'Operation Tiger' Underway? Shiv Sena UBT Alleges Rs 50 Crore Offer To MPs Ahead of Possible Split

Mumbai: Amid speculation over a possible rift within the party, Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on party leaders allegedly involved in defection talks, claiming they once "didn't have the means to travel by rickshaw" but are now flying in private jets due to the political stature they gained under Uddhav Thackeray.

In a post on X, Raut alleged that a chartered aircraft landed at Nanded Airport as part of an 'Operation Tiger' to ferry away two MPs, in an apparent reference to ongoing rumours of defections from the Uddhav Thackeray-led party.

Maharashtra is currently witnessing an "Operation Tiger" buzz amid speculation that seven of the nine UBT MPs were in touch with Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and looking to join the ruling party. Back in 2022, Shinde, along with several MLAs, broke away from Uddhav Thackeray, splitting the party into two.

"A chartered plane lands at Nanded Airport... Under the guise of Operation Tiger, it picks up two MPs and takes off. They didn't have the means to even travel by rickshaw. Thanks to Thackeray's name, their worth has risen to the level of flying in private jets," Raut wrote.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader further warned that those abandoning the party would be held accountable for their actions. "An account of every single thing will be taken. The escape of cowardly foxes has been thwarted. Why Operation Tiger, you ask?" the Rajya Sabha MP post read.

Raut's remarks come at a time when political circles in Maharashtra are abuzz with speculation that some Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs could break away from the party. However, the party has maintained that it remains united and has accused the ruling party of attempting to engineer defections.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT)'s six Members of Parliament (MPs) are likely to meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at 11 am on Wednesday.

In a separate post on X, Raut also took a swipe at the alleged attempts to engineer defections, claiming that the "Minimum Support Price" of an MP had been fixed at Rs 50 crore and that Rs 15 crore was "merely an advance amount".

Responding to Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra, Raut wrote, "Apna Sapna Money Money! No, no -- Mahua ji, the Minimum Support Price is fixed at ₹50 crore per MP. (pcaas khoke) ₹15 crore is just the advance. Frankly, these people aren't even worth ₹50,000. Their price has only gone up because of the Shiv Sena and TMC brand label."

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi on Wednesday trained her guns on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleging that the ruling party was attempting to engineer political defections.

In a post on X, Chaturvedi used a metaphor involving snakes to caution the BJP against believing that political leaders brought into its fold would remain loyal indefinitely.

"The BJP should not remain under the illusion that by assembling a gang of cobras, they will feed the snakes milk and they will only bite the opposition. Your time will also come because it is the nature of a snake to bite; if today is our turn, tomorrow could be yours too," she wrote in her post.

The development comes amid reports that six of Shiv Sena (UBT)'s nine Lok Sabha MPs are in touch with the Shinde-led Shiv Sena and may break away to form a separate group in Parliament before formally merging with the ruling faction.

According to top sources, the MPs likely to defect include Omraje Nimbalkar from Dharashiv, Sanjay Jadhav from Parbhani, Sanjay Dina Patil from Mumbai North East, Nagesh Patil Ashtikar from Hingoli, Bhausaheb Wakchaure from Shirdi and Sanjay Deshmukh from Yavatmal-Washim. The name of Rajabhau Waje has also surfaced in discussions surrounding the possible rebellion.

Sources had earlier indicated that MPs from the Uddhav Thackeray faction were expected to meet at Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde's Delhi residence, with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Shrikant Shinde likely to be present. The reported plan involved the rebel MPs first constituting a separate faction within the Lok Sabha before subsequently merging with the Shinde-led Shiv Sena.

Sources further claimed that Sanjay Deshmukh, Sanjay Jadhav, Bhausaheb Wakchaure and Sanjay Dina Patil had already reached Delhi.

In the letter, Sawant requested that no separate recognition, status, privileges or facilities be granted to any alleged breakaway group without first providing Shiv Sena (UBT) an opportunity to present its case. He further asserted the party's right to invoke provisions of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution and initiate anti-defection proceedings if necessary. (With ANI Inputs)

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