On the occasion of Shiv Sena’s 60th foundation day, a major crisis has hit the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction. Following a split by six Lok Sabha MPs aligning with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s faction, Sanjay Raut, a Shiv Sena (UBT) MP, criticized the dissidents. Raut accused the rebel MPs of engaging in a financial settlement to resolve disputes over Cabinet berths.
Refusing to acknowledge the split as a political move, Raut labeled it as a sale of loyalty, not an ideological departure. He criticized the rebel MPs for missing a crucial parliamentary meeting in Delhi despite a party whip. Allegations of internal conflicts over ministerial berths in the Union government were raised by Raut as the reason for the ongoing crisis.
Raut claimed that a late-night compromise was reached to appease the remaining disgruntled MPs, promising them an additional payout of Rs 25 crore each over the next year. He accused the MPs of hiding under heavy police protection and questioned the need for such security measures if no crimes were committed.
The political turmoil extended to alliance partners, with Raut taking a dig at a senior BJP leader for linking the MPs’ departure to Uddhav Thackeray’s association with the Congress. Raut challenged the BJP’s stance on nationalism and warned of potential factional splits within the party if enforcement agencies were neutralized.
As both factions hosted separate events for the Shiv Sena Foundation Day, the Thackeray camp initiated disciplinary actions by serving show-cause notices to the absent MPs. Raut challenged the rebel MPs to resign from their posts if they had any shame left and face the public honestly.
