Uddhav Thackeray Tours Maharashtra, Calls for Disqualification of Defecting MPs

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray arrived in Nagpur and began a tour of Yavatmal, Washim, Hingoli and Parbhani districts, seeking to rally supporters after six of his party's Lok Sabha MPs crossed over to the Eknath Shinde‑led Shiv Sena. The defections reduced the UBT faction to three MPs in the lower house.

At a rally in Parbhani, Thackeray urged Speaker Om Birla to invoke anti‑defection rules and disqualify the rebels, describing the move as part of a larger political conspiracy he dubbed “Operation Devendra.” He also blamed the BJP’s central leadership, calling it the “Babur Janata Party,” and questioned the wealth and motives of the defectors, while warning that deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde has no future in the BJP‑led alliance.