Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde Secures Defection of Six UBT MPs in ‘Operation Tiger’

On June 22, 2026, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was presented with a gold‑coloured tiger statue in the state assembly, marking the completion of “Operation Tiger.” The operation saw six Lok Sabha members of Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) faction formally join Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction. The MPs—Omprakash Bhoopal Singh (Omraj Nimbalkar), Nagash Bapurav Patil Ashtikar, Sanjay Haribhau Jadhav, Sanjay Uttamra Deshmukh, Bhausaheb Rajarama Wakchoure, and Sanjay Deena Patil—submitted letters to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla requesting recognition as a separate group.

The switch reduced the UBT’s Lok Sabha strength from nine to three and raised Shinde’s camp from seven to thirteen members, reshaping the balance of power within the Maharashtra coalition and the NDA‑aligned parties. Reactions included criticism from Aditya Thackeray, who accused the defectors of “selling their loyalty,” and comments from opposition leaders such as NCP minister Chagan Bhujbal, who said the operation’s success would be judged by voters at the next election. The defectors also cited difficulties in accessing development funds while in opposition and referenced a recent court decision affecting one of their families, for which they said Home Minister Amit Shah had promised a CBI appeal. The episode highlights ongoing realignments within Maharashtra’s Shiv Sena and the broader state political landscape.