Six parliamentarians from the Shiv Sena (UBT) met with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to discuss exiting the party and merging with Eknath Shinde's faction [1].
This potential defection threatens to significantly weaken the legislative presence of the Uddhav Thackeray-led party, as the rebels represent a majority of its current parliamentary strength.
The group of six [1] members sought to force their exit from the Shiv Sena (UBT) by citing an ideological deviation from the original party's principles [1]. The meeting with the Speaker took place on a Wednesday in New Delhi [1], [2].
According to sources, these members are set to officially join the Shinde-led faction on June 19, 2024 [2]. This move would leave the Shiv Sena (UBT) with only three members of its original nine [2] parliamentarians.
The internal strife mirrors the original revolt that created the Shinde faction in June 2022 [1]. That split divided the party's leadership and led to a prolonged legal and political battle over the party's name and symbol.
The rebels said the current leadership under Uddhav Thackeray has strayed from the party's core ideology [1]. By coordinating with the Speaker, the MPs are attempting to navigate the legal requirements for merging with another political entity without facing disqualification under anti-defection laws.
Speaker Om Birla has not issued a formal ruling on the request, but the meeting indicates a coordinated effort to shift the balance of power within the house before the planned June 19, 2024 [2], transition.
“Six parliamentarians from the Shiv Sena (UBT) met with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to discuss exiting the party.”
The potential loss of six out of nine MPs would effectively neutralize the Shiv Sena (UBT)'s influence in the Lok Sabha. This move consolidates power within the Eknath Shinde faction and suggests that the ideological divide created during the June 2022 split continues to drive structural shifts in Maharashtra's political representation at the national level.
