Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena Chief Eknath Shinde has refuted recent media reports claiming a clandestine meeting with Members of Parliament (MPs) from the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction. Shinde dismissed the reports as baseless and aimed at causing confusion, emphasizing that no such meeting occurred. Rumors of UBT MPs switching to Shiv Sena have been circulating for a while, but Shinde clarified that these are unfounded speculations.
Reports surfaced alleging that seven MPs from the Shiv Sena(UBT) faction were in touch with Shinde, leading to chaos in the state’s political scenario. The alleged meeting, known as “Operation Tiger,” was said to have taken place in Thane, with Shinde and his son reportedly present. However, these claims were strongly denied by all parties involved.
During the supposed secret meeting, UBT MPs were reportedly offered a chance to join Shiv Sena under Shinde’s leadership. Names like Arvind Sawant, Sanjay Dina Patil, Sanjay Deshmukh, Nagesh Patil Ashtikar, Bhausaheb Wakchaure, and Rajabhau Waje were mentioned in the reports, with others like Omraje Nimbalkar joining via video call.
Several Shiv Sena(UBT) leaders, including Arvind Sawant, Omraje Nimbalkar, Sanjay Jadhav, Nagesh Patil Ashtikar, and Sanjay Deshmukh, have come forward to refute the alleged meeting. They have reaffirmed their loyalty to Uddhav Thackeray and denied any involvement with Dy CM Shinde.
This controversy follows a meeting at Uddhav Thackeray’s residence, ‘Matoshree,’ where UBT MPs reportedly reiterated their commitment to the party. Despite speculations of behind-the-scenes movements, the Shinde camp maintains that no formal “Operation Tiger” is in progress. The situation appears to be more of a media frenzy than a significant political shift.
