Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. File
| Photo Credit: ANI
Operation Tiger is successful, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced on Sunday (June 21, 2026), adding he had never left any operation incomplete. Two of the six Lok Sabha members of the Shiv Sena (UBT) on Sunday (June 21, 2026) announced that they were slated to join Mr. Shinde. Nagesh Patil Ashtikar, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP from Hingoli, and Omraje Nimbalkar, the party MP from Dharashiv, cited lack of development funds as one of the primary reasons for taking the decision. Mr. Ashtikar blamed the Shiv Sena UBT leaders for speaking ill against them, claiming that they took the decision only after Uddhav Thackeray’s party leaders spoke in a derogatory manner against them. “Till June 18, we had not taken any decision,” he said in a video statement.Also read | ‘Operation Tiger’: Aaditya Thackeray calls six dissident Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs ‘shameless and ungrateful’Meanwhile, top sources in the Shiv Sena confirmed to The Hindu that all the six MPs of the Shiv Sena (UBT) had already signed a letter forming a separate group, and had also met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. They are slated to merge with the Shiv Sena, a senior leader said. “There were quite a few obstacles at the last minute. But we have successfully overcome them. We had support from the central BJP leadership,” a leader told The Hindu.When Mr. Shinde was asked about the developments on Sunday (June 21, 2026) evening, he said, “Those who know me, know that we do not leave any operation incomplete.” It referred to the defection of six of the nine MPs of Shiv Sena (UBT). The two-third majority would save them from disqualification proceedings, Sena leaders said. At least three of these six MPs are slated to hold rallies in their own constituencies on Monday.“Operation Tiger is successful. The body is healthy,” Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis added, while interjecting Mr. Shinde on Sunday (June 21 2026).Uddhav slams BJPAmid the developments about Operation Tiger, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray hit out at the BJP on Sunday (June 21, 2026), during his public rally in Mumbai North East. Mr. Thackeray is slated to tour six places in Maharashtra from June 26 to 29. These include the constituencies of the MPs who are slated to leave his party to join the Shiv Sena. “Though the Shiv Sena fought against the Congress for so many decades, the Congress never tried to break away our party. It is the BJP’s sin,” he said.The names of the six MPs who are slated to break away from the Shiv Sena (UBT) are — Sanjay Dina Patil, Sanjay Jadhav, Sanjay Deshmukh, Mr. Ashtikar, Bhausaheb Wakchaure and Mr. Nimbalkar.On Sunday (June 21, 2026), Mr. Nimbalkar held a closed door meeting with his party cadre in his home constituency. Thereafter, he announced his decision publicly. “We will go in the Shiv Sena Shinde group and we will work under the leadership of Eknath Shinde ji. I have not taken this decision for any position or for money. I have also discussed with my people. So far, I have only received the love and blessings of the Shiv Sena chief. And irrespective of whatever is being said against us by anybody, we will not speak a word against Matoshree [residence of the Thackerays],” he said in Dharashiv.Mr. Ashtikar said he had not left his ideological beliefs. “I want to tell you all, we will go in Shiv Sena. We had not gone anywhere till June 18. But we took this decision after the kind of things which were spoken against us. Whoever may be angry with us, I urge you to not use unparliamentary language while talking about us. Please express yourselves. But please do so decently. I pray to you with folded hands. I want to tell all my followers that they should not worry. I have not left the ideology. I have gone to Shiv Sena,” he said in a video statement issued on Sunday (June 21, 2026).Like Mr. Nimbalkar, he too cited the lack of development funds and the problems in getting the constituency work done, as the primary reasons for moving from opposition to power. “All the party workers had been leaving the party. No work was being done for our nagar parishad, for nagar palika. We weren’t able to do anything. There was no alternative,” Mr. Ashtikar said. Published - June 21, 2026 10:57 pm IST
