Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, June 18 (IANS) Amid ongoing controversy surrounding ‘Operation Tiger’, Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Sanjay Shirsat on Thursday claimed that six MPs from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena(UBT) have formed a separate group and have formally informed Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla about their decision in writing.

Speaking to reporters, Shirsat said the process of forming a separate group has already progressed and that the MPs themselves will decide their future political course once all formalities are completed.

He stated that if the six MPs express a desire to join the Shiv Sena led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, the final decision on their induction will rest with Shinde.

“The MPs have formed a separate group and informed the Lok Sabha Speaker. Once the entire process is completed, they will decide which party they wish to join. If they want to merge with us, the decision will be taken by Eknath Shinde. Whatever decision he takes will be accepted by all of us,” he said.

Shirsat further said that the matter is now largely in the hands of the concerned MPs.

Meanwhile, amid intense speculation over a potential split among Shiv Sena(UBT) MPs, senior party leaders Sanjay Raut and Arvind Sawant held a joint press conference, issuing a warning to any potential defectors.

Invoking the aggressive legacy of party founder Balasaheb Thackeray, the leaders asserted that the party would no longer tolerate betrayal and would launch a political and legal offensive against those trying to engineer a split.

The press conference was called just ahead of a crucial meeting of the Sena(UBT) parliamentary party at their Parliament office in New Delhi.

Arvind Sawant, the party’s leader in the Lok Sabha, confirmed that a formal, mandatory binding order — a three-line whip — had been officially issued to all party MPs. “The whip was hand-delivered to the residences of the MPs, and additionally transmitted via email and WhatsApp to ensure legal compliance. The meeting was convened to assess the physical presence of the MPs in Delhi and to deliberate on key parliamentary strategies,” he said.

Addressing ongoing media speculation about a mass defection, Sanjay Raut took a sarcastic jibe at opponents, stating, “Looking at the media atmosphere, even though we officially have nine MPs, it feels like 15 will turn up today.”

Raut revealed that party chief Uddhav Thackeray had personally called to review the situation and issued clear directives on how to handle the political crisis.

Furthermore, he highlighted that Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-SP) chief Sharad Pawar has extended complete solidarity to the Thackeray faction. “Pawar Saheb has reached out and expressed his readiness to hold joint public rallies in the home constituencies of any rebel MPs. This fight will be fought collectively by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition, including Shiv Sena(UBT), NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), and the Congress,” Raut declared.

–IANS

jk/dpb