Shiv Sena

'Operation Tiger is complete,' says Shinde as 6 Uddhav MPs join his Sena

"Operation Tiger is complete now," announced Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday, as all six rebel Lok Sabha members from the Shiv Sena (UBT) officially crossed over to the ruling Shiv Sena, formalising another split in the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction. The rebels joined the Shiv Sena at an event in the presence of Shinde and other senior party leaders, five days after skipping a crucial parliamentary party meeting of the Shiv Sena (UBT) in New Delhi. The meeting was attended by only three Lok Sabha MPs of the Opposition party. The Lok Sabha MPs of the Shiv Sena (UBT) who crossed over are: Sanjay Deshmukh (Yavatmal), Sanjay Jadhav (Parbhani), Sanjay Dina Patil (Mumbai North East), Nagesh Patil-Ashtikar (Hingoli), Omprakash Rajenimbalkar (Dharashiv) and Bhausaheb Wakchaure (Shirdi). "My operations are fool proof," said Shinde while referring to the six defected MPs as Dhurandhar (stalwarts/experts) who are connected to ground. "Operation Tiger" is now complete

BJP-led Mahayuti sweeps Maharashtra MLC polls, wins 16 of 17 seats

The only seat that did not go to an official Mahayuti candidate was Nashik, where an Independent candidate and BJP rebel Gokul Gite defeated Shiv Sena nominee Narendra Darade

Only one Shiv Sena exists, led by Shinde: Shah's jibe at Uddhav Thackeray

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday took a sharp jibe at Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, accusing him of sitting in Congress's lap and trying to turn infiltrators into a vote bank, warning that India is not a dharmshala. In an apparent reference to the imminent split in Thackeray-led Sena (UBT), Shah said that earlier people had to refer to the Shinde-led faction separately, but "now no faction remains, and there is only one Shiv Sena, which is headed by Eknath Shinde". The Sena (UBT) is staring at a crisis as at least six Lok Sabha MPs are believed to have revolted against Thackeray and are likely to cross over to the ruling Shiv Sena. "These Congress leaders and Uddhav ji, who is sitting in the lap of the Congress, want to survive by turning infiltrators into a vote bank. I want to tell them clearly that this country is not a dharmshala (charitable shelter). Only those who belong to this country will live here," Shah said. He said every infiltrator would be identifi

Ideology, not power: The glue that keeps political parties from splintering

The BJP has had some significant departures that need mention. The first was Balraj Madhok, the swayamsevak from Jammu who, as party chief, led the BJS to his highest ever tally of 35 in the 1967 elec

Uddhav Thackeray dismisses claims of rebel MPs on Sena (UBT)-Cong merger

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has rejected claims attributed to six rebel MPs that they feared the party might merge with the Congress, asserting that the united Sena always supported Hindutva and sons of the soil. In his first comments on the impending split in his party for the second time in four years, Thackeray on Friday said the Shiv Sena was not born to merge with anyone. "It was created to fight for the rights of Marathi people and protect Hindutva," he said while addressing a gathering of Shiv Sena (UBT) workers here, marking the 60th foundation day of the united Shiv Sena, founded by his father, late Bal Thackeray. He slammed the rebel MPs for claims that they feared the Sena (UBT) might merge with the Congress. "If we didn't merge with the BJP despite being an ally for 30 years, how can we merge with the Congress. I fear the Maharashtra BJP might merge with the Shinde Sena," he remarked. He said we have had severe political differences with the Congress, but it

Facing revolt by six MPs, Uddhav says ready to quit as party chief

The Shiv Sena's 60th foundation day exposed deepening fault lines as Uddhav sought to contain a rebellion and Shinde projected further political gains

6 Sena (UBT) MPs skip meeting, switchover to Shinde camp appears imminent

The writing appeared to be on the wall for Shiv Sena (UBT) as six of its nine Lok Sabha MPs skipped its parliamentary party meeting here on Thursday, signalling that a formal crossover to the ruling Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde may be only a matter of time. Sena (UBT) MPs Arvind Sawant, Anil Desai and Rajabhau Waje attended the meeting, along with Sanjay Raut, the party's lone Rajya Sabha MP. The absence of the remaining six MPs all but confirmed a split in the party's parliamentary ranks. The MPs who skipped the meeting are Nagesh Aashtikar, Sanjay Deshmukh, Sanjay Jadhav, Sanjay Dina Patil, Omprakash Rajenimbalkar and Bhausaheb Wakchaure. Sources said all six dissident MPs have signed a letter seeking a merger with the Shinde-led Sena and submitted it to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. The process, however, is not yet complete, as the speaker's office is understood to require the physical appearance of some of the MPs for verification and that is "expected to happen in the coming .

Sena (UBT) alleges ₹50 cr lure offers, issues whip to MPs amid split buzz

Even as the Trinamool Congress grapples with an unprecedented split, Shiv Sena (UBT), another major player in the Opposition camp, is staring at a crisis, with "six to seven" of its nine Lok Sabha MPs inclined to switch to the ruling Shiv Sena and camping in the national capital, sources said on Tuesday. It is learnt that Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde was also headed to Delhi late on Tuesday. On its part, Shiv Sena (UBT) has dismissed the possibility of a split in its Lok Sabha ranks, with the party's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut claiming that all its MPs remain united. Sources told PTI that Shinde was expected to land in Delhi late on Tuesday. "Six to seven MPs are likely to switch sides," a leader of the Shinde camp said, claiming that the move was linked to a possible elevation in the role of Aditya Thackeray, son of Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, who currently heads the party's youth wing. The leader claimed that the MPs likely to ma

TCS Nashik case: Sena minister targets AIMIM leader over accused Nida Khan

Maharashtra Minister Sanjay Shirsat on Saturday launched a fresh attack against AIMIM leader Imtiaz Jaleel, alleging that the latter had pressured his party corporator to harbour Nida Khan, an accused in the TCS sexual harassment and religious coercion case. Talking to reporters here, Shirsat, a Shiv Sena leader who is also the guardian minister of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, said he has written to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, demanding that those who had provided shelter to Khan and her family members should also come under the SIT scanner. Weeks after she went into hiding, Khan, an accused in a case related to alleged religious conversion and sexual harassment of some women colleagues at a TCS unit in Nashik, was apprehended from a house in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on Thursday. AIMIM corporator Matin Patel allegedly harboured Khan and her family in the city, the police said. ''The details emerging from the (TCS) case are shocking. Nida Khan first went to Mumbra, and later, .

Cong slams Sena UBT for accusing it of using regional allies as 'crutches'

The Congress on Monday hit out at the Shiv Sena (UBT) over the latter's accusation that the grand old party was using regional outfits as "crutches", and not treating them as "equal stakeholders" in the Opposition alliance. Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant criticised the editorial in the Sena (UBT) mouthpiece 'Saamana', alleging that the newspaper's executive editor, MP Sanjay Raut, appears confused on several occasions between his roles as a politician and journalist. In a strongly-worded post on X, he noted that while a journalist's duty is to point out shortcomings objectively, a political spokesperson often targets opponents, and confusing the two roles leads to ignoring one's own accountability. He claimed that Raut feels whatever he says is the "ultimate truth" and stressed that he doesn't feel that in an alliance like the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), all constituent parties have their own views, which must be discussed before making announcements. "Taking unilater

164 tourists from Maharashtra stranded in UAE return home, says Shiv Sena

A total of 164 tourists from Maharashtra stranded in the United Arab Emirates due to the US-Israel-Iran conflict have returned home in two flights arranged by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, a Shiv Sena functionary said on Wednesday. Two aircraft carrying 76 and 88 tourists landed here Tuesday night. These included 84 students from the Pune-based Indira School of Business Studies and residents from Thane, Ahilyanagar and Pune, he said. The special fights were arranged by Shinde, who heads the Shiv Sena, the party leader said. In a statement on Tuesday, Shinde's office had said that two flights carrying stranded Maharashtra residents would take off for Mumbai from the UAE's Fujairah Airport at 3.30 pm and 4.30 pm. "The Shiv Sena was successful in bringing back many residents from Maharashtra who were stranded in Dubai," Shinde said in a post on X, crediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for their leadership. He further said it gave satisfaction to gi

Nearly one in four BMC winners face criminal cases, ADR analysis shows

Nearly one in four winning candidates in the 2026 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls have declared criminal cases against themselves, while close to four-fifths are crorepatis, according to an analysis by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). The ADR, which studied affidavits of all 227 winning candidates, said 54 winners, or 24 per cent, have declared criminal cases, while 29 candidates, or 13 per cent, face serious criminal charges. The data was compiled along with Maharashtra Election Watch from candidates' self-sworn affidavits filed during the civic polls. Party-wise analysis showed that 33 per cent of the winners from the BJP have declared criminal cases, followed by 24 per cent from Shiv Sena and 15 per cent from Shiv Sena (UBT), the report said. The financial profile of candidates also indicated a strong presence of wealthy contestants. Up to 180 of the 227 winners, about 79 per cent, declared assets worth more than Rs 1 crore, with the average assets of

Meet Ritu Tawde, three-term BJP corporator now Mumbai's 78th mayor

Ritu Tawde, a BJP corporator from Ghatkopar, was elected unopposed as Mumbai's 78th mayor, marking the party's return to the top post in the BMC after 44 years

BJP names Ritu Tawade for Mumbai mayor; Shiv Sena's Sanjay Ghadi dy mayor

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday nominated corporator Ritu Tawade for the Mumbai mayor election, while its ally Shiv Sena declared Sanjay Ghadi as its candidate for the deputy mayor's post. BJP leader Amit Satam declared Tawade's name, while Shiv Sena leader Rahul Shewale announced Ghadi's candidature at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters. Tawade is a corporator from Ward 132, while Ghadi was elected from Ward 5 in the January 15 civic election. Ghadi will serve as deputy mayor for 15 months, Shiv Sena secretary Sanjay More has said in a statement. He was one of the senior former Shiv Sena (UBT) corporators who switched sides to join the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. By splitting the deputy mayor's term in Mumbai, the Shiv Sena intends to give an opportunity to four of its corporators. In the polls to the 227-member Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the BJP emerged as the single largest party with 89 seats, while Shiv Sena won 29 seats. The rul

Shinde's betrayal of Marathi manoos paved way for BJP mayor in Mumbai: Raut

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday said that Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's betrayal of the Marathi manoos paved the way for the BJP to win the Mumbai civic elections and install its mayor. The BJP has officially maintained that the next mayor of Mumbai will be from Mahayuti (the BJP-Shiv Sena combine). Raut also suggested that the Sena (UBT) ally, MNS, underperformed in the polls, saying the Raj Thackeray-led party was expected to win 10-12 more seats. The BJP-Shiv Sena alliance ended the 30-year-old monopoly of the Thackeray family on the cash-rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation in the high-stakes elections, securing 89 of 227 seats. The BJP, however, will need the support of ally Shiv Sena which bagged 29 seats, to run the civic body. The opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS bagged 65 and six seats, respectively. Raut said the Thackeray cousins collectively won 71 seats in Mumbai on the strong backing of the Marathi manoos, which is a huge ...

BMC election results 2026: Here's a list of winners across top wards

Mumbai BMC election vote counting: The counting process for 227 municipal wards of India's richest civic body started at 10 am on Friday

BMC poll results: BJP alliance ahead on 118 seats, Shiv Sena (UBT) on 70

Mumbai BMC election vote counting: The counting process for over 200 municipal wards of India's richest civic body started at 10 am on Friday

Maha civic polls: 68 Mahayuti candidates elected unopposed, 44 from BJP

The BJP and its Mahayuti allies have won 68 seats unopposed in the Maharashtra civic polls, voting for which will be held on January 15. Across the state, as many as 68 candidates from the BJP and the Mahayuti have been elected unopposed, reflecting the party's growing strength in urban local bodies, BJP leader Keshav Upadhye said on Friday. This includes 44 of the BJP, with the highest number being from Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation in Thane district, followed by Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad, Panvel, Bhiwandi, Dhule, Jalgaon and Ahilyanagar. The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has seen 22 of its candidates getting elected unopposed, while the figure is two for Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party. BJP leaders attributed the trend to the popularity of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and what they described as the successful electoral strategy of state unit president Ravindra Chavan. These have helped the BJP emerge as a dominant force not only in municipal councils but also in .

BJP, Shiv Sena part ways for Pune civic polls after seat-sharing talks fail

Earlier, CM Devendra Fadnavis said BJP would contest all 29 civic bodies with Shiv Sena, but for Pune the party offered just 16 of 165 seats, a proposal rejected by Sena's local unit

NCP also in talks with Shiv Sena over seats in Pune civic polls: Ajit Pawar

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday said that his NCP is in talks with the Shiv Sena, led by his peer Eknath Shinde, over seat sharing for Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad civic polls. He was speaking to reporters after paying tribute at the Jay Stambh' (victory pillar) near Pune on the 208th anniversary of the Koregaon Bhima battle. Pawar said that although they are in touch with Shiv Sena over seats, the picture will be clearer after the scrutiny of nomination papers and withdrawals by candidates. Earlier, the party had said that it had tied up with Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP) for the two municipal corporations. NCP and Shiv Sena are constituents of the ruling Mahayuti, along with the BJP, while the NCP (SP) belongs to the Opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi. However, in this year's civic polls, state-level alliances have blurred with parties joining hands with rival camps in several cities. The nomination process for the January 15 polls began on December 23 and ended on