Fresh political uncertainty has been triggered in Maharashtra after state minister Gulabrao Patil claimed that “Operation Tiger 2.0” had been set in motion. It was claimed by Patil that more than 14 MLAs from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) could soon cross over to the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. The statement was made just days after six of the nine Lok Sabha MPs belonging to Sena (UBT) joined the ruling faction, giving rise to renewed speculation about further political realignments.
The timing of the claim has been viewed as significant because it followed a meeting of Maha Vikas Aghadi legislators that had been attended by Uddhav Thackeray. Out of the alliance’s 60 MLAs, only 37 were present at the meeting, while 23 remained absent. After the meeting, it was remarked by Thackeray that Opposition unity should be visible on the ground and not remain limited to paper.
At present, Shiv Sena (UBT) has 20 MLAs in the Maharashtra Assembly. Under anti-defection rules, support from at least 14 legislators would be required for any breakaway group to meet the two-thirds strength requirement. The party’s legislative strength includes 10 MLAs from Mumbai, among them Aaditya Thackeray, Varun Sardesai and Sunil Raut.
While speaking to reporters, Patil said that people should wait for some time as more than 14 MLAs would come with Eknath Shinde. It was further said by him that Shinde did not speak much and that he only moved his hand over his beard. Referring to an earlier comment made by Aaditya Thackeray, Patil added that whenever Shinde made such a gesture, “Operation Tiger” became successful.
Reports have also suggested that four Sena (UBT) MLAs had met Eknath Shinde during the Monsoon session of the Assembly and had expressed their desire to switch sides along with more legislators. These reports have added to the pressure on the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction, which is already facing the impact of the recent MP defections.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena minister Uday Samant said that leaders from Opposition parties were themselves approaching Eknath Shinde. Speculation had also emerged over Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar possibly joining the Shinde camp. However, Samant clarified that no such discussion had taken place, although he added that he would be happy if a strong Vidarbha leader like Wadettiwar decided to work with Shinde. Wadettiwar later rejected the speculation and said he remained committed to the Congress.
On the other hand, Sena (UBT) leaders have intensified their criticism of the six MPs who recently joined the Shinde faction. It was said by party leaders that those who had left should not be called rebels but traitors. Allegations were also made that the MPs had been bought for large amounts of money, though no proof was offered publicly. As part of a counter-campaign, Uddhav Thackeray has begun a three-day political tour from Nagpur. Constituencies represented by the six MPs who crossed over, including Yavatmal, Washim, Hingoli, Parbhani, Dharashiv and Shirdi, are expected to be covered during the outreach programme.
Amid these developments, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Uddhav Thackeray were seen travelling on the same flight on Friday. Sanjay Raut and Aaditya Thackeray were also present on board. The images and videos from the flight led to fresh speculation in political circles, although no official political significance was attached to the shared journey.
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