Rebel Shiv Sena UBT MPs Unlikely To Join Shinde Camp On Foundation Day, Defection Buzz Continues

Published 19 June 2026 · local

Rebel Shiv Sena UBT MPs Unlikely To Join Shinde Camp On Foundation Day, Defection Buzz Continues Published By, Last Updated: June 19, 2026, 10:29 IST

Rebel Shiv Sena UBT MPs Unlikely To Join Shinde Camp On Foundation Day, Defection Buzz Continues Published By, Last Updated: June 19, 2026, 10:29 IST The speculation intensified after six Shiv Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha MPs skipped a parliamentary party meeting convened in New Delhi on Thursday despite being issued a whip. Rapid Read Shiv Sena has already experienced a devastating split once, even rumours of a fresh rebellion are enough to trigger alarm within the organisation. Shiv Sena UBT Crisis: Contrary to speculation, the possible crossover by six Shiv Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha MPs to the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena may have to wait, with sources indicating that no formal induction is likely to take place during the party’s foundation day celebrations on Friday. Both the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Shinde-led Shiv Sena are marking the 60th foundation day of the undivided Shiv Sena on Friday. There had been widespread speculation that six Sena (UBT) MPs would formally join the Shinde faction during its foundation day event at NESCO in Mumbai.

However, sources told news agency PTI that the induction would not take place on Friday, indicating that it has been deferred. Additionally, the Shiv Sena has dismissed the reports suggesting that six Uddhav Thackeray faction MPs scheduled to join the party during the foundation day event. The Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena said that no such induction into the party will take place on Friday. The Shiv Sena (UBT) leadership also vehemently dismissed these claims. The speculation intensified after six Shiv Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha MPs skipped a parliamentary party meeting convened in New Delhi on Thursday despite being issued a whip. The absent MPs were Nagesh Patil-Ashtikar, Sanjay Deshmukh, Sanjay Jadhav, Sanjay Dina Patil, Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar and Bhausaheb Wakchaure. Only MPs Arvind Sawant, Anil Desai and Rajabhau Waje attended the meeting, highlighting the widening rift within the Uddhav Thackeray-led party. Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut said show-cause notices have been served to the six MPs and that the party has initiated action against them.

“The process for taking action has started. We will make every effort to get them disqualified," Raut told reporters. He said the party would seek action under anti-defection provisions and urged the Lok Sabha Speaker to act in accordance with the law and Supreme Court directives. What Is Operation Tiger? Talk of a possible defection gained momentum after Shiv Sena MLC Chandrakant Raghuvanshi claimed that six Sena (UBT) MPs had expressed confidence in Shinde’s leadership and were ready to join his faction. The developments have revived memories of the 2022 split in the Shiv Sena, when Shinde broke away from Uddhav Thackeray along with a large group of MLAs, leading to a division of the party. While Friday’s foundation day celebrations were expected to provide clarity on the future of the six MPs, sources now indicate that any formal induction, if it happens, has been deferred for the time being. (With inputs from agencies) News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author Shobhit Gupta Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news.