Uddhav Thackeray Vows Response After Six MPs Defect to Shinde Camp

The political realignment took shape as six MPs—Sanjay Haribhau Jadhav, Bhausaheb Rajaram Wakchaure, Omprakash Bhupalsingh Nimbalkar, Sanjay Dina Patil, Sanjay Uttamrao Deshmukh, and Nagesh Bapurao Patil Ashtikar—formally switched allegiances. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde welcomed the group, characterizing their arrival as a second phase of the 2022 revolt intended to preserve the legacy of Balasaheb Thackeray and Anand Dighe. Shinde insisted the lawmakers were driven by development goals rather than personal interests.

Thackeray remained measured in his initial response, telling reporters he would present his side once the timing is right. This defection follows a period of mounting tension, marked by the MPs skipping a key parliamentary party meeting in New Delhi. The Shinde camp maintains the move reflects a broader dissatisfaction with the UBT leadership, whereas the Thackeray faction has labeled the shift a betrayal of the party mandate.