Mumbai, Jun 18 (PTI) A crucial meeting of the Shiv Sena (UBT) Parliamentary Party in New Delhi on Thursday will determine whether the bid by dissident MPs to form a separate group will succeed, coming just a day after a whip was issued directing lawmakers to attend the meet.
The move was initiated after heightened speculation that a section of rebel Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs was planning to form a separate group in the Lok Sabha and later merge with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
The Shiv Sena (UBT), headed by former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, issued a whip on Wednesday directing its MPs to attend the meeting in the national capital to discuss important issues, aimed at paving the way for disqualification proceedings against rebel leaders.
The meeting will take place in the party’s office in the Parliament Complex at 11 am on Thursday.
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 Anil Desai, Rajabhau Waje and Arvind Sawant, who have pledged support to the Uddhav camp, the other six MPs are Sanjay Patil, Sanjay Deshmukh, Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar, Bhausaheb Wakchaure, Nagesh Patil-Ashtikar and Sanjay Jadhav. Even if one MP from the dissident group participates in the meeting, it cannot be recognised as a separate bloc.
MP Arvind Sawant has urged Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla not to grant recognition to any “breakaway” group claiming to represent the party.
Amid the escalating crisis, a group of rebel Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders is learnt to have met Speaker Birla informally on Wednesday, claiming the support of six of the party’s nine MPs in the Lower House, according to sources.
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.
The Sena (UBT) is staring at a second major rebellion after four years, when Eknath Shinde walked out with several MLAs.
On Wednesday, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut alleged that some MPs of his party were being offered “Rs 50 crore” and dared the rebels to quit if they want to switch sides, saying workers of the Uddhav Thackeray-led party toiled for their victory.
