Uddhav Thackeray seeks disqualification of rebel MPs, says defections part of bigger conspiracy

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday (June 28, 2026) demanded the immediate disqualification of the six party MPs who recently defected to the Eknath Shinde-led camp, alleging that their switch was part of a larger political conspiracy.

The Lok Sabha Speaker must uphold the rule of law regarding the defections, the former Maharashtra Chief Minister said at a rally in Parbhani, alleging that the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) central leadership was systematically “clipping the wings” of its own State leaders.

Attacking the BJP over the Ayodhya Ram temple donation embezzlement issue, Mr. Thackeray accused the saffron party of exploiting the temple for political gain, labelling it the “Babur Janata Party”.

“Babur demolished the Ram Mandir. A ‘Babur Janata Party’ has now come to loot the newly constructed temple. What is the difference between them?” Mr. Thackeray said.

MPs loyal to the Shiv Sena (UBT) had submitted a formal representation to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, seeking an opportunity to present their side, Mr. Thackeray said, noting that party MP Arvind Sawant had cut short an official visit to Kargil after the Speaker had advanced the date of the hearing.

“If there is a rule of law in this country, these six MPs should be disqualified. I still believe in the Lok Sabha Speaker because if he does not follow the law, he cannot ask others to follow it. We respect his authority, not his wishes,” the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader said.

Earlier this week, six rebel Lok Sabha members of the Shiv Sena (UBT) joined the ruling Shiv Sena led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. They had won against candidates of the BJP and Shiv Sena in the 2024 General Election. The Shiv Sena (UBT) won nine Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra in 2024.

Mr. Thackeray has undertaken a tour of the constituencies represented by the rebel MPs. Sanjay Jadhav, one of the rebel lawmakers, is from Parbhani.

The Sena UBT chief alleged that the defections were part of a “bigger political game” he termed “Operation Devendra”, aimed at sidelining Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, just as the party had done to other leaders in the past.

“The people voted against the Modi wave here (in Parbhani). Now, the MP who won against that wave has crossed over. This is not a mere rebellion, but a bigger political game,” he alleged.

He further questioned the source of the rebel MPs’ wealth, pointing to their travel in private jets, and accused them of ignoring the plight of farmers.