2 hours ago
1
Operation Tiger is successful, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced connected Sunday (June 21, 2026), adding helium had ne'er near immoderate cognition incomplete. Two of the six Lok Sabha members of the Shiv Sena (UBT) connected Sunday (June 21, 2026) announced that they were slated to articulation Mr. Shinde. Nagesh Patil Ashtikar, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP from Hingoli, and Omraje Nimbalkar, the enactment MP from Dharashiv, cited deficiency of improvement funds arsenic 1 of the superior reasons for taking the decision. Mr. Ashtikar blamed the Shiv Sena UBT leaders for speaking sick against them, claiming that they took the determination lone aft Uddhav Thackeray’s enactment leaders spoke successful a derogatory mode against them. “Till June 18, we had not taken immoderate decision,” helium said successful a video statement.
Also work | ‘Operation Tiger’: Aaditya Thackeray calls six dissident Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs ‘shameless and ungrateful’
Meanwhile, apical sources successful the Shiv Sena confirmed to The Hindu that each the six MPs of the Shiv Sena (UBT) had already signed a missive forming a abstracted group, and had besides met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. They are slated to merge with the Shiv Sena, a elder person said. “There were rather a fewer obstacles astatine the past minute. But we person successfully flooded them. We had enactment from the cardinal BJP leadership,” a person told The Hindu.
When Mr. Shinde was asked astir the developments connected Sunday (June 21, 2026) evening, helium said, “Those who cognize me, cognize that we bash not permission immoderate cognition incomplete.” It referred to the defection of six of the 9 MPs of Shiv Sena (UBT). The two-third bulk would prevention them from disqualification proceedings, Sena leaders said. At slightest 3 of these six MPs are slated to clasp rallies successful their ain constituencies connected Monday.
“Operation Tiger is successful. The assemblage is healthy,” Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis added, portion interjecting Mr. Shinde connected Sunday (June 21 2026).
Uddhav slams BJP
Amid the developments astir Operation Tiger, Shiv Sena (UBT) person Uddhav Thackeray deed retired astatine the BJP connected Sunday (June 21, 2026), during his nationalist rally successful Mumbai North East. Mr. Thackeray is slated to circuit six places successful Maharashtra from June 26 to 29. These see the constituencies of the MPs who are slated to permission his enactment to articulation the Shiv Sena. “Though the Shiv Sena fought against the Congress for truthful galore decades, the Congress ne'er tried to interruption distant our party. It is the BJP’s sin,” helium said.
The names of the six MPs who are slated to interruption distant from the Shiv Sena (UBT) are — Sanjay Dina Patil, Sanjay Jadhav, Sanjay Deshmukh, Mr. Ashtikar, Bhausaheb Wakchaure and Mr. Nimbalkar.
On Sunday (June 21, 2026), Mr. Nimbalkar held a closed doorway gathering with his enactment cadre successful his location constituency. Thereafter, helium announced his determination publicly. “We volition spell successful the Shiv Sena Shinde radical and we volition enactment nether the enactment of Eknath Shinde ji. I person not taken this determination for immoderate presumption oregon for money. I person besides discussed with my people. So far, I person lone received the emotion and blessings of the Shiv Sena chief. And irrespective of immoderate is being said against america by anybody, we volition not talk a connection against Matoshree [residence of the Thackerays],” helium said successful Dharashiv.
Mr. Ashtikar said helium had not near his ideological beliefs. “I privation to archer you all, we volition spell successful Shiv Sena. We had not gone anyplace till June 18. But we took this determination aft the benignant of things which were spoken against us. Whoever whitethorn beryllium aggravated with us, I impulse you to not usage unparliamentary connection portion talking astir us. Please explicit yourselves. But delight bash truthful decently. I commune to you with folded hands. I privation to archer each my followers that they should not worry. I person not near the ideology. I person gone to Shiv Sena,” helium said successful a video connection issued connected Sunday (June 21, 2026).
Like Mr. Nimbalkar, helium excessively cited the deficiency of improvement funds and the problems successful getting the constituency enactment done, arsenic the superior reasons for moving from absorption to power. “All the enactment workers had been leaving the party. No enactment was being done for our nagar parishad, for nagar palika. We weren’t capable to bash anything. There was nary alternative,” Mr. Ashtikar said.
