Uddhav Thackeray calls emergency MLA meet amid Operation Tiger defection scare
Synopsis
With six rebel MPs already gone and Operation Tiger allegedly targeting more, Uddhav Thackeray called an emergency meeting of all 26 state legislators — but four were absent. The session, timed to the monsoon session opener, was as much a public headcount as a strategy briefing, and the numbers told a complicated story.
Key Takeaways
Uddhav Thackeray chaired an emergency meeting of Shiv Sena (UBT) legislators on 22 June , coinciding with the start of Maharashtra's monsoon session.
22 of 26 state legislators attended; absent were MLAs Sanjay Derkar, Rahul Patil, Sanjay Potnis and MLC Sunil Shinde , all with prior permission.
Six rebel UBT MPs formally joined the Eknath Shinde -led Shiv Sena on the same day.
Thackeray directed legislators to aggressively raise issues of farmers, water crisis in Vidarbha and Marathwada , and Mumbai concerns in the House.
Thackeray announced a three-day tour from 27–29 June to constituencies of defected MPs.
Aaditya Thackeray accused the BJP and CM Shinde of funding defections while denying funds for employee salaries and welfare schemes.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Monday, 22 June convened an emergency meeting of all party legislators in Mumbai, seeking to hold his ranks together as defection rumours swirled around the faction. The high-stakes session, timed to coincide with the opening of the state legislature's monsoon session, doubled as a strategy huddle and a public show of solidarity.
The Defection Scare and Operation Tiger
The meeting was called against the backdrop of Operation Tiger — an alleged political manoeuvre by the rival Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena to engineer the defection of several Shiv Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha MPs. The crisis deepened on the same day when six rebel UBT MPs formally joined the Shinde faction at a separate function, underscoring the scale of the challenge facing Thackeray's camp.
The pressure had been building since a parliamentary meeting in New Delhi last week, where only three of the party's nine Lok Sabha MPs attended in person. The Shinde faction claimed a final date for absorbing the remaining UBT MPs was being finalised, a charge the UBT leadership strongly denied.
Who Was Present — and Who Was Not
Of the party's total 26 state legislators — comprising 20 MLAs and 6 MLCs — 22 attended the hour-long session. The meeting concluded with legislators gathering for a group photograph alongside Thackeray, a deliberate signal of unity.
Four lawmakers were absent: MLAs Sanjay Derkar, Rahul Patil, and Sanjay Potnis, along with MLC Sunil Shinde. Party insiders moved quickly to contain the optics, noting that all four had secured prior permission from the leadership, citing personal obligations, local religious events, and commitments tied to the recent Legislative Council election results.
Thackeray's Instructions to the Rank and File
During the meeting, Thackeray directed his legislators to mount an aggressive, organised opposition inside the House. With the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition targeting the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) post, he instructed members to systematically press the government on public grievances.
Sena (UBT) MLC Ambadas Danve said after the session: 'We have been told to work aggressively. We will firmly raise the issues of farmers, the acute water crisis plaguing regions like Vidarbha and Marathwada, and the concerns of Mumbai.'
Thackeray also directed his MLAs and MLCs to actively ground themselves in the home constituencies of the rebel MPs reportedly considering switching sides.
UBT Leaders Hit Back at Ruling Alliance
Former minister and party legislator Aaditya Thackeray sharply criticised the ruling Mahayuti alliance, accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde of prioritising political horse-trading over governance. He alleged: 'They don't have money for employee salaries and welfare schemes, but they have money to buy MPs,' further claiming the ruling coalition was attempting to fracture the opposition with the ultimate aim of altering the Constitution.
Senior leader Sanjay Raut dismissed the defection claims as fabrications, asserting that the three Lok Sabha MPs in question remained firmly behind Uddhav Thackeray.
What Comes Next
Thackeray has announced a three-day tour from 27 to 29 June to visit constituencies from which MPs have defected to the Shinde faction — a ground-level counter-offensive as the political crisis enters a new phase. How many of his nine Lok Sabha MPs remain in the fold when the monsoon session concludes will be the clearest measure of whether Monday's show of unity held.
Point of View
But Thackeray needed all 26 to make the message unambiguous — and he didn't get that. Operation Tiger has already claimed six MPs; the question is whether the floor of the monsoon session becomes the next arena for poaching. Thackeray's counter — deploying legislators into rebel constituencies — is a classic pressure tactic, but it works only if those legislators themselves aren't wavering. The real test of Monday's meeting isn't the group photograph; it's how many of his nine Lok Sabha MPs are still in the fold by the time the session ends.
NationPress
23 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Uddhav Thackeray call an emergency meeting of legislators on 22 June?
Thackeray convened the emergency meeting to counter defection rumours and shore up party unity as the Maharashtra legislature's monsoon session began. The session followed reports that Operation Tiger — an alleged effort by the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena — was targeting Shiv Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha MPs.
What is Operation Tiger in Maharashtra politics?
Operation Tiger is the name given to an alleged political manoeuvre by the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena to engineer defections of Shiv Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha MPs to its own ranks. Six rebel UBT MPs formally joined the Shinde faction on the same day as Thackeray's emergency meeting.
How many legislators attended Thackeray's meeting, and who was absent?
22 of the party's 26 state legislators attended. The four who were absent — MLAs Sanjay Derkar, Rahul Patil, and Sanjay Potnis, and MLC Sunil Shinde — had reportedly secured prior permission from the leadership citing personal and religious commitments.
What instructions did Thackeray give to his legislators?
Thackeray directed legislators to aggressively corner the government inside the House on issues including farmers' distress, the water crisis in Vidarbha and Marathwada, and Mumbai's concerns. He also asked them to establish a presence in the home constituencies of rebel MPs.
What is Thackeray's next move after the emergency meeting?
Thackeray announced a three-day tour from 27 to 29 June to visit constituencies from which MPs have defected to the Shinde faction. The outreach is seen as a ground-level effort to consolidate support and signal that the party retains a grassroots presence in those areas.
