Major Blow to Uddhav in Lok Sabha

A major political development has unfolded in Maharashtra, with six Lok Sabha MPs from Shiv Sena (UBT) joining the ruling Shiv Sena led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The rebel MPs submitted a request to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking recognition as members of the Shinde-led faction. Before the split, Shiv Sena (UBT) had a total of nine MPs in the Lok Sabha.

Meanwhile, the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction urged the Speaker to disqualify the rebel MPs under the Anti-Defection Law. However, since two-thirds of the party's Lok Sabha MPs shifted to the Shinde camp, the provisions of the Anti-Defection Law did not apply. Accepting this position, the Speaker recognised the six MPs as members of the Shinde faction. Following the decision, the strength of the Uddhav faction in the Lok Sabha has reduced to three MPs, while the Shinde faction's strength has increased to 13 MPs.