No ‘Operation Tiger,’ No Interest: Shiv Sena Rejects Claims of UBT MPs in Contact

The Shinde faction is trying to put a lid on the latest round of defection rumors buzzing through Maharashtra politics.

On Saturday, Shiv Sena spokesperson Raju Waghmare flatly denied claims that several Lok Sabha MPs from the Uddhav Thackeray camp (Shiv Sena-UBT) are looking to switch sides. Labeling the speculation of an imminent coup completely baseless, Waghmare pointed to a clear directive from Chief Minister Eknath Shinde: there is no "Operation Tiger" on the horizon, mostly because they simply don't need it.

"We Have the Numbers"

The denial comes at a politically sensitive moment. Rumours had been gaining traction in Mumbai circles that seven out of the nine Lok Sabha MPs aligned with Uddhav Thackeray were quietly eyeing the exit door. The chatter grew loud enough that Thackeray called an emergency meeting with his lawmakers at his residence, Matoshree.

Waghmare brushed the meeting off as an "internal matter" for Thackeray's party, choosing instead to lean on a numbers argument to de-escalate the talk of poaching.

"This is completely false," Waghmare told reporters. "Our leader, Eknath Shinde, has made it very clear,  there is no 'Operation Tiger,' no plan, no interest. There are no elections right now; we already have a full majority, and we do not need anyone else."

The Realities of the Rumour Mill

While some voices within the ruling alliance had spent the last few days teasing a potential split to keep the opposition on its toes, the top leadership appears intent on cooling things down.

It is a rare moment of alignment between the two warring Sena factions. On the other side of the fence, senior UBT leaders like Sanjay Raut have been equally dismissive, treating the defection talk as nothing more than a psychological operation designed to create artificial panic.

For now, the Shinde camp is drawing a firm line. According to Waghmare, the government has its numbers, it has its mandate, and the "Tiger" is staying in its cage.

Read More: ‘Wo Dhundte Rahenge, Wo Milenge Nahi Kabhi Unko…’: Eknath Shinde Claims INDIA Alliance Is Finished as 7 Thackeray MPs Rumoured to Jump Ship