Rebellion again in Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena, 6 MPs open front! Did the fear of merger with Congress increase the rift? Know what has happened so far

By Samira Vishwas On Jun 18, 2026

Shiv Sena UBT Crisis: Once again a big political storm in Maharashtra politics has stood. The internal strife in Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) now seems to be turning into open rebellion. Six out of nine Lok Sabha MPs of the party stayed away from the parliamentary party meeting called in Delhi on Thursday, after which speculations of a split in the party have intensified.

The biggest reason behind this rebellion is said to be that some MPs fear that Shiv Sena (UBT) may merge with Congress in future. The rebel camp alleges that the direction of the party is changing and it is moving away from its original identity. This is the third major political breakdown in Maharashtra in the last four years. Earlier, major divisions were seen in Shiv Sena in 2022 and in Sharad Pawar’s NCP in 2023.

#WATCH | Mohali, Punjab: BJP MP Anurag Thakur says, “I ask a simple question. If Balasaheb Thackeray, under whose leadership the Shiv Sena was formed, had MPs and MLAs who were displeased with Uddhav Thackeray and his family, and they subsequently formed a separate faction to run… pic.twitter.com/Ll7BU4ukuP
— ANI (@ANI) June 18, 2026

Six MPs kept distance, discussion intensified

On Thursday, Shiv Sena (UBT) had called a meeting of MPs in Delhi, in which the party leadership wanted to decide whether the support of the MPs was still with Uddhav Thackeray or not… but 6 out of 9 MPs did not attend the meeting. Only Arvind Sawant, Anil Desai and Rajabhau Waje were present. According to experts, if any group wants to create a separate identity then it needs the support of at least two-thirds of the MPs under the anti-defection law. This is the reason why the simultaneous separation of six MPs is being considered very important politically.

#WATCH | Thane, Maharashtra: On reports of Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs split, Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske says, “…As per the anti‑defection law, if a member votes against their party or abstains, it applies. Yet some leaders use this to threaten others, but such intimidation is not… pic.twitter.com/Mk3mu2iaAy
— ANI (@ANI) June 18, 2026

Rebel MPs’ allegation – Shiv Sena was moving closer to Congress UBT

Leaders associated with the Shinde faction claim that many MPs feared that Shiv Sena (UBT) was gradually preparing to go with the Congress. Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske alleged that many MPs tried to meet Uddhav Thackeray, but did not get adequate response. The rebel leaders also cited the statement of Sanjay Raut, in which he had talked about the coming together of the parties formed after separating from the Congress. The rebels say that for this reason they felt that Shiv Sena (UBT) could also go in the same direction.

Sanjay Raut’s counterattack, “The price of betrayal will have to be paid”

Whereas Sanjay Raut fiercely attacked the rebel MPs. Calling them ‘traitors’ and ‘dishonest’, he said that if the MPs who won on the party’s name and symbol violate the whip, legal action will be taken against them. Raut claimed that disqualification action is being prepared against these MPs.

#WATCH | Mumbai: On rebel MPs, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut says, “If their direction is different, then the Speaker of the Lok Sabha will decide. These people haven’t come forward yet. I don’t know where they’ve hidden. These people who used to consider themselves Shiv Sainiks… pic.twitter.com/mCFtNPsrMO
— ANI (@ANI) June 18, 2026

Y+ security given to six rebel MPs

Amid increasing tension, Maharashtra government has increased the security of six rebel MPs. Maharashtra Intelligence Department has given him Y+ category security. The MPs who got security include Sanjay Dina Patil, Nagesh Patil Astikar, Omraje Nimbalkar, Bhausaheb Wakchore, Sanjay Deshmukh and Sanjay Jadhav Are included. The government says that this decision has been taken in view of the possible danger. However, Raut also attacked this and said that if he has confidence then he should go among the public without security.

Maharashtra Shiv Sena crisis: 10 biggest updates so far

1. Amidst the discussion of ‘Operation Tiger’ in Maharashtra politics, a big crisis has arisen in Uddhav Thackeray faction’s Shiv Sena (UBT). Out of 9 Lok Sabha MPs of the party, 6 MPs have chosen a different path. These MPs have met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and demanded recognition of themselves as a separate faction. He has also expressed his desire to go with Eknath Shinde led Shiv Sena.

2. Rebel MPs say that they feared that Shiv Sena (UBT) might merge with Congress in future. He alleges that the party is moving away from its core ideology. The MPs claimed that Shiv Sena was not founded to join the Congress and the party should return to the Hindutva path of Bal Thackeray.

3. The rebel MPs also cited Sanjay Raut’s statement as the reason in which he had talked about the coming together of the parties that had separated from the Congress. He says that when Raut advised Mamata Banerjee and her party to join hands with Congress, he felt that the same could happen with Shiv Sena (UBT) in future.

4. The entire preparation for the rebellion was done in a very confidential manner. On the night of 16 June, many rebel MPs reached Delhi from different routes and the round of meetings started. On June 17, some MPs met the Speaker of the Lok Sabha and submitted a letter demanding separate sitting. After this it became clear that the internal divisions in Shiv Sena (UBT) have now come to the fore.

5. The rebel MPs have written a letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker demanding recognition of themselves as a separate group. His next step is said to be joining Shinde group. According to sources, the MP can soon meet Eknath Shinde and clarify his political direction.

6. After the news of the rebellion came to light, the Uddhav Thackeray faction had called an emergency meeting of the parliamentary party in Delhi. A three-line whip was issued to all the MPs, but only 3 out of 9 Lok Sabha MPs reached the meeting. Arvind Sawant, Anil Desai and Rajbhau Waje participated in the meeting, while the remaining 6 MPs remained absent.

7. The MPs who separated from the Uddhav Thackeray faction include Omraje Nimbalkar, Sanjay Deshmukh, Sanjay Bandu Jadhav, Sanjay Dina Patil, Nagesh Patil Ashtikar and Bhausaheb Wakchore. The separation of these MPs has had a major impact on the numerical strength of Shiv Sena (UBT) in the Lok Sabha. This number is playing the most important role in this entire incident.

8. Under the anti-defection law, MPs from any party need the support of at least two-thirds of the members to avoid disqualification. Shiv Sena (UBT) has 9 MPs in the Lok Sabha and needed 6 MPs to have two-thirds strength. Since exactly 6 MPs have seceded together, their membership is not considered to be under threat at present.

9.Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has fiercely targeted the rebel MPs. He described him as a betrayer of the party and ideology. Raut said that legal action will be taken against the MPs who won on the party name and election symbol and show cause notices will be issued.

10. Now all eyes are on June 20, when the rebel MPs can announce their next step around Shiv Sena’s Foundation Day. If these MPs join the Shinde faction, then once again a big political struggle can begin in Maharashtra regarding the core identity and leadership of Shiv Sena. This will be the third major breakdown in Maharashtra politics in the last few years.