Mumbai:
Amid speculation over yet another round of defections from the Shiv Sena (UBT), party chief Uddhav Thackeray called a meeting of the party’s Lok Sabha MPs at Matoshree today, with the leadership using the occasion to send out a strong message of unity.
Senior leader and MP Sanjay Raut clarified that all nine of its Lok Sabha MPs participated in the meeting either physically, virtually or through phone calls, dismissing rumours of any internal rift. Four MPs – Arvind Sawant, Anil Desai, Sanjay Dina Patil and Rajabhau Waje – attended the meeting in person, while others joined through video conferencing or spoke to the leadership over the phone due to personal commitments and family emergencies.
Sanjay Dina Patil reached Matoshree late as his car met with an accident.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Anil Desai told NDTV, “In today’s meeting, four MPs were physically present, three from Mumbai and one from Nashik. The remaining five MPs joined through video conference and phone calls. All nine MPs are together.”
Desai also took a swipe at Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde over reports of “Operation Tiger”, an alleged attempt to engineer defections from the party. “This is just being speculated in the media. Some people are unaware of the reality,” he said.
Party leaders sought to explain the absence of MPs who could not attend physically. Omraje Nimbalkar informed the leadership that his son had been hospitalised, while Bhausaheb Wakchaure joined online as his wife was unwell. Nagesh Ashtikar was occupied with a personal engagement, and Sanjay Deshmukh had a family wedding ceremony. Uddhav Thackeray also spoke directly with Parbhani MP Sanjay Bandu Jadhav over the phone.
Addressing concerns over reports of dissatisfaction within the party, senior leaders Arvind Sawant and Rajabhau Waje asserted that there was no rift in Shiv Sena (UBT). Party sources described the gathering as a “routine monthly meeting” and urged an end to speculation surrounding defections.
Sanjay Dina Patil downplayed reports of discord, saying differences within a family are natural. “In a family, everyone has differences. I too have some,” he said. Patil added that he had not received any offer from any political party.
“I’ve not been offered anything by anyone. If something has to happen, it will happen,” he remarked. Explaining his late arrival at the meeting, he said his vehicle had met with a minor accident on the way. Patil also acknowledged his cordial relations with Eknath Shinde, saying, “I have had good relations with Shinde for a long time. We meet and even share meals.”
Apart from addressing rumours of defections, the meeting focused on organisational and political issues. Thackeray instructed MPs to raise the issue of farm loan waivers and question the government on its policies regarding debt relief for farmers. He also directed them to strongly highlight issues such as inflation, agrarian distress and other public concerns both inside and outside Parliament.
According to party sources, MPs were also asked to clear confusion among party workers regarding reports of leaders being in touch with rival political formations. The leadership reiterated that all Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs remain committed to the party.
As part of a broader organisational review, Thackeray has also scheduled a Zoom meeting with district chiefs on Sunday. During the interaction, he is expected to review district-wise issues, seek feedback on local political developments and discuss challenges being faced by the party across Maharashtra.
