Uddhav Thackeray to address public meetings in constituencies represented by rebel MPs after fresh setback to UBT

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray will embark on a three-day tour across parts of Maharashtra from June 27 to 29, during which he will address public meetings in five of the six Lok Sabha constituencies whose sitting MPs recently defected to the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.The tour follows a major blow to Sena (UBT), with six of its nine Lok Sabha MPs crossing over to the Shinde camp, reducing the party’s strength in the lower House to just three. Political observers see the outreach as an effort by Thackeray to reassert his leadership, mobilise grassroots workers and counter the narrative emerging from the defections. The recent development represents the biggest parliamentary setback for Thackeray since the 2022 party split.The MPs who switched allegiance include Sanjay Deshmukh (Yavatmal-Washim), Nagesh Patil-Ashtikar (Hingoli), Sanjay alias Bandu Jadhav (Parbhani), Omprakash Rajenimbalkar (Osmanabad), Bhausaheb Wakchaure (Shirdi) and Sanjay Dina Patil (Mumbai North East).According to party sources, the tour will begin in Yavatmal on June 27, followed by Washim and Hingoli, with an overnight halt in Parbhani. On June 28, Thackeray will address a meeting in Parbhani city and then travel to Dharashiv, before halting for the night in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

The final leg on June 29 will see him speaking in Shirdi before returning to Mumbai.Senior party leaders have been tasked with coordinating different segments of the tour. MP Arvind Sawant and MLA Sanjay Derkar will oversee arrangements in Yavatmal-Washim, while former legislative council opposition leader Ambadas Danve will manage the Hingoli, Parbhani and Dharashiv leg. Rajya Sabha MP and party spokesperson Sanjay Raut will accompany Thackeray during the Shirdi programme.The latest defections come as Sena (UBT) continues its legal battle in the

Supreme Court

over the Shiv Sena name and its iconic bow-and-arrow election symbol. Party members argued that the defecting MPs were elected on the strength of Thackeray’s leadership and the support of party workers, and should resign and seek a fresh mandate under their new political banner.Raut has publicly demanded that the rebel MPs step down and recontest elections.

The public meetings during the tour are expected to amplify this message while reassuring party workers unsettled by recent developments.Sources within the party said a separate rally was being planned in Mumbai North East, signalling an intensified outreach in all six constituencies represented by the rebel MPs. They described the tour as a concerted effort to reconnect with cadres, dispel confusion and demonstrate organisational resilience despite repeated defections.