Sanjay Raut alleges 85 crore payoff for defecting UBT MPs

The six MPs—Sanjay Haribhau Jadhav, Bhausaheb Rajaram Wakchaure, Omprakash Bhupalsingh Nimbalkar, Sanjay Dina Patil, Sanjay Uttamrao Deshmukh, and Nagesh Bapurao Patil Ashtikar—were formally inducted into the Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Monday. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde hailed the move as the successful conclusion of "Operation Tiger," insisting the transition followed all constitutional and parliamentary procedures. Shinde maintained that the recruits joined specifically to prioritize development-focused governance and constituency-level improvements.

While Shinde pledged to address the concerns of the new members and integrate them into his administration, Uddhav Thackeray remains silent on the immediate fallout. The UBT chief indicated he would address the defection publicly at a later time, noting that the party is currently preparing its formal response to the setback. Raut’s accusations of financial impropriety add a layer of volatility to the ongoing power struggle between the two Shiv Sena factions.