Lok Sabha Speaker recognises merger of 6 rebel UBT MPs with Shinde's Shiv Sena

The Speaker's decision marks another significant milestone in the prolonged battle between the rival Shiv Sena factions over political and organisational control of the party, further strengthening the Shinde camp's position in Parliament ahead of the Monsoon Session.

In Short

• Rebels' switch weakens Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT)
• Decision formalises ongoing factional battle within Shiv Sena
• Recognition impacts party leadership and organisational control

In a major setback for Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT), Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has recognised the merger of six rebel MPs with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, formally validating their switch under the anti-defection law ahead of Parliament's Monsoon Session.

With the Speaker's decision, the Shinde-led Shiv Sena's strength in the Lok Sabha has risen from seven to 13, while the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) has been reduced to three MPs, according to the updated party position released by the Lok Sabha Secretariat.

The recognition comes nearly a month after the six parliamentarians broke away from the Uddhav camp and joined Shinde's party. Earlier this week, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had said the induction was carried out in a "foolproof" and "legally sound" manner and expressed confidence that the Speaker would rule in favour of his faction.

SHINDE REJECTS 'OPERATION TIGER' CHARGE

Addressing a press conference in Mumbai on Friday, Shinde dismissed allegations that the six MPs switched camps for monetary benefits under what the opposition has dubbed "Operation Tiger". "If I were to tell you that the six MPs who joined us did not do so for personal gain, you might dismiss it as a lie. Those making these allegations see nothing but money, because their mindset is one of taking, not giving," he said.

Shinde asserted that the MPs joined his faction for political reasons and not personal benefit. "I can say with certainty that they did not join for personal self-interest. We will provide them with development funds. We even facilitated a meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah, and we will ensure that the departmental work relevant to their areas is completed," he said.

Hitting out at the Uddhav Thackeray camp, Shinde added, "The narrative is always the same: if someone leaves, the claim is that they took money. When they are with that faction, they are considered good; when they leave, they are deemed bad. They need to introspect and self-examine."

'MERGER MET ALL LEGAL REQUIREMENTS'

Earlier this week, Shinde had maintained that the merger fulfilled the requirements under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, which permits a merger if at least two-thirds of the members of a legislature party support it.

"These six MPs have come with us with a two-thirds majority. After consulting legal experts, they met the Lok Sabha Speaker and completed every procedure, including submitting the required documents and video recordings," he had said.

The Uddhav Thackeray camp had opposed the move, arguing that the split did not satisfy the legal requirement relating to the party's organisational structure. Shinde, however, insisted that all constitutional and procedural formalities had been complied with and that the final decision rested with the Speaker.

REVISED LOK SABHA ARITHMETIC

The Speaker's decision has also altered the party position in the Lok Sabha. According to the revised numbers:

• NDA: 318
• INDIA bloc: 181
• Others: 41

The Lok Sabha currently has 540 sitting members, with three seats vacant. The government would therefore require 360 MPs to secure the two-thirds majority needed to pass a constitutional amendment.

The updated party position also reflects the Shinde-led Shiv Sena's strength increasing from seven to 13 MPs, while the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) has registered an increase of 20 MPs following its recognition as a separate parliamentary party.

The Speaker's decision marks another significant milestone in the prolonged battle between the rival Shiv Sena factions over political and organisational control of the party, further consolidating the Shinde camp's position in Parliament ahead of the Monsoon Session.

- Ends