The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) is facing a potential internal rebellion after six of its nine Lok Sabha MPs missed a crucial parliamentary meeting [2].
This development threatens to destabilize the UBT faction in Maharashtra, echoing the party's previous fragmentation. A second split would significantly weaken Thackeray's influence in the national legislature and shift the balance of power toward the rival Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
Reports indicate that six of the nine MPs [1] have been in contact with the Shinde-led faction and may be considering a switch. The absence of these lawmakers from the key meeting has prompted the UBT leadership to take immediate disciplinary action. The party has begun disqualification proceedings against the members involved [2].
Sanjay Raut, a leader within the UBT faction, is among those managing the crisis as the party attempts to prevent a repeat of the 2022 split. The current tension stems from internal dissent and the possibility that several lawmakers are aligning themselves with the Shinde faction to secure different political advantages [1].
While the UBT leadership has not yet confirmed the final number of defectors, the missing presence of six members [2] suggests a coordinated effort by a majority of the party's parliamentary representatives. The party is now working to determine the extent of the communication between its MPs and the rival camp.
“Six of the nine UBT Lok Sabha MPs skipped a crucial parliamentary meeting”
The potential defection of six out of nine MPs would effectively hollow out the UBT faction's representation in the Lok Sabha. If these lawmakers shift to the Shinde-led Shiv Sena, it would consolidate the latter's legitimacy as the dominant successor of the original party and further marginalize Uddhav Thackeray's political standing in Maharashtra.
