Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar/Mumbai, Jun 18 (PTI) Leaders of the ruling Shiv Sena on Thursday blamed Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray’s leadership for not addressing the discontent among its MPs, and denied their party’s connection with ‘Operation Tiger’.
‘Operation Tiger’ is a term being used for alleged attempts by Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena to poach MPs from the Thackeray camp. Notably, the mascot of the undivided Shiv Sena was a tiger drawn by party founder Bal Thackeray.
Maharashtra minister and Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Shirsat on Thursday claimed that discontent had been brewing among Opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs for the past year and has now come to the fore.
Speaking to reporters here, Shirsat targeted Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut, largely blaming him for the crisis in the Uddhav Thackeray-led party.
Shirsat also asserted that his party had nothing to do with “Operation Tiger” and that it was an internal matter of the Sena (UBT).
His remarks came in response to the speculation about an operation to poach Sena (UBT) MPs.
On Thursday, six of the nine Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha members skipped its parliamentary party meeting in New Delhi, signalling that a formal crossover to the ruling Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde may be only a matter of time.
Only three Sena (UBT) MPs — Arvind Sawant, Anil Desai and Rajabhau Waje — attended the meeting, along with Sanjay Raut, the party’s lone Rajya Sabha member. The absence of the remaining six MPs — Nagesh Aashtikar, Sanjay Deshmukh, Sanjay Jadhav, Sanjay Dina Patil, Omprakash Rajenimbalkar and Bhausaheb Wakchaure — all but confirmed a split in the party’s parliamentary ranks.
Sources said all six dissident MPs have signed a letter seeking a merger with the Shinde-led Sena and submitted it to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
“We have nothing to do with this ‘Operation Tiger’, and it is completely their internal issue,” Shirsat said at a press conference.
“The MPs or the party workers who have won multiple elections are not treated well in that party, and it was conveyed to the party leadership multiple times. Expletives were used for their own MPs during a press conference yesterday,” he said, referring to the remarks made by Raut.
This unrest is not new and has been going for a year. It just came out yesterday, Shirsat claimed. “We are watching the situation like a third person as of now,” he added.
The minister also claimed the Sena (UBT) was itself responsible for the situation.
“Instead of blaming our party, the Shiv Sena (UBT) should see within their organisation. It is seen now that people across Maharashtra are coming to Eknath Shinde and he is finding it hard to attend to them because of paucity of time,” he said.
He also targeted Raut, saying, “The (Sena UBT) workers are fed up with the people who have damaged their party. People will kick them now instead. Raut peeped into other political parties and destroyed them. Wherever these leaders go, they make a mess everywhere.” “Eknath Shinde is a leader who does the operation and also makes it successful,” he added.
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam said the situation is not the result of any political conspiracy, but rather a natural consequence of growing dissatisfaction with the (Sena UBT) leadership.
He further said the whip issued at a time when Parliament is not in session and when no parliamentary proceedings are underway has no legal basis. According to parliamentary conventions and rules, a whip is applicable only in the context of parliamentary business. Therefore, talking about taking action against MPs is merely misleading.
Nirupam said it is natural for discontent to arise when party leaders disconnect themselves from their elected representatives, office-bearers, and workers. If leadership fails to inspire and instead distances itself from party workers, elected representatives begin to think about their own political future.
“The strength of a political party lies not merely in its name, but in the confidence and trust of its workers. Once that trust weakens, internal dissatisfaction inevitably becomes visible,” he said.
Nirupam said Shiv Sena is not conducting any so-called ‘Operation Tiger’ campaign, and added that the term has been popularised by the media.
Ruling Sena’s Rajya Sabha MP Milind Deora said despite Sena (UBT) chief issuing directives, six MPs of the party remained absent for the Delhi meeting.
The reasons for their absence can only be explained by Uddhav Thackeray himself, he said, adding that the MPs were dissatisfied in the party and no longer have faith in Thackeray’s leadership.
Deora added that MPs elected by the people want to carry out development work in their constituencies. “We are not in the business of breaking parties; we are working to bring people together,” he said, adding that Shiv Sena welcomes anyone who wishes to join the party. PTI AW PR NP
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