Sanjay Raut Calls Rebel Shiv Sena MPs Disloyal Dogs

Sanjay Raut, a leader of the Shiv Sena (UBT), called rebel party members "disloyal dogs" during a public attack on the Shinde faction.

The escalation marks a deepening divide within Maharashtra's political landscape, as the original party camp seeks to reclaim members who defected during a major split.

Raut targeted leaders who sided with Eknath Shinde, the Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and leader of the breakaway faction, in 2022 ^[1]. He urged any individuals who regret their decision to leave the original camp to return to the party led by Uddhav Thackeray ^[1].

The verbal confrontation follows a series of political maneuvers between the two rival camps. Raut said the remarks were a response to the continued actions of those who abandoned Thackeray's leadership.

In addition to the public rebuke, the UBT faction has taken formal legal action. The party has begun disqualification proceedings against six rebel MPs ^[2]. This move aims to remove the defectors from their legislative positions, and consolidate the UBT faction's standing.

Raut said the goal of these actions is to condemn the 2022 defection and deter further departures from the party [1, 2]. The conflict centers on the legitimacy of the party name and symbol, as well as the loyalty of the elected representatives to the original party head.

The tension between the Shinde and Thackeray camps has remained high since the split, with both sides claiming to be the true heirs of the Shiv Sena legacy. The current push for disqualifications suggests a shift toward more aggressive legal strategies to resolve the internal power struggle.