Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut addressing a press conference in New Delhi on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Amid speculations that at least six of its nine Lok Sabha MPs are likely to rebel, the Shiv Sena (UBT) has convened a meeting of its parliamentary board on Thursday. The party issued a whip on Wednesday after writing to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla late night on Tuesday seeking exclusive recognition as the authorised faction in Parliament. Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut and Lok Sabha MPs Arvind Sawant and Anil Desai also met Mr. Birla on Wednesday with a caveat letter, requesting him that the party should be heard first, in case any other group approaches him.
“When we met the Speaker, he told us that nobody else had met him yet, that nothing had reached him yet. We have full faith in the system. We hope no undue relief is given to them (rival faction),” Mr. Desai told The Hindu.
Six Sena (UBT) MPs – Sanjay Dina Patil, Sanjay Jadhav, Sanjay Deshmukh, Nagesh Patil Ashtikar, Bhausaheb Wakchaure, and Omraje Nimbalkar – reportedly comprise the rebel faction.
Sources confirmed to The Hindu that Mr. Sanjay Dina Patil and Mr. Nimbalkar had not signed the letter to the Speaker. Mr. Sanjay Dina Patil was in touch with party leaders till Wednesday afternoon, but went incommunicado thereafter, sources also said.
On Wednesday, the party claimed that these breakaway MPs were offered ₹50 crore each, and given ₹15 crore before they boarded chartered flights to Delhi. “We don’t know where they are at this point. All these MPs were elected on the face of the undivided Shiv Sena founder, Bal Thackeray, and the hard work of Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray,” said Mr. Raut.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh accused Union Home Minister Amit Shah of resorting to breaking Opposition parties. “The Union Home Minister is continuing his onslaught on the Opposition and his wrecking of Indian democracy to compensate for his humiliation in the Lok Sabha on April 17, 2026 when he failed to have the Delimitation Bills passed. His allurements are enticing a number of those who were elected just two years ago on a strong anti-BJP agenda to now join the BJP…,” he posted on X.
‘Judicial scrutiny’
Sena (UBT) leaders said the six MPs have been told that they might face the sword of disqualification if they end up splitting from the party. “Whatever action the BJP takes in the House, these MPs will be subject to judicial scrutiny once we approach the court. It’s likely that the six have developed cold feet after considering the repercussions,” a Sena (UBT) leader said. “We’ll see who all turn up for the meeting,” said another party MP.
Published – June 18, 2026 01:47 am IST
