Amid mounting speculation over a possible split within the Shiv Sena (UBT), senior party leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday issued a stern warning to party MPs, saying that anyone contemplating a switch to another political camp must first resign from their parliamentary position.
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, the Rajya Sabha member asserted that Shiv Sena (UBT) workers and leadership had worked tirelessly to secure the victory of the party's Lok Sabha members. He maintained that those elected on the party's symbol and under the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray had a moral obligation to relinquish their posts if they no longer wished to remain with the organisation.
Significantly, only three of the party's nine Lok Sabha MPs — Arvind Sawant, Anil Desai and Rajabhau Waje — were present at the press conference, further fuelling speculation about possible defections within the party.
Raut alleged that efforts were underway to lure Maharashtra MPs away from Shiv Sena (UBT) through financial inducements and other incentives. According to him, information available to the party suggested that as much as Rs 50 crore was being offered to each MP willing to switch sides. He also claimed that chartered flights had been arranged for certain leaders as part of the alleged attempts to engineer defections.
Reaffirming the party's position, Raut said the Shiv Sena (UBT) whip continued to remain in force and that the party's legal battle concerning its identity and rights was still ongoing. He disclosed that the party had formally written to the Lok Sabha Speaker regarding the developments and concerns over possible defections.
The senior leader revealed that a meeting of party MPs was held on June 14, with some members attending physically while others joined virtually. During the meeting, all MPs assured the leadership of their commitment to Uddhav Thackeray, he claimed.
Raut further stated that some MPs had gone to the extent of taking oaths in the names of Sai Baba, Goddess Bhavani and their mothers to reaffirm their loyalty to the party.
"Even now, I believe all our MPs are with us," Raut said, while cautioning that any betrayal of the trust reposed in them by the party and its supporters would have serious political consequences.
Supporting Raut's stance, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant said the party was merely acting cautiously in response to media reports suggesting possible defections. He stressed that there was no concrete evidence indicating that any MP had left the organisation.
"We are only taking precautionary steps because of the reports that are circulating. We believe our MPs are still with us," Sawant said.
The remarks come at a time when political uncertainty continues to surround the Uddhav Thackeray-led party, which has already faced major setbacks following the split led by Eknath Shinde. While the party leadership remains publicly confident about the loyalty of its MPs, the latest developments have intensified political chatter in Maharashtra and raised questions about the stability of Shiv Sena (UBT)'s parliamentary strength.
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