Uddhav Thackeray held a Shiv Sena (UBT) parliamentary group meeting in Delhi on Thursday that was attended by only three Lok Sabha MPs [1].
The low turnout signals a deepening crisis for Thackeray's faction as it struggles to maintain cohesion against the rival Shinde faction. This internal instability threatens the party's legislative strength and its ability to function as a unified opposition bloc.
Of the nine total Shiv Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha MPs [1], only three were present at the gathering [1]. The meeting included members of the parliamentary group such as MPs Anil Desai, Arvind Sawant, Raja Bhao Vaze, and Sanjay Raut, as well as MLC Chandrakant Raghuvanshi [1, 2].
Party leadership responded to the absences by issuing a notice to the missing lawmakers. The notice threatens those who did not attend with disqualification from the party [1, 2].
The absences coincide with reports that six MPs have defected to the rival Shinde faction [2]. The Shinde faction previously aligned with the Bharatiya Janata Party, creating a rift within the original Shiv Sena structure [1, 2].
Sanjay Raut addressed the situation by targeting the opposing camp. Raut said the Shinde faction and the NDA were engaged in "kidnapping and hijacking" people [2].
The meeting was intended to coordinate the party's strategy in the capital, but the lack of quorum highlights the fragility of Thackeray's current hold over his parliamentary members. The party now faces the dual challenge of managing internal discipline while countering the growth of the Shinde-led faction [1, 2].
“Only three Lok Sabha MPs attended the meeting.”
The reported defection of six out of nine MPs would effectively strip the Shiv Sena (UBT) of its parliamentary presence in the Lok Sabha. If these losses are confirmed, Uddhav Thackeray loses not only a legislative voice in Delhi but also significant political leverage in negotiations with other opposition parties.
