Shiv Sena (UBT) Suffers Major Blow as Six Lok Sabha MPs Join Shinde Camp
Mumbai, June 22, 2026: In a significant political setback for Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT), all six rebel Lok Sabha MPs from the party formally joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Monday, deepening the divide within the regional outfit ahead of crucial local body elections in Maharashtra.
The induction took place at a high-profile press conference in Mumbai attended by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who hailed the development as a return to the party’s original ideology and legacy.
The six MPs — Sanjay Jadhav, Bhausaheb Wakchaure, Nagesh Patil Ashtikar, Sanjay Patil (Sanjay Dina Patil), Omraje Nimbalkar and Sanjay Deshmukh — shared the stage with Shinde as they formally switched allegiance to his faction in what political observers are calling a major turning point in the ongoing Shiv Sena power struggle.
Welcoming the lawmakers, Shinde declared, “These six MPs are back in the Shiv Sena fold. This is Balasaheb Thackeray’s Shiv Sena.”
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VIDEO | All six rebel MPs of Shiv Sena (UBT) join ruling Shiv Sena, headed by Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde (@mieknathshinde), in Mumbai.
(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/DpYP7Q2mIe
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 22, 2026
The move significantly strengthens the Shinde faction’s position in Parliament, increasing its Lok Sabha tally from seven to thirteen MPs. The new strength also provides the faction with the crucial two-thirds threshold that could help shield the defecting MPs from potential anti-defection proceedings.
The rebellion had been brewing for days. The six MPs had earlier skipped a key Shiv Sena (UBT) parliamentary party meeting in New Delhi and reportedly met Shinde before submitting a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking recognition of their merger with the Shinde-led faction.
The rebel lawmakers have cited multiple reasons for their decision, including alleged neglect of constituency development, dissatisfaction with the Uddhav Thackeray camp’s political direction, and concerns over what they described as a departure from Bal Thackeray’s Hindutva ideology. Some leaders also expressed apprehensions about the party moving closer to the Congress.
The Uddhav Thackeray camp reacted sharply to the defections. Party leaders accused the rebels of betraying the Shiv Sena’s legacy and succumbing to political pressure. Uddhav Thackeray and Aaditya Thackeray condemned the move, with the latter describing the defectors as leaders whose “loyalty is up for sale.”
Senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut alleged that the lawmakers had been coerced into switching sides and indicated that the party would explore legal options to challenge the development.
The latest defections mark the second major split within the Shiv Sena since 2022, when Eknath Shinde led a rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray’s leadership, ultimately resulting in the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government and the emergence of two rival factions.
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With six of its nine Lok Sabha MPs now gone, Shiv Sena (UBT)’s parliamentary strength has been reduced to just three MPs, raising fresh concerns about the party’s future influence in Maharashtra politics.
Political analysts believe the development could trigger further unrest within the Uddhav camp and reshape electoral equations ahead of the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections and other local body polls.
While the Shinde faction has portrayed the move as a “homecoming” to Balasaheb Thackeray’s ideology, the Uddhav camp has vowed to fight back both politically and legally, setting the stage for another chapter in Maharashtra’s continuing Shiv Sena battle.
