Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi on Wednesday, 17 June threw her weight behind party MP Sanjay Raut's explosive allegation that monetary inducements were being used to poach Shiv Sena-UBT lawmakers into the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, branding the alleged operation as 'Operation Betrayal'. The charge adds fresh turbulence to an already fractured Maharashtra political landscape.

What Sanjay Raut Alleged

In a series of posts on X, Raut claimed that Maharashtra MPs were reportedly being offered ₹15 crore each to switch political sides. Writing with pointed sarcasm, he said: 'Apna Sapna Money Money! It's shocking and revolting that Maharashtra MPs are reportedly being offered Rs 15 crore each tonight to switch sides.' Raut did not name specific individuals but described the offer as happening overnight, suggesting an imminent threat to the party's Lok Sabha strength.

Chaturvedi's Stand and Broader Context

Chaturvedi said that if Raut had made such a claim, he must have received credible information to back it. 'If he has made such a claim, he must have received some information, which is why he is speaking about it,' she said. She drew a parallel with the internal tensions that surfaced in the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), referencing how MP Mahua Moitra had previously spoken about alleged adjustments made with her and other MPs. 'I would not be surprised by such allegations,' Chaturvedi remarked.

She also invoked a sharper moral argument: 'Even the kids in Maharashtra now know that today honesty can be bought as well as sold.' The comment reflects the deep cynicism that has settled over Maharashtra's political class following years of defections and floor-crossing.

Constitutional and Legal Dimensions

Chaturvedi was unambiguous about the constitutional impropriety of lawmakers retaining their seats while abandoning their party. 'It is not justified if somebody who has won on a particular party's symbol later says that I won't give up my seat but will leave the party. And this is happening for the second time in two years,' she said, alluding to the original 2022 Shiv Sena split that brought Shinde to power. She stressed that the legal dispute between both Shiv Sena factions is still pending before the Supreme Court, and that any fresh defection attempt would carry no constitutional validity.

Separately, Shiv Sena-UBT's Lok Sabha leader Arvind Sawant filed a petition before Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, urging him to intervene and block any attempt by disgruntled MPs to engineer a fresh split or merger in the lower house — a pre-emptive legal and procedural move to protect the party's parliamentary group.

What Happens Next

The Shiv Sena-UBT's dual-track response — public allegations by Raut, a formal petition by Sawant to the Speaker, and vocal backing from Chaturvedi — signals that the party is treating the threat as credible and immediate. With the Supreme Court case still live and the Speaker's office now formally notified, any attempted split faces both judicial and procedural hurdles. Whether the alleged inducements materialise into actual defections will be the defining question in the days ahead.