Uddhav Thackeray meets Sena UBT MPs amid split rumours, party denies defection buzz
The talks of another split in the party led by Uddhav Thackeray were fuelled recently, especially after the rebellion within the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray. (File Photo)
Amid speculations over a possible split in the parliamentary party of the Shiv Sena (UBT), four of the party’s nine Lok Sabha MPs physically attended the meeting called by Uddhav Thackeray at his residence in Mumbai on Sunday. The remaining five Lok Sabha MPs participated in the meeting virtually.
The Members of Parliament who were physically present at the Thackeray residence of Matoshree are Arvind Sawant, Anil Desai, Sanjay Dina Patil, and Rajabhau Waje.
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“It was a routine organisational meeting called by Uddhavji. He guided us on party strategy regarding the pressing issues faced by the country and the party’s action plan for the future,” said Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut.
Raut slammed the talks of ‘Operation Tiger’ (a popular term referring to alleged plans to engineer mass defections in the Sena UBT) and said that it was now time for ‘Operation Wolves’, in an apparent reference to MPs from the Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde. “The media should stop speculations and instead focus on real issues,” he said, adding that a similar meeting will be held next month as well.
One of the five MPs who attended the meeting virtually was Sanjay Deshmukh, who could not travel to Mumbai owing to preparations for his daughter’s wedding. Whereas Hingoli MP Nagesh Patil-Ashtikar is currently busy in his constituency due to the ongoing Legislative Council election campaign, wherein his son is a candidate. Among the other three MPs who attended the meeting virtually, Bhausaheb Wakchaure and Omraje Nimbalkar’s wife and son, respectively, are admitted to a hospital.
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“There were reports that seven of our MPs are in touch with some other party. Four out of nine were present today. It just shows how fabricated and ridiculous those rumours were. I urge all to stop making random speculations and instead focus on real issues,” said Sena MP Anil Desai.
The talks of another split in the party led by Thackeray were fuelled recently, especially after the rebellion within the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray. (File Photo) 
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