Political circles in Maharashtra were abuzz on Friday with speculation about Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs defecting to the party led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, but both the Sena factions denied such a possibility.
The Shiv Sena has secretly launched 'Operation Tiger' to induce defections in the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena (UBT), claimed some reports, but Shinde dubbed them as baseless.
The intention of those spreading these rumours was "to create sensation", Shinde said in a statement, adding that reports about a secret meeting between him and Sena (UBT) MPs too were mischievous.
Naresh Mhaske, an MP of Shinde's party, claimed that Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders themselves were spreading these rumours.
The Sena (UBT) has ten MPs -- nine in the Lok Sabha and lone Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut.
In 2022, Shinde led a rebellion within the Shiv Sena led by then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, breaking away with a majority of MLAs. Shinde's faction subsequently got the name and bow-and-arrow symbol of the original party founded by Bal Thackeray.
Sanjay Raut on Friday asserted that all nine Lok Sabha MPs were with Uddhav Thackeray.
Arvind Sawant, a Sena (UBT) MP from Mumbai, said he had been with Uddhav Thackeray all his life, and would stay with him till the end. Holding a press conference in New Delhi, Sawant produced a written "guarantee" that he would not join the rival Shiv Sena.
Some reports claimed that Sawant was among those who would cross over to Shinde's party. The MP, however, said such rumours were being spread ahead of a hearing in the Supreme Court of a case related to the Shiv Sena symbol later this month.
Senior Opposition leaders dismissed as speculation the reports that a section the Sena (UBT) will split and join the rival faction. -- PTI
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