Sanjay Raut of Shiv Sena (UBT) claimed that several legislators from Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s faction are in contact with Uddhav Thackeray's camp.
Raut suggested that the MLAs, disheartened by their defeat in the Lok Sabha elections, have reached out to Uddhav Sena leaders. "They are not in touch with me directly, but they have contacted our party leaders," Raut told The Indian Express. However, he mentioned that no decisions have been made regarding the reintegration of these MLAs.
Contradicting Raut's statement, Shiv Sena spokesperson Naresh Mhaske dismissed these claims and asserted that it is actually Uddhav Sena's MLAs who are seeking to join Shinde's faction. Mhaske stated that two newly elected MPs from Uddhav Sena are dissatisfied with their party's current direction and are considering switching sides. He added that these MPs intend to bring along six others to join Shiv Sena, pending resolution of disqualification issues.
Mhaske further critiqued Uddhav Sena, claiming their recent electoral success was limited to specific societal segments, suggesting that upcoming Assembly elections will reveal their true standing.
This internal strife follows remarks by Rohit Pawar, an MLA from Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), who recently indicated that about 20 NCP MLAs are contemplating a return to Sharad Pawar's faction. He mentioned that any decisions on their re-admittance would be based on their conduct and level of criticism towards the party leadership.
These political maneuvers come in the wake of the BJP-led alliance's disappointing performance in the Lok Sabha elections, securing only 17 out of 48 seats in Maharashtra. As the Assembly elections approach, speculations abound regarding potential realignments and defections among the rebel factions of Shiv Sena and NCP.