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

The rumours are spinning fast in Maharashtra again, and Eknath Shinde isn’t even trying to hide his satisfaction. He basically declared the INDIA alliance dead, saying their morale is totally broken, they've lost, and people are quietly slipping away from them. "Let them keep searching," he scoffed, “they are never going to find them adding cryptically, “As for us… I won’t say what comes next.”

The "them" he’s talking about? Apparently, seven out of the nine Lok Sabha MPs from Uddhav Thackeray’s camp.

Word is, a secret meeting went down in Delhi on June 7th while Shinde was in town. It wasn't just a casual chat; sources say Shinde’s people laid out a concrete political proposal. They’re talking about the upcoming Union Cabinet expansion, and the rumour is one Thackeray MP was offered a cabinet berth, while the others were promised major organisational roles.

If this feels like deja vu, it’s because it is. This is the June 2022 split all over again.

And this isn't some sudden impulse. Shinde and his son, Shrikant Shinde, have reportedly been working these MPs for six months now, holding quiet, individual and group meetings in Delhi. Some of these talks allegedly happened right at the Delhi residence of Prataprao Jadhav, a minister from Shinde’s faction.

To break down the numbers: Thackeray only has nine MPs in the Lok Sabha right now. If you take out the two from Mumbai- Arvind Sawant and Sanjay Dina Patil- the rumour is all the other seven are in talks with Shinde. We’re talking about Sanjay Deshmukh, Nagesh Patil Ashtikar, Sanjay Haribhau Jadhav, Rajabhau Waje, Bhausaheb Wakchaure, Anil Desai, and Omprakash Rajenimbalkar.

Of course, nobody is saying a word publicly. No official confirmations, no open statements. But Shinde just met with Amit Shah in Delhi, and you don’t need to be a political genius to connect the dots. There's also talk that Shinde's son, Shrikant, might get a ministerial role out of this cabinet shuffle too.

For Uddhav Thackeray, if this actually happens, it’s a absolute disaster. He’s been bleeding leaders since 2022 and trying to rebuild the party from scratch. Losing seven of his remaining nine MPs would essentially wipe out his footprint in Delhi. For Shinde, it’s the ultimate validation- proof that he owns the real Shiv Sena, lock, stock, and barrel.

Right now, it's a waiting game. But in Maharashtra politics, where there's smoke, there's usually a fire already burning the house down.

Read More: Another Twist in Maharashtra Politics? Seven Uddhav Sena MPs Reportedly Reach Out to Shinde