Nagesh Patil-Nibalkar join Shiv Sena, will more MPs leave Uddhav? Shinde said – you will get breaking news soon – 10 big things

By Samira Vishwas On Jun 21, 2026

In Maharashtra politics, the political tussle between Shiv Sena (UBT) and Eknath Shinde faction has once again intensified. After Hingoli MP Nagesh Patil Ashtikar joining Shinde group, now ‘Operation TigerDiscussions regarding this have increased. Apart from him, Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar also joined Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Sunday. He is among those MPs about whose joining Shinde faction was under speculation for some time. At the same time, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray targeted the rebel MPs and called them ‘traitors’. He said that Shiv Sena’s identity has been linked to the fight for the rights of Marathi people and there can be only one real Shiv Sena in the state.

Uddhav Thackeray said that in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, his party had contested against the alliance led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and had received public support. He claimed that now some leaders are leaving the party for personal gains. There itself, Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde Has claimed that ‘breaking news’ will come soon and Operation Tiger will be completely successful. At the same time, Shiv Sena (UBT) is continuously attacking these claims.

10 big things about Operation Tiger and Shiv Sena crisis

1. Nagesh Ashtikar joins Shinde faction: Shiv Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha MP from Hingoli, Nagesh Patil Ashtikar, on Sunday confirmed joining Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena. He said that he has taken this decision to complete the development works of his area.

2. MP cited lack of funds as the reason: Ashtikar said that the public had elected him with expectations, but adequate funds were not available for development works. He said that the MPLADS fund of Rs 5 crore is limited and it is difficult to complete all the work with it.

3. Shinde’s big claim regarding Operation Tiger: Deputy CM Eknath Shinde said that big news will come out soon. He claimed that ‘Operation Tiger’ will not be left incomplete and it will be a complete success.

4. Shinde targeted the opposition: Shinde said that the job of the opposition should be to provide justice to the people, but the opposition often does politics of boycott. He said that the decision to change the government in 2022 is in the interest of Maharashtra.

5. ‘Abuse in the morning, touch feet in the evening’: Attacking the opposition, Shinde said that some people criticize during the day and go to meet the leaders at night. He said that soon the truth will come out in this matter.

Mumbai: Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde said, “You will soon get a breaking news. We don’t leave any operation half-finished, and Operation Tiger is foolproof. You know this and you have experienced it before. Yesterday was the day of the verdict in Omraje Nimbalkar’s…
— ANI (@ANI) June 21, 2026

6. Devendra Fadnavis’ funny style: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also commented on this issue in a light tone. He said that “the operation is successful and the operated body is also safe.”

7. Sanjay Raut’s statement increased anger: Ashtikar said that till June 18 he had not taken the decision to leave the party. But after some comments he felt that it was difficult to stay in Shiv Sena (UBT).

8. Refused to give up ideology: Ashtikar said that he has not given up his ideology. He says that he has gone from one Shiv Sena to another and will continue to work for the public.

9. Will more MPs leave Shiv Sena (UBT)? Apart from Ashtikar, there is talk of five more MPs of Shiv Sena (UBT) joining Shinde faction. These include Sanjay Dina Patil, Sanjay Deshmukh, Sanjay Jadhav, Bhausaheb Wakchore and Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar.

10. Challenge of anti-defection law: Uddhav Thackeray faction has 9 MPs in the Lok Sabha: Under the anti-defection law, the rebel MPs will need the support of at least 6 MPs to form a separate faction.