Stories
Operation Tiger 3.0: Will 14 Uddhav Thackeray MLAs Join Eknath Shinde's Sena?
- •Speculation surrounds 'Operation Tiger 3.0', suggesting 14 of 20 Shiv Sena (UBT) MLAs may defect to Eknath Shinde's faction.
- •Operation Tiger 1.0 (2022) saw Eknath Shinde's rebellion split the Shiv Sena and collapse the MVA government.
- •Operation Tiger 2.0 (June 2026) involved six UBT Lok Sabha MPs defecting to Shinde's camp.
- •Shinde's camp needs 14 MLAs to meet the two-thirds threshold to split the legislative party without disqualification under anti-defection law.
- •UBT leaders dismiss the rumors as baseless and psychological warfare, claiming the Shinde faction is fabricating them to divert attention from state issues.
Key Questions Answered
It is not confirmed whether more UBT MLAs will join Eknath Shinde's faction. Rumours and claims suggest that 14 of the 20 UBT MLAs are preparing to defect under "Operation Tiger 3.0", and reports indicate they allegedly met with Shinde at an undisclosed location. However, the Uddhav Thackeray faction has strongly dismissed these reports as baseless rumours and psychological warfare, asserting that not a single MLA will leave the party.
Under the anti-defection law, legislators face disqualification if they switch parties, but they are protected from disqualification if at least two-thirds of their legislative party breaks away to merge with another group. In this case, Eknath Shinde's camp needs exactly 14 of Uddhav Thackeray's 20 MLAs to reach this two-thirds threshold and avoid triggering disqualification.
The potential defection of 14 MLAs from the Uddhav Thackeray faction could significantly weaken its legislative strength. Conversely, it is likely to bolster Eknath Shinde's position as the dominant leader within the Shiv Sena ecosystem. Such a shift would also reinforce Shinde's leadership within the Maharashtra government and strengthen his faction's influence across the legislative and civic foundations of the party's traditional stronghold in Mumbai.
