Omprakash Nimbalkar, Lok Sabha MP of Shiv Sena UBT from Dharashiv. File
| Photo Credit: Vivek Bendre
Omraje Nimbalkar, the Lok Sabha MP of Shiv Sena UBT from Dharashiv, who is speculated to be a part of a group of six breakaway MPs to form a separate group, broke his silence on Friday (June 19, 2026).Speaking with The Hindu from Pune, the MP said he felt torn and that he did not think he was left with any other alternative. Asked if he had already formed a separate group, he said he would speak about it only on Sunday (June 21, 2026) or Monday (June 22, 2026). Asked if he was slated to meet Eknath Shinde then, he replied in negative. He said he will take a decision on his future course of action only after speaking with the people in his constituency.“Let the verdict in my father’s murder come. What is the purpose of a son’s life? Why did I enter politics? I am seeking justice for my father. It is a case for which my family and I have struggled for two decades now. The CBI has done a good job. The trial went well. It is a very emotional point for us. My father was murdered. And I seek justice,” he told The Hindu.A special CBI court in Mumbai will pronounce its judgment on Saturday (June 20, 2026), in a 2006 murder case in which the MP’s late father, Congress leader Pawanraje Nimbalkar, was the victim. The case, which has seen a trial lasting 15 years, involves allegations of a contract killing conspiracy against former Nationalist Congress Party MP Padamsinh Patil, the victim’s cousin.Padmasinh Patil is the elder brother of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar.When Omraje Nimbalkar was asked if his decision to switch over depended on the court verdict, he said, “No. I am waiting for the verdict, but my decision will not depend on that. After the court decision, I will go to my constituency, talk to my people.”‘No option’Hinting that he was being forced to move out of Shiv Sena UBT, he said that it had become difficult to function effectively due to the lack of funds. “We [our party] could not win any nagar panchayat or nagar samiti elections. Don’t even ask about Zilla Parishad. In Dharashiv, my candidate was relegated to the third position. After being available for the people in the constituency, after working for them for 24 hours, if this is what people want, then they want only those who are in power,” he said.Responding to a question on the alleged backlash and the increase in security, he said he is a ‘people’s person’. “There is no fear of backlash. I will go to my own people. I feel bad that I don’t get funds for the development of my own people. I can’t get a road done in my farmer’s village. I am opposed when I want to get my people’s work done. Are you stopping me because I am in opposition? All these things are impacting me in the elections. My people expect me to deliver, and I am unable to work for them. For how long can we sustain like this? What alternative am I left with?” he asked.‘It was never so bad’Discussing his precarious situation, he said he was in the opposition earlier as well, but that it was never so bad. “Throughout my political career, I have been in opposition earlier, too. But it has never been so bad! Nobody had completely blocked our funds this way,” he said, adding he was left without any alternative. Published - June 19, 2026 12:18 pm IST
