Six UBT Sena MPs join Shinde camp in fresh blow to Thackeray

Mumbai: The six Lok Sabha MPs from the Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray Sena faction on Monday officially joined the Shiv Sena. Maharashtra deputy CM Eknath Shinde, who heads the Shiv Sena, said, "This is lawful under the Parliament rules and constitution. All six would be re-elected on the Shiv Sena symbol."

"In 2022, we rebelled. At that time, we had 40 MLAs and now again we have hit a six (got six MPs). The earlier rebellion was done by us for saving the party, to save the ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray. Now, in the second phase, we have begun where Shiv Sena people are joining us as we are the ones working on the Sena ideology," Shinde said in Mumbai accompanied by the six MPs.

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Referring to the UBT Sena's allegations that the six MPs were lured with the promise of money, Shinde said, "A lot of wrong allegations have been made against them. All of them are grassroots workers... Till the time they were there in their party, they were good. Now, they are being abused. They (UBT Sena) need to introspect why people are quitting." Comparing the leadership style of Uddhav Thackeray with his, the deputy CM said, "Everyone here (in Shiv Sena) is a party worker. There is no owner here, everyone is the same, all are working for the party."

One of the MPs, Sanjay Dina Patil, said he quit as he was being harassed by a UBT Sena leader. "My workers were constantly being abused by this particular leader. I was not allowed to use party funds, not invited for party functions. I raised this issue with party leadership. However, they could not rein him in. I don't know what compulsions the party had in not taking action against him. The party does not want strong leaders like us but slaves," Patil said after joining the Shiv Sena.