Something very significant has happened in Maharashtra politics and honestly,it is moving faster than most people expected. Six out of nine MPs from Shiv Sena Thackeray faction have now crossed over to Shinde group,leaving Uddhav Thackeray's side with only three remaining representatives in Parliament.
And that is not a small number to lose at all .
The defections happened during one ceremony in Mumbai which was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde himself . MPs formally joined rival faction right there,making it very visible and deliberate move. Before this,Thackeray group had nine MPs holding their ground. Now Shinde faction has jumped from seven MPs to thirteen . That shift in numbers changes lot of things going forward.
Among those who switched sides,Sachin Ahir's defection is being seen as particularly serious blow for Uddhav Thackeray . Ahir was considered significant leader within the faction,and his departure signals that internal loyalty is crumbling faster than many had anticipated.
Three things worth noting clearly here:
- Six out of nine Thackeray faction MPs defected to Shinde group in one single ceremony in Mumbai.
- Rajkumar Hivarkar from Shinde group has openly claimed that 26 more MLAs will soon join their ranks.
- Something called "Operation Tiger 3.0" has been mentioned by Minister Sanjay Shirsat,suggesting organised strategy to pull more leaders across.
At Solapur event,Rajkumar Hivarkar who serves as district chief of OBC cell for Shinde group made some very bold statements. He described Sachin Ahir's arrival as only first step and suggested much larger wave of defections is coming . Twenty six MLAs,he claimed,would be joining soon . Whether that actually happens or not is different question,but the fact that such claims are being made openly says something about the confidence level on Shinde side right now.
And honestly,when operation has a name like "Operation Tiger 3.0" it stops feeling like natural political movement and starts feeling like structured campaign to systematically dismantle opposition from within.
For Uddhav Thackeray,this is becoming difficult situation to manage on multiple fronts . Losing MPs is one thing,but watching senior leaders walk out publicly in front of cameras is different kind of pressure altogether . It sends message to everyone still sitting on fence .
At same time,Shinde faction gaining thirteen MPs gives them noticeably more leverage in legislative matters and in shaping political narrative of Maharashtra in coming weeks . Numbers in politics are never just symbolic . They translate directly into influence,bargaining power,and ability to push decisions in certain directions.
What remains genuinely unclear is whether this momentum stops somewhere or keeps accelerating . Thackeray faction has survived serious challenges before,but this particular round of defections combined with open predictions of more to come… it is hard to say where exactly floor is for how low things can go before some stabilisation happens,if it happens at all
