Sanjay Raut, a leader of Shiv Sena (UBT), warned six rebel members of parliament on Thursday that they face possible disqualification [1].
The threat comes as the party of Uddhav Thackeray struggles to maintain unity amid fears that lawmakers may defect to the rival Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. If the rebels are disqualified, it could significantly weaken the party's presence in the national legislature.
The crisis unfolded during a parliamentary party meeting held on Thursday, June 18, 2026, at the party's office in New Delhi [1]. According to attendance records, only three of the nine party MPs attended the session [2]. The absence of six lawmakers has raised concerns about a potential split within the party ranks [1].
Raut said the party intends to take formal disciplinary action against those who skipped the gathering. "We will send a show cause notice to the six MPs who skipped the meeting," Raut said [3].
The party leader suggested that the rebels would find no legal or political sanctuary to avoid the consequences of their absence. "No one can save them," Raut said [1].
Beyond the internal party conflict, Raut pointed toward the judiciary as a factor in the current political instability. "Supreme Court to blame too," Raut said [4].
The Shiv Sena (UBT) is now moving to enforce strict discipline to prevent further defections. The party is utilizing parliamentary rules to justify the disqualification process for the six missing members [1, 3].
“"We will send a show cause notice to the six MPs who skipped the meeting."”
This escalation reflects the ongoing volatility of Maharashtra's political landscape, where the Shiv Sena remains fractured into two competing factions. By threatening disqualification, the UBT faction is attempting to use formal parliamentary mechanisms to deter further defections to the Shinde camp, though the mention of the Supreme Court suggests that the legal battle over party ownership and legitimacy continues to influence legislative stability.
