Will Rebel Shiv Sena MPs Announce Split Today? Uddhav Thackeray Camp On Edge

Last Updated:June 21, 2026, 13:25 IST

At the press conference, the rebel leaders are expected to lay out the circumstances that prompted their decision to break away from the outfit led by the Thackerays.

Speculation is mounting that a split within the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray) camp is likely to be formally announced today, with rebel parliamentarians expected to directly present their case before the public and explain their position.

According to several reports, at a press conference scheduled today, the six rebel MPs of the party would release photos and videos of their meeting with the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, as well as the letter submitted to him.

At the press conference, the rebel leaders are expected to lay out the circumstances that prompted their decision to break away from the outfit led by the Thackerays.

The six rebel MPs, who include Sanjay Jadhav, Sanjay Deshmukh, Omraje Nimbalkar, Bhausaheb Wakchaure, Nagesh Patil Ashtikar and Sanjay Dina Patil, first flew to Delhi from different parts of the country on June 16 and stayed at a hotel in Noida.

Reportedly, Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena supremo Eknath Shinde and his son Shrikanth Shinde also arrived in Delhi on the same day.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) was formed under the leadership of the Thackerays after they lost control of the party to Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde following a rebellion four years ago. The latest development points to a fresh split that could further weaken the Thackerays politically and deal a significant blow to the opposition camp.

‘Operation Tiger’

The episode began with a meeting held at Uddhav Thackeray’s residence, Matoshree. Five MPs were reportedly absent from the meeting, further fuelling speculation around “Operation Tiger", an alleged poaching attempt said to be spearheaded by the Shiv Sena.

As per reports, the Sena (UBT) currently has nine MPs; six of them are rebels. Out of the six, one is in Mumbai and another in Pune. Two of them would arrive from Chennai, and the remaining from Kolkata, for the press conference.

Earlier, the rebel MPs met Speaker Om Birla, informing him of their change in allegiance. They claimed they decided to part ways due to the Thackerays deviating from ideology, and it would not attract the anti-defection law, as per reports.

While a second split in the Thackerays’ Sena appears increasingly likely, procedural and technical hurdles have so far delayed an official announcement. The rebel faction has also maintained a cautious approach, avoiding a shared stage with Eknath Shinde during the Shiv Sena Foundation Day event.

The strategy is aimed at ensuring they are not projected as breakaway members, which could allow the Thackerays to frame the development as a voluntary relinquishing of membership rather than a split.

Show Cause Notice To Rebel MPs

As the buzz intensified, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut, a close aide of Uddhav Thackeray, sought to downplay the speculation, stating that the five absent MPs had joined the meeting virtually and that one of them would speak to Thackeray over the phone.

However, the clarification did little to ease tensions. Rebel MP Sanjay Jadhav was later seen holding a meeting with Union Minister Prataprao Jadhav from the Eknath Shinde camp. Although the MP maintained that the meeting was strictly non-political, it further fuelled the controversy.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) has already issued show-cause notices to the rebel MPs over their absence from the parliamentary party meeting and is now expected to move for the cancellation of their membership in Parliament on these grounds.

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