The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) has refuted claims of merging with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. Arvind Ganpat Sawant, the leader of the Shiv Sena(UBT) Parliamentary Party in the Lok Sabha, has officially communicated with six MPs who switched to the Shinde camp.
The letter addresses speculations about a potential merger and cautions against unauthorized actions by party members. Sawant clarifies that the original Shiv Sena(UBT) has not initiated, agreed to, or authorized any merger with Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena or any other political group. This position has been formally endorsed by Paksha Pramukh (President) Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray.
Sawant reminds the six MPs that he was elected in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections under the Shiv Sena(UBT) banner. He emphasizes that the election was contested directly against candidates from Eknath Shinde’s faction.
Under Paragraph 4 of the Tenth Schedule to the Constitution of India, individual legislators lack the legal authority to independently orchestrate a party merger. They can only accept or reject a merger proposed by the original party. The communication was prompted by public reports suggesting that Nimbalkar and other MPs were trying to depict a “merger” between the factions and had approached the Lok Sabha Speaker for recognition.
In response, Sawant stated, “In the absence of a merger of the original party, there is no possibility of a legislature party merger. Moreover, no such merger is legally permissible or under consideration.” Sawant’s letter coincides with the Shiv Sena(UBT) submitting requests to the Lok Sabha Speaker to disregard any merger or separate group recognition claims from MPs elected under the UBT symbol.
According to the letter, the Speaker recently heard a representative of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and has not yet issued any order recognizing merger claims. A copy of the letter sent to the six defecting MPs has been shared with the Speaker of the Lok Sabha to officially document the party’s firm opposition to any such acknowledgment.
