha MPs inclined to switch to the Eknath Shinde-led ruling Shiv Sena and camping in Delhi, as per sources.

As Raut addressed a press conference in the national capital, only three Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha MPs were present. Raut, however, maintained he still does not have any official information on the MPs switching sides.

The Rajya Sabha member claimed that pressure tactics and money were at play to lure the party MPs.

The Sena (UBT) has nine MPs in the Lok Sabha, and at least two‑thirds of them would be required to form a separate group. Apart from Desai, Waje and Sawant, the other six MPs are Sanjay Patil, Sanjay Deshmukh, Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar, Bhausaheb Wakchaure, Nagesh Patil-Ashtikar and Sanjay Jadhav.

Raut, in a post on X, took a swipe at those planning to rebel against the party leadership, saying "everything will be accounted for".

"A chartered flight lands in Nanded and picks up two MPs under the guise of Operation Tiger and takes off. They did not even have the means to travel in an autorickshaw. It is because of the Thackerays that their worth has risen to fly in a chartered plane," he said.

"Why are you calling the escape of timid wolves as Operation Tiger?" he asked.

The Sena (UBT) has been trying to downplay the speculation of an 'Operation Tiger' to poach party MPs. Notably, the mascot of the undivided Shiv Sena was a tiger drawn by party founder Bal Thackeray.

Before issuing the whip, Sawant, leader of Sena (UBT) in Lok Sabha, urged Speaker Om Birla not to recognise any "breakaway" group.

The party had issued a similar whip when 39 MLAs led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde rebelled against the Sena leadership in 2022, following which disqualification proceedings were initiated against them.

Sawant claimed the authority to determine leadership within the House, to appoint the whip, and to issue directions regarding legislative conduct flows from the political party. "The legislature party does not possess an independent source of authority divorced from the political party," he said in a letter to Birla late Tuesday night.

Sawant, Desai and Raut are camping in Delhi in a bid to ensure the rebel MPs do not get a legal edge.

The split in the Shiv Sena (UBT) gained traction when five MPs skipped a meeting called by Thackeray on Sunday and attended it virtually.

Neither the ruling Shiv Sena nor any MP from the rebel camp have spoken officially on the issue. State Shiv Sena minister Gulabrao Patil feigned ignorance, saying he was not aware of the issue. Minister Shambhuraj Desai claimed there is unrest among the Sena (UBT) elected representatives due to a lack of support from the leadership.

Maharashtra BJP vice president Keshav Upadhye hinted at a possible split in the Sena (UBT), accusing its leadership of rejecting the people's mandate and driving the party into political decline.

Senior Maharashtra BJP leader Chandrashekhar Bawankule asserted his party has nothing to do with any attempt to engineer a split in the Sena (UBT). He said it is not right to allege that an MP or MLA changes his stand after taking money, and there can be other reasons behind the move.

Congress's Sachin Sawant said the situation that has been unfolding in our country and state for the last 12 years under the guise of "operations" is utterly heartbreaking and infuriating.

"Right before our eyes, the stripping away of democracy's garb has begun. In Maharashtra, this nauseating, filthy, and grotesque naked dance is in full swing. Are we going to pass on this corrupt ideal to the next generation?" he asked.

"Driven by the insatiable lust for unlimited power of a few individuals, the nation is being dragged toward total destruction. From the political earthquakes orchestrated by the BJP, only venom is emerging, and it is spreading everywhere in society," he alleged.

NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar said the current Sena (UBT) situation is akin to a person getting married to one and then running away holding someone else's hand.

"This should not be called 'Operation Tiger' but 'Operation Bazaar', and whether this 'Operation Bazaar' is worthy of people or ideas will be decided by the people themselves," Pawar said.

Referring to water scarcity, unemployment and other issues, he said there was no discussion on them.

On the ground, in Parbhani, Hingoli and Osmanabad (Dharashiv), the constituencies of Jadhav, Raje Nimbalkar and Patil- Ashitkar, the atmosphere has been marked by curiosity and unease. Party workers are closely watching the political moves of their MPs.