Inside Operation Tiger: Photos Emerge Of Uddhav Camp's 6 Rebel MPs Meeting Om Birla 'In Secret' Before Exit

Published 11 July 2026 · local

Inside Operation Tiger: Photos Emerge Of Uddhav Camp's 6 Rebel MPs Meeting Om Birla 'In Secret' Before Exit Published By, Last Updated: July 11, 2026

Inside Operation Tiger: Photos Emerge Of Uddhav Camp's 6 Rebel MPs Meeting Om Birla 'In Secret' Before Exit Published By, Last Updated: July 11, 2026, 14:15 IST Photos surfaced of six rebel Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs meeting Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla before joining the Eknath Shinde faction in 'Operation Tiger'. Images of six rebel Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MPs and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla have surfaced Photos from a previously undisclosed meeting between six rebel Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MPs and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla have surfaced, weeks after the lawmakers switched allegiance to the Eknath Shinde-led faction. The pictures are linked to what was called ‘Operation Tiger’, a term used for the political exercise to bring lawmakers from the Uddhav Thackeray camp into the Shinde-led Shiv Sena. The operation had reportedly been taking shape quietly for months before reaching Delhi. The defection of the six MPs last month had revived memories of Maharashtra’s 2022 political crisis, which saw rebel leaders go incommunicado, allegations of poaching and a series of secret meetings.

The latest political shift was seen as a major setback for the Uddhav camp, which questioned the authority of the rebel MPs. What Happened At The ‘Secret’ Meeting With Om Birla? On June 17, the six rebel MPs met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at his residence in Delhi and submitted a letter seeking separate recognition. The MPs reportedly cited Uddhav Thackeray’s alleged plans to merge his Shiv Sena faction with the Congress as the reason for their decision, saying such a move was unacceptable to them. They had also ensured that they had the required numbers to avoid disqualification under the anti-defection law. The newly surfaced photographs show the rebel MPs meeting Birla in the presence of Shinde faction MP Shrikant Shinde and Maharashtra minister Pratap Sarnaik. How The June 17 Meetings Unfolded According to officials, rebel MP Omraje Nimbalkar met Birla in Delhi at around 6.30 am, signed the defection papers and then left for Maharashtra. The other five MPs — Sanjay Dina Patil, Sanjay Jadhav, Sanjay Deshmukh, Nagesh Patil Ashtikar and Bhausaheb Wakchaure — reached Delhi’s Leela Hotel at around 7.30 am.

Shrikant Shinde and Pratap Sarnaik also arrived at the hotel around the same time, taking different routes. The group later reached Birla’s residence at around 9.30 am, where the rebel MPs signed the defection papers. The five MPs were also photographed together in the Lok Sabha Speaker’s garden. ‘Operation Tiger Complete And Successful’: Eknath Shinde Soon after the six MPs switched sides, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde declared ‘Operation Tiger’ to be “complete and successful". Calling the six MPs “Dhurandhars" with strong grassroots connections, Shinde said, “The six tigers are here. They have all now joined the real Shiv Sena family. I welcome them to the real Shiv Sena family." Drawing a parallel with the 2022 rebellion that split the Shiv Sena, Shinde added, “Four years ago – on June 22, 2022 – we staged a rebellion within the Shiv Sena. At that time, we had 40 MLAs with us. And now, we have hit a si not a four, but a six.