Following the recent internal turbulence within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal, political attention has now shifted to Maharashtra, where the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) is reportedly facing the threat of a significant rebellion. According to sources, as many as seven of the party’s nine Lok Sabha MPs are said to be in touch with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and could soon switch allegiance to his faction.
The developments have reportedly been codenamed ‘Operation Tiger’, a political move that could further reshape Maharashtra’s evolving power dynamics.
Several MLAs also in contact with Shinde-led Sena
Apart from MPs, several Shiv Sena (UBT) legislators are also believed to be in communication with the Shinde camp. Sources indicate that a number of party MLAs are exploring the possibility of joining the ruling Shiv Sena faction, raising concerns within the Uddhav Thackeray camp about another potential exodus.
Deepak Kesarkar hints at major political realignment
Fuelling speculation, senior Shiv Sena leader and former Maharashtra Minister Deepak Kesarkar made a significant claim regarding Operation Tiger. He stated that several elected representatives are keen to align with Eknath Shinde because of his development-oriented approach to governance.
According to Kesarkar, the leaders considering the switch remain committed to the ideology of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray and have faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. He argued that this is one of the primary reasons why these leaders would prefer joining the Shinde-led Shiv Sena rather than moving directly to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The former minister also claimed that Uddhav Thackeray and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut have been reaching out to MPs and party leaders in an attempt to prevent defections. However, Kesarkar dismissed those efforts as ineffective.
Uddhav Thackeray calls MLA meet
Amid speculation surrounding "Operation Tiger," Uddhav Thackeray has called a meeting of his party's MLAs. Earlier, Thackeray held a meeting with party MPs. Thackeray has summoned a meeting of all MLAs from his faction of the Shiv Sena on June 22 at 4:00 PM at the party office Shivalay in Mumbai.
As soon as the legislative session begins, Thackeray will guide and brief all MLAs and members of the Legislative Council from his party.
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