With reports suggesting that six Sena (UBT) MPs are in touch with the Shinde faction, the Thackeray camp is weighing its options amid growing concerns over defections and a potential parliamentary split.
BY PC Bureau
June 18, 2026: A fresh political crisis appears to be brewing in the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), with six of the party’s nine Lok Sabha MPs reportedly in touch with the rival Eknath Shinde faction and considering a switch.
The speculation intensified on Thursday when only three MPs attended a crucial meeting of the party’s parliamentary board at Parliament House in Delhi. The absence of the six MPs immediately triggered concerns of another rebellion within the Sena, four years after Shinde’s revolt split the party and reshaped Maharashtra politics.
READ: US, Iran Seal Historic Agreement To End 110-Day Conflict
Party chief Uddhav Thackeray was promptly informed about the missing MPs, and discussions are reportedly underway on possible disciplinary action.
The development comes amid claims by Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut that attempts are being made to engineer defections. Raut alleged earlier this week that MPs from the Thackeray camp were being offered up to Rs 15 crore each to join the Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
READ:
VIDEO | Delhi: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Anil Desai after attending parliamentary party meeting, says, “Notice will be served (to MPs who didn’t attend the meeting). They will be asked why they didn’t attend the meeting despite a whip being issued in this regard.”#ShivSenaUBT… pic.twitter.com/xXaCRyFu48
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 18, 2026
With the numbers potentially sufficient to trigger a formal split in the parliamentary party, the six MPs have become the focus of intense political speculation. Here is a look at the leaders at the centre of the crisis.
The timing could hardly be worse for Uddhav Thackeray. After rebuilding the party following the 2022 split and retaining a significant presence in Parliament, Sena (UBT) now faces the prospect of another erosion of its ranks. A defection by six MPs would not only weaken the party’s voice in Delhi but also raise fresh questions about Thackeray’s ability to hold his flock together.
For Eknath Shinde, meanwhile, any successful crossover would be seen as further validation of his claim to the Shiv Sena’s political legacy. It would also strengthen his position within the ruling alliance in Maharashtra, potentially altering the balance of power ahead of future electoral battles in both the state and at the national level.
