In a significant political development ahead of Parliament’s Monsoon Session, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Saturday approved the merger of six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs with the Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
The Speaker’s approval formally brings the six parliamentarians into the Shinde-led Shiv Sena in the Lok Sabha, strengthening the ruling faction’s presence in the Lower House while dealing another major setback to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT).
The six MPs who switched sides are Omprakash Rajenimbalkar, Nagesh Patil-Ashtikar, Sanjay Haribhai Jadhav, Sanjay Dina Patil, Bhausaheb Rajaram Wakchaure and Sanjay Uttamrao Deshmukh.
With the departure of the six lawmakers, the Shiv Sena (UBT), which had nine MPs in the Lok Sabha, has been reduced to three. The six-member breakaway group represents two-thirds of the party’s parliamentary strength, a crucial threshold under provisions of the anti-defection law.
Signs of a widening rift within the Uddhav Thackeray camp had emerged after six of its nine Lok Sabha MPs stayed away from a key parliamentary party meeting in New Delhi. The political rupture deepened when the MPs subsequently approached Speaker Om Birla seeking formal recognition of their group.
Two of the MPs, Nagesh Patil-Ashtikar and Omprakash Rajenimbalkar, cited difficulties in carrying out development work in their constituencies while explaining their decision to break ranks with the Uddhav-led party.
They said remaining in the Opposition for the past two years had affected their ability to secure adequate resources for constituency-level projects. According to them, the Rs 5 crore available under the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) was insufficient, while limited support from the state government had further constrained development initiatives.
In a Facebook Live address, Ashtikar maintained that he had no personal grievance against Uddhav Thackeray. He, however, criticised the response of senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders after the six MPs skipped the meeting in Delhi, accusing some leaders, including Sanjay Raut, of using “harsh and abusive language” and displaying a lack of trust in the lawmakers.
The defections follow a period of mounting uncertainty within the Shiv Sena (UBT).
Uddhav Thackeray had earlier convened a meeting of senior party leaders in Mumbai to discuss political developments, organisational issues and the party’s legislative strategy amid speculation that some of its parliamentarians could cross over to the Shinde camp.
