13-14 Sena UBT MLAs will join Shinde-led Sena soon: Bangar

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Shiv Sena MLA Santosh Bangar on Friday claimed that “Operation Tiger” was far from over, saying 13-14 legislators from Shiv Sena (UBT) would soon join the Eknath Shinde-led faction.“In the coming days, there will be a bigger operation and 14 MLAs will switch over to the original Shiv Sena,” Bangar said, as he put up banners across Hingoli city welcoming MP Nagesh Patil Ashtikar, one of the six MPs who skipped the parliamentary meeting convened by Shiv Sena (UBT) in New Delhi, fuelling speculation about a possible defection.The banners, displayed at prominent locations across the city, congratulated the Hingoli MP for what Bangar described as a “right decision” taken in the interest of the district’s development.

The move comes amid protests by Sena (UBT) workers across Marathwada over reports that several party MPs may switch allegiance to the Shinde-led Shiv Sena.Blaming Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut for the current crisis, Bangar said, “We dare him (Raut) to contest any election and become an MP in the future.”Ashtikar, who represents the Hingoli Lok Sabha constituency, had defeated Shinde Sena candidate Baburao Kadam Kohlikar in the 2024 general elections, helping the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction retain a key stronghold in the region.

Bangar’s public welcome through banners has been widely seen as a strong indication of a possible shift despite him repeatedly denying reports over the past few weeks that he would join the Shinde camp.The development has triggered a sharp backlash from Sena (UBT) office bearers and workers in Hingoli district. Protests were held in Sengaon and Goregaon, where party supporters burnt symbolic effigies of the MP and accused him of betraying the voters’ mandate. Protesters said if Ashtikar intended to switch sides, he should resign from the Lok Sabha and seek a fresh mandate.