Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde leads Shiv Sena anniversary, welcomes rebel MPs

Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde used the Shiv Sena's 60th‑anniversary rally in Mumbai to launch a broad attack on opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, calling him “the captain of those who keep losing.” He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tenure, citing the Ram Mandir construction and the abrogation of Article 370 as fulfilments of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray’s vision, and lauded Home Minister Amit Shah for curbing left‑wing extremism.

On the same day, Shinde announced that six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs who had missed a parliamentary board meeting would be formally welcomed on stage as part of “Operation Tiger.” The rebels – Nagesh Patil, Sanjay Deshmukh, Sanjay Jadhav, Bhausaheb Waghchore, Omraje Nimbalkar and Sanjay Dina Patil – are expected to join the party after negotiations over personal demands. Security was heightened with Y‑category cover, while party leaders urged unity and warned against future defections.