Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former minister Aaditya Thackeray on Monday, 15 June firmly rejected speculation of a fresh split in the party, asserting that all its Members of Parliament remain loyal to the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction. His remarks came in direct response to reports circulating under the banner of 'Operation Tiger' — a purported effort to peel away five Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs toward the rival faction led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

'People can be blind followers (Andhbhakt), but we have blind faith (Andhvishwas) in our colleagues,' Aaditya Thackeray said, signalling confidence in the party's parliamentary bloc even as questions swirled about the loyalties of several MPs.

The Operation Tiger Speculation

Reports have suggested that five Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs — Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar, Sanjay Jadhav, Sanjay Deshmukh, Bhausaheb Wakchaure, and Nagesh Patil Ashtikar — are in contact with the Shinde faction, fuelling speculation of an imminent political realignment. The buzz intensified after these MPs did not attend Sunday's in-person meeting called by Uddhav Thackeray at Matoshree in Mumbai.

Aaditya Thackeray, however, questioned what was wrong with attending the meeting online, noting that several MPs had joined virtually. He emphasised that those elected in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections had won with 'massive margins' on the strength of voter trust in Uddhav Thackeray.

Raut Counters with 'Operation Wolf'

Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut struck a combative note, announcing that the party would launch 'Operation Wolf' to counter its opponents — an apparent reference to the Shinde-led faction. Raut confirmed that MPs Arvind Sawant, Anil Desai, Rajabhau Waze, and Sanjay Patil attended the Matoshree meeting in person, while Nimbalkar, Wakchaure, Nagesh Bapurao Patil Ashtikar, and Sanjay Deshmukh participated online. Sanjay Jadhav spoke to Thackeray over phone and is expected to visit Mumbai and meet him within two days, Raut said.

'When the Shiv Sena split, those whose loyalty could not be doubted left. We trust our MPs and that trust will continue. All these MPs are with Shiv Sena (UBT),' Raut said on Monday.

Uddhav Thackeray's Warning

According to sources, party chief Uddhav Thackeray addressed the loyalty question directly during the closed-door meeting. 'Those who want to leave are free to go, and I wish them well. However, those who abandon Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sena will regret it sooner or later,' he reportedly said — a pointed message that stopped short of naming any MP.

Aaditya Thackeray also levelled a broader political charge, alleging that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is engineering splits across the country to secure a two-thirds majority in Parliament. He noted that both Uddhav Thackeray and Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar had campaigned extensively for the party's MPs during the 2024 general elections.

June 19 Foundation Day: The Real Test

The developments come nearly four years after the vertical split in the original Shiv Sena in 2022, when Eknath Shinde led a rebellion that ultimately cost Uddhav Thackeray the Chief Minister's chair and, later, the party's name and symbol. The Matoshree meeting on Sunday is being viewed as the first loyalty test; the second, and potentially more decisive, one is the party's foundation day on 19 June. The physical attendance of the five MPs at that event is widely expected to determine the near-term trajectory of the faction, sources said.

Separately, Aaditya Thackeray took aim at rebel All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs, calling them 'ungrateful people' who won elections in the name of TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee but switched sides after the change in government in West Bengal — drawing a parallel to the situation his own party now faces.