Mumbai, June 17 — Shiv Sena accused rivals of trying to engineer a fresh breakaway in its parliamentary ranks, with Sanjay Raut alleging that lawmakers were being offered cash advances and flown by private aircraft as speculation mounted over a possible shift by several MPs to the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
Raut, a Rajya Sabha MP and one of Uddhav Thackeray’s closest political aides, claimed late Tuesday that MPs from Maharashtra were being offered ₹15 crore each as advance money to switch sides. On Wednesday, he sharpened the allegation, saying the total “minimum support price” for each MP was ₹50 crore and that ₹15 crore was only the first instalment.
He also alleged that private aircraft had been sent to ferry MPs to Delhi, including chartered flights from Nanded and Pune. Raut said two MPs were flown from Nanded under what he described as “Operation Tiger”, a phrase being used in political circles for the alleged attempt to split the Uddhav camp. He did not produce documentary evidence or name the MPs he accused of taking the offer.
The charge landed amid heightened activity in Delhi, where several Shiv Sena Lok Sabha members were believed to have reached as speculation grew that six of the party’s nine MPs could seek separate recognition or align with Shinde’s faction. A move by six MPs would be politically significant because it would meet the two-thirds mark often cited in anti-defection disputes involving a legislature party.
The Uddhav camp moved quickly to block any such attempt. Arvind Sawant, the party’s parliamentary leader in the Lok Sabha, wrote to Speaker Om Birla urging him not to grant recognition to any separate faction or merger claim made by dissenting MPs. The party also issued a whip asking all its MPs to attend a meeting in Delhi to discuss “important issues”, with leaders indicating that absence could invite disqualification proceedings.
The tensions follow days of mixed signals within the party. Uddhav Thackeray had convened a meeting of the party’s nine Lok Sabha MPs at Matoshree in Mumbai on Sunday. Only four attended in person, though the party said all nine participated, with others joining online. The absence of several MPs fuelled talk of discontent, particularly among lawmakers from outside Mumbai.
Raut had initially dismissed the speculation, insisting the party remained united and that MPs had expressed faith in Uddhav Thackeray’s leadership. His tone changed after reports emerged of MPs travelling to Delhi and of senior Shinde camp figures holding discussions with them. He tagged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in his first allegation on social media, framing the matter as a test of political morality rather than a routine party dispute.
Shinde’s camp has rejected allegations of poaching. Shaina NC, a Shiv Sena leader, said the party had no interest in breaking any organisation and argued that leaders who wished to join Shinde were attracted by his work and grassroots connect. Maharashtra BJP leader Chandrashekhar Bawankule also denied any role for the BJP, saying Uddhav Thackeray should examine why his own MPs or MLAs were unhappy.
The episode carries echoes of the 2022 rebellion, when Shinde led a large group of MLAs out of the undivided Shiv Sena, bringing down the Maha Vikas Aghadi government headed by Uddhav Thackeray. The Election Commission later recognised the Shinde-led group as the Shiv Sena and allotted it the bow-and-arrow symbol, while Thackeray’s party continued as Shiv Sena with the flaming torch symbol.
For Uddhav Thackeray, the immediate risk lies in Parliament rather than the state Assembly. Shiv Sena won nine Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra in 2024, restoring some political ground after the original split. Losing six MPs would weaken the party’s voice in Delhi and deepen questions over its ability to hold together its organisational base ahead of the next round of political contests in the state.
The controversy has also drawn attention from Opposition ranks beyond Maharashtra. Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra mocked the ₹15 crore figure, prompting Raut’s ₹50 crore rejoinder. Her intervention came as other Opposition parties faced their own internal strains, giving the dispute a wider political resonance.
