The Mass Exodus From Team Uddhav: How Many UBT Leaders Have Joined Shinde Sena Since 2022?

Last Updated:July 01, 2026, 16:00 IST

The Sena UBT is battling a severe survival crisis following a major fresh wave of high-profile defections to the rival Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena under "Operation Tiger"

Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena has so far seen two major waves of defections – one in 2022 and the recent June 2026 exodus.

News18 explains the story behind the numbers.

THE MASS EXODUS

THE SWITCHES

The June 2022 Rebellion (The Vertical Split)

40 MLAs walked out of the MVA government alongside Eknath Shinde, effectively collapsing Uddhav Thackeray’s government.

13 Lok Sabha MPs (out of 18 elected under the undivided party banner) subsequently shifted their allegiance to the Shinde faction.

The June 2026 Exodus (“Operation Tiger")

Following the 2024 general elections where the Thackeray faction re-built a temporary presence, a second wave completely fractured the party’s remaining parliamentary wing.

6 Lok Sabha MPs crossed over en masse on June 22, 2026. This group included Omprakash Nimbalkar, Nagesh Patil Ashtikar, Sanjay Jadhav, Sanjay Deshmukh, Sanjay Dina Patil, and Bhausaheb Wakchaure.

1 Senior MLC / Loyalist, Sachin Ahir (a close aide to Aaditya Thackeray), officially defected on June 30, 2026, to file a nomination for Deputy Chairperson of the Legislative Council under the Shinde banner.

IN BMC

Over a dozen (more than 12) former Shiv Sena (UBT) corporators from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) have joined Shinde’s Shiv Sena since the initial party split.

40+ Shifted Post-Split: While the BMC’s elected term previously expired, around 40 former undivided Sena corporators had defected to the Shinde camp by late 2023. Recent Tally: By the time of the recent 2026 civic elections, it was estimated that at least 44 former corporators aligned with Shinde’s faction, leaving about 55 with Uddhav Thackeray. Several smaller batches (including a pair of corporators from the Magathane area) have also made the jump more recently.

LOCAL BODIES

In addition to these primary legislative figures, hundreds of local municipal corporators, district chiefs, and Yuva Sena functionaries from regions like Dhule, Navi Mumbai, and Palghar have systematically defected over this four-year span.

WHAT NEXT FOR SENA UBT?

The Sena UBT is battling a severe survival crisis following a major fresh wave of high-profile defections to the rival Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena under “Operation Tiger". After suffering heavy blows in late June 2026, the party’s next steps focus on urgent legal damage control, grassroots public outreach, and a desperate attempt to retain its remaining legislative base.

The party is forced to navigate several critical fronts:

• Legal route: Thackeray has formally demanded the immediate parliamentary disqualification of the six Lok Sabha MPs who defected to the Shinde camp. Sena UBT leaders like Sanjay Raut and Anil Desai have met with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, submitting caveats to urge the Lok Sabha secretariat not to recognise the breakaway group as a legitimate separate bloc or merger. The party has issued strict whips and is preparing for intensive courtroom litigation if the rebels are officially shielded from anti-defection laws.
• Stemming Further Defections: The party just suffered another immediate blow on June 30, 2026, when senior MLC and close Aaditya Thackeray confidant Sachin Ahir defected to the Shinde camp to file a nomination for Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Council. With ruling Mahayuti ministers boasting that “Operation Tiger 3.0" aims to pull away 14 of Sena UBT’s 20 remaining MLAs, Uddhav Thackeray’s immediate internal priority is keeping his inner circle intact to maintain a political quorum.
• Public Ground Tours & “Jan Samvaad": To counter the narrative that the party is finished, Uddhav Thackeray has immediately initiated a statewide tour, holding public rallies directly in the home constituencies of the rebel MPs (such as Yavatmal). He is leaning heavily into public emotional outreach, leveraging regional pride, accusing the defectors of financial corruption, and claiming the Shinde faction is trying to steal the true ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray.
• BMC and Municipal Elections Focus: The Shinde camp has openly declared that its next target is taking absolute control of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Sena UBT is shifting its focus to securing local corporate networks in Mumbai to prevent grassroots Shakha leaders from flipping to the ruling alliance ahead of civic body elections.

About the Author

Manjiri Joshi

At the news desk for 20 years, the story of her life has revolved around finding pun, facts while reporting, on radio, heading a daily newspaper desk, teaching mass media students to now editing speci...Read More

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