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By:

Quad Najmi and PTI

17 June 2026 at 5:11:32 pm

Uddhav faces another rebellion; decision today

Six Lok Sabha MPs trying to move away; picture may be clear at today’s Parliamentary party meeting in New Delhi AI generated image Mumbai: A cloak-and-dagger crisis engulfing the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena has landed at the door of the Lok Sabha Speaker, with the party urging him to guard against any unlawful defection and issuing a whip directing its MPs to attend a meeting in Delhi on Thursday. Amid the escalating crisis, a group of rebel Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders is learnt to have met...

Uddhav faces another rebellion; decision today

Six Lok Sabha MPs trying to move away; picture may be clear at today’s Parliamentary party meeting in New Delhi AI generated image Mumbai: A cloak-and-dagger crisis engulfing the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena has landed at the door of the Lok Sabha Speaker, with the party urging him to guard against any unlawful defection and issuing a whip directing its MPs to attend a meeting in Delhi on Thursday. Amid the escalating crisis, a group of rebel Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders is learnt to have met Speaker Om Birla informally on Wednesday, claiming the support of six of the party's nine MPs in the Lower House, sources said. Thursday's high-stakes meeting in Delhi will legally and physically define whether Uddhav Thackeray retains his parliamentary strength or faces another devastating party division, the third since Raj Thackeray split Shiv Sena in 2006. Sources in Sena (UBT) said the rival camp still doesn't have the support of six MPs. They claim two of the six rebels have reportedly changed their mind. In a swift counter-offensive to contain the damage, the party high command issued a mandatory three-line whip, summoning an emergency parliamentary party meeting in New Delhi on Thursday to force a physical showdown where the MPs will have to mark their presence physically. The developments triggered a day of high political drama in the national capital, marked by a furious, expletive-laden press conference by Raut, a reported counter-meeting by the rebel faction with Lok Sabha Speaker Birla, and sharp condemnation from the Congress. The internal fracture was visible at Sanjay Raut's press briefing, where only three other Lok Sabha MPs, Arvind Sawant, Anil Desai, and Rajabhau Waje, stood by him. The remaining six lawmakers were conspicuously absent; their exact whereabouts are unknown. The Sena (UBT) has nine MPs in the Lok Sabha, and at least two‑thirds of them would be required to form a separate group. Apart from Desai, Waje and Sawant, the other six MPs are Sanjay Patil, Sanjay Deshmukh, Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar, Bhausaheb Wakchaure, Nagesh Patil-Ashtikar and Sanjay Jadhav Not Reachable The six MPs stopped responding or became unavailable since Wednesday forenoon, after which the party stopped contacting them. They said when the party contacted Mumbai North East MP, Sanjay Dina Patil, he told party leaders that he was not with the rebel group. The party had asked them to submit a letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker, which he has not submitted so far. Later in the day, sources claimed that the group of six rebel lawmakers had privately met the Lok Sabha Speaker to claim a two-thirds majority in the Lower House, the precise threshold required to escape disqualification under the anti-defection law. Simultaneously, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who split the undivided Shiv Sena in 2022, was reportedly camping in Delhi to oversee the operational layout of the defection of MPs. He returned to his home town Thane in Wednesday night. He is reportedly studying all the legal aspects before taking a final call before the party’s foundation day on Friday. Speaker’s Role Following reports of the rebels' move, a loyalist delegation consisting of Raut, Sawant, and Desai rushed to meet Speaker Birla to file a formal representation urging him to reject any unlawful group alignment. Desai argued that the legal provisions are strictly on the side of the original organisational structure. "Under the law, a splinter group cannot simply merge with another party on its own, even if they have two-thirds support. Only the original administrative party holds that right," Desai told reporters, adding that the Speaker assured them he would thoroughly examine every legal aspect before rendering a decision. The widening panic inside the party also triggered a public, familial disconnect involving missing Hingoli MP Nagesh Patil-Ashtikar. While the MP remained unreachable, his son, Krushna Patil Ashtikar, the MVA's official candidate for Thursday's Maharashtra Legislative Council elections, released a video statement strongly defending Uddhav Thackeray. "I am a Shiv Sainik of Uddhav Thackeray. There is no room for doubt when it comes to me," the younger Ashtikar stated.

Is Nitish Kumar Poised to Leap Again?

Updated: Jan 2, 2025

A sweeping reshuffle in Bihar’s police hierarchy stirs fresh speculation about the Bihar CM’s political allegiances.

Nitish Kumar
Bihar

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s ability to shift alliances with surgical precision has been a defining characteristic of his long career. The latest transfer of 62 senior police officers across the state—including three additional directors general (ADGs)—has reignited rumours about Kumar’s intentions. As political temperatures rise in Bihar, the reshuffle seems less like routine governance and more like a prelude to a strategic realignment.

The reshuffle, announced by the Home Department, affects key positions including Patna’s Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) and the heads of multiple districts. Such sweeping changes hint at more than mere administrative adjustments.


The reshuffle coincides with Kumar’s two-day visit to Delhi, ostensibly to meet the family of the late Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The timing has raised eyebrows: the visit, coupled with the suspension of his state-wide Pragati Yatra, has triggered speculation about whether Kumar is on the brink of another political somersault.


His past is rich with such manoeuvres. Having pivoted from the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)-led Mahagathbandhan (‘Grand Alliance’), and then back to the NDA, Kumar has demonstrated a mastery of reading political winds and recalibrating his stance accordingly.


The current political atmosphere in Bihar provides fertile ground for intrigue. Kumar’s relationship with the BJP has always been edgy.


Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent ambiguous remarks on Kumar’s position as the NDA’s chief ministerial candidate for 2025 was the most recent catalyst for the JD (U) leader’s purported disgruntlement. Shah’s reluctance to endorse Kumar unequivocally during a television interview has reportedly rankled the chief minister. While BJP leaders have since scrambled to reaffirm their commitment to Kumar’s leadership, the damage was already done.


Adding to the tension, Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha’s controversial statement about the BJP’s ambitions to govern Bihar independently has fuelled speculation of a brewing power struggle. Though Sinha later backtracked, his remarks underline the fragile state of the NDA alliance in the state. Meanwhile, the RJD has been quick to exploit the cracks, with leaders like Bhai Virendra openly inviting Kumar to return to the Grand Alliance.


Kumar’s history offers a template for what might come next. In 2017, he dramatically exited the Grand Alliance over corruption allegations against RJD leaders, only to rejoin the BJP. Today, the dynamics are different but no less volatile. The BJP’s growing confidence clashes with Kumar’s political indispensability. For all its ambitions, the BJP lacks a credible local face to challenge Kumar’s stature in Bihar. This asymmetry gives Kumar leverage, which he could use to either extract concessions from the BJP or pivot back to the RJD, should the latter offer him the necessary assurances.


Kumar’s silence on these issues is as telling as it is strategic. While BJP leaders publicly praise him, Kumar has refrained from reciprocating with equal enthusiasm. His absence from key events, such as the high-profile Bihar Business Connect 2024 summit, further accentuates his disengagement. His social media team, however, has been active. Posts proclaiming “Nitish Hai Sabke Favourite” (“Nitish is everyone’s favorite”) and “Jab Baat Bihar Ki Ho, Naam Sirf Nitish Kumar Ka Ho” (“When it comes to Bihar, the only name is Nitish Kumar”) seem aimed at both reassuring his base and signalling his indispensability to potential allies.


In this regard, the timing of the IPS transfers also cannot be ignored. By placing trusted officers in key positions, Kumar appears to be bolstering his grip on the state machinery. Whether this is merely administrative housekeeping or preparation for a political pivot remains unclear as of now.


For now, all eyes are on Kumar’s next move. His visit to Delhi, his calculated silence and the reshuffling of the police apparatus suggest he is weighing his options. If history is any guide, Kumar’s decisions have always been shaped by pragmatism, not ideology.

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