Six Shiv Sena-UBT Lok Sabha MPs defected to the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction on 17 June in a meticulously coordinated operation codenamed 'Operation Tiger', leaving Uddhav Thackeray with just three loyal MPs out of nine in the Parliamentary wing. The defection, executed with near-military precision across multiple cities and transport routes, marks a fresh rupture in Maharashtra's already fractured political landscape.

How 'Operation Tiger' Was Executed

To avoid detection by the Thackeray camp, the six MPs travelled to New Delhi from different cities via entirely separate routes and modes of transport. On 16 June at 1:30 am, rebel MP Nagesh Patil Ashtikar flew in from Nanded. Later that afternoon, Sanjay Deshmukh and Sanjay Bandu Jadhav arrived on separate flights, also from Nanded. By evening, Bhausaheb Wakchaure reached Delhi via private jet from Hyderabad, while Sanjay Dina Patil arrived at night alongside Minister Pratap Sarnaik.

In the early hours of 17 June, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde himself arrived in Delhi via the Mumbai-Jaipur route at 3 am. At 4:30 am, Omprakashraje Nimbalkar reached the capital from Pune. All six MPs were quietly checked into a five-star hotel in Delhi that served as the operation's base.

Formal Submission to the Lok Sabha Speaker

On the morning of 17 June, the split was formalised in back-to-back meetings with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. At 7 am, Omprakashraje Nimbalkar met the Speaker alone to lay the groundwork. At 10:20 am, the remaining five MPs joined him to submit a signed, official resolution.

In their formal submission, the six MPs alleged that the Shiv Sena-UBT had deviated from its core ideological foundation and that senior party leaders were actively attempting to merge the party into the Indian National Congress (Congress). They formally requested to merge with Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena faction and demanded a change in their seating arrangements in the Lok Sabha chamber.

The Late-Night Call That Sealed the Deal

A critical moment came late on the night of 17 June, when Shiv Sena-UBT Parliamentary leader Arvind Sawant called for a 'Litmus Test' meeting the following day to assess MP loyalty. To prevent any wavering, Shrikant Shinde — Shiv Sena MP and son of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde — organised a 30-minute late-night conference call between his father and the six rebel MPs.

During the call, specific concerns raised by MPs including Omprakashraje Nimbalkar (Dharashiv) and Sanjay Dina Patil (North East Mumbai) were addressed. Shrikant Shinde gave a firm assurance: 'The Shiv Sena will stand solidly behind you.' Shortly after, the six MPs were moved at dawn from their Delhi hotel to a secure location in Jaipur, Rajasthan, keeping them out of reach of Thackeray's emissaries.

Legal Stakes and the Anti-Defection Angle

With six of nine Lok Sabha MPs defecting, the Shinde faction commands a clear two-thirds majority of the Parliamentary Party — the threshold required under the Tenth Schedule of the Indian Constitution (anti-defection law) to avoid disqualification. This legal positioning appears to have been a central consideration in the operation's design.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led faction has announced plans to approach Speaker Om Birla demanding the immediate disqualification of the six members for defying the party whip. Shinde camp sources indicate no joint photographs or formal merger announcements will be made for the next 48 hours while legal teams assess potential counter-moves.

What Happens Next

A formal in-person meeting between Eknath Shinde and the six MPs is scheduled for 20 June, at which official paperwork and the stated reasons for their departure are to be made public. Meanwhile, police security has been significantly reinforced outside the residences of all six rebel MPs across Maharashtra, anticipating localised backlash following sharp public warnings from Shiv Sena-UBT leader Sanjay Raut. The next legal and political moves from both sides are expected to define the shape of Maharashtra's parliamentary arithmetic for the remainder of this term.