The showdown comes four years after the Eknath Shinde-led rebellion that split the undivided Shiv Sena and dramatically altered Maharashtra’s political landscape. Addressing a fiery press conference in Delhi, Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut had alleged that attempts were being made to poach his party’s MPs through massive financial inducements. “I was told that the rate negotiated was Rs 50 crore and that…they were allegedly unwilling to board the aircraft in Mumbai without receiving the money (Rs 15 crore in advance),” Raut claimed.
Raut said he had been alerted late Tuesday night by an “important person” about an ongoing operation targeting Maharashtra lawmakers. He also alleged that legal and psychological pressure was being deployed to force defections. Referring to Osmanabad MP Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar, Raut claimed the lawmaker was offered a favourable outcome in the two-decade-old murder case of his father in exchange for joining the rebel camp.
“He was told that if he wanted a favourable verdict, he should join their group. If this is happening, what remains of the Constitution, courts, and democracy?” Raut asked. The party’s internal turmoil was on full display at Raut’s briefing, where only Lok Sabha MPs Arvind Sawant, Anil Desai and Rajabhau Waje stood alongside him. The remaining six MPs were conspicuously absent.
A delegation comprising Raut, Sawant and Desai met Om Birla on Wednesday and submitted a representation urging him not to recognise any unlawful split. Desai argued that legal provisions favour the original party organisation. “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 said. According to Desai, the Speaker assured the delegation that all legal aspects would be examined before any decision is taken.
Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad described the rebellion as a betrayal of the 2024 electoral mandate. “The people voted decisively against the BJP, but these MPs have disregarded that mandate and gone to sit in the BJP’s lap,” she said. State Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal accused the rebels of undermining an anti-BJP platform built around safeguarding constitutional values.
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