Loyalty test flop? Only 3 of 9 Sena UBT MPs attend meet amid buzz of switch

A rebellion brewing within the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) appeared to move decisively into the open on Thursday after only three of the party's nine Lok Sabha MPs attended a crucial meeting in Delhi, despite a three-line whip directing the lawmakers to be present.

The high-stakes meeting in Delhi, called amid an escalating buzz that a group of MPs is preparing to align with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, began with only three Lok Sabha MPs in attendance — Arvind Sawant, Anil Desai and Rajabhau Waje.

Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut was also present.

The absence of six MPs has further fuelled speculation that the Uddhav camp is on the verge of suffering another major split, four years after Shinde's rebellion fractured the undivided Shiv Sena.

The legislators who did not attend the meeting were Sanjay Deshmukh (Yavatmal), Sanjay Jadhav (Parbhani), Nagesh Patil-Ashtikar (Hingoli), Bhausaheb Wakchaure (Shirdi), Omraje Nimbalkar (Dharashiv) and Sanjay Dina Patil (Mumbai North East).

Before the meeting began, attendance sheets were prepared to formally record the presence of MPs who complied with the party whip.

Arriving at Parliament, Raut launched a blistering attack on the absent lawmakers, declaring, "Those who attend are ours. Those who don't are traitors and dishonest."

The Rajya Sabha MP also issued a defiant warning to those allegedly attempting to engineer a split.

"They think they've done it once. I'll tell them, prove it... Are you making a mockery of democracy? Do you have a lot of money? Who are you threatening with the ED and CBI? Us? We've been to jail before and are ready to go again. But I'll only go to jail after teaching you a lesson," he said.

Ahead of the meeting, he had reiterated that the party had followed all parliamentary procedures.

"Arvind Sawant has issued a whip to all our MPs that an important meeting is being held at our Parliament office in Delhi. A few issues need to be discussed. This three-line whip has been issued. So, we will begin our meeting at 11 am today. I don't know how many MPs have reached Delhi so far. But we have a procedure in the parliamentary and legislative parties to send a whip. This has been done," he said.

The emergency meeting was called a day after reports emerged that a group of rebel MPs had approached Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and claimed the support of six MPs — the exact two-thirds strength required to seek recognition as a separate group under anti-defection provisions.

With only three MPs attending Thursday's meeting, the numbers on display appeared to mirror those claims.

- Ends