Shiv Sena’s 60th foundation today:Shinde, Uddhav camps hold separate Mumbai rallies; 6 rebel MPs likely at Shinde event

Shiv Sena’s 60th Foundation Day is being observed amid renewed turmoil within the party, with the rival factions led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray holding separate celebrations in Mumbai on Friday. The Shinde faction has organised its main event at the Nesco Centre in Goregaon, while the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction is holding a rally at Shanmukhananda Hall in Sion. The celebrations come at a politically sensitive time, just days after six of Shiv Sena (UBT)’s nine Lok Sabha MPs rebelled against the party leadership. The rebel MPs boycotted a parliamentary party meeting convened by Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday and submitted a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla explaining their decision to separate from the party’s parliamentary group. Rebel MPs may attend Shinde camp event Political attention is focused on whether the six rebel MPs will make a public appearance at the Shinde faction’s Foundation Day event. Sources within the ruling camp indicated that the MPs could attend the rally at the Nesco Centre, although no official confirmation had been issued till Friday morning. Ahead of the celebrations, the Shinde faction put up large posters and banners across Mumbai featuring Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray, late party leader Anand Dighe, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Eknath Shinde. The Uddhav camp, meanwhile, mobilized party workers from different parts of Maharashtra for its event. The deepening divide was visible earlier this week when three MPs stayed away from a meeting called by Uddhav Thackeray, further fueling speculation of a split within the party’s parliamentary wing. Rebel MPs accuse leadership of abandoning Sena ideology In their communication to the Lok Sabha Speaker, the rebel MPs alleged that some senior leaders in the Uddhav Thackeray camp were attempting to merge Shiv Sena (UBT) with the Congress party. They claimed that Uddhav Thackeray had moved away from Shiv Sena’s original ideology and that separating from the faction had become necessary to preserve the party’s identity and legacy. Senior Shiv Sena leader Chandrakant Khaire alleged that the MPs had already aligned themselves with the Shinde faction. He described the development as part of the ongoing “Operation Tiger” political exercise in Maharashtra. Second major split in 4 years The latest rebellion is being viewed as the second major split in Shiv Sena within four years. In June 2022, Eknath Shinde led a revolt involving 39 Shiv Sena MLAs, resulting in the collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray-led government in Maharashtra. Following the split, the Election Commission recognized the Shinde-led group as the official Shiv Sena and allotted it the party’s iconic bow-and-arrow symbol. The current rebellion by six Lok Sabha MPs is being seen as another significant setback for the Uddhav camp. Anti-defection law could benefit rebel MPs The political significance of the rebellion is heightened by the provisions of the anti-defection law. Shiv Sena (UBT) currently has nine MPs in the Lok Sabha. Under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, at least two-thirds of a parliamentary party must support a split to avoid disqualification. In this case, six out of nine MPs constitute the required two-thirds threshold. Legal experts note that this could strengthen the rebels’ claim to being a separate group and provide protection from immediate disqualification proceedings. However, experts also point out that merely forming a separate faction may not be sufficient in the long run. The MPs could eventually be required to merge with another recognized political party or satisfy additional legal requirements to consolidate their position. Events leading to the rebellion The rebellion unfolded over the past several days: June 15: Discussions around an alleged “Operation Tiger” gained momentum, with reports claiming that six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs were preparing to join the Shinde camp. Uddhav faction leaders dismissed the reports. June 16: MPs were reportedly brought to Delhi from different locations. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut alleged that offers of up to ₹50 crore had been made to lure MPs away from the party. June 17: Leaders from the Shinde faction claimed that six MPs had agreed to form a separate group. Following these reports, Sanjay Raut, Anil Desai and Arvind Sawant met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. June 18: The rebel MPs skipped the parliamentary party meeting called by Uddhav Thackeray and formally submitted a letter to the Speaker outlining the reasons behind their separation.