Mumbai, June 22: Amid rebellion buzz within the UBT Sena, Shiv Sena MLA and Maharashtra Minister Pratap Sarnaik on Monday claimed that six UBT Sena rebels are set to join the Eknath Shinde-led camp, asserting that the move would substantially increase the party's strength in Parliament.
Speaking to reporters here, Sarnaik said, "At 3 pm today, six MPs will officially join Shiv Sena. This will increase the number of our MPs from 7 to 13. This has increased the strength of Shiv Sena."
He added that the UBT Sena rebels have given a letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker.
He further added, "Operation Tiger continues all 365 days; the six MPs who follow the ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray are joining Shiv Sena at 3 pm today. They have given a letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker. We welcome them. We thank Sanjay Raut because of whom, first, the MLAs joined our party, and now six MPs are joining our party."
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Mahesh Sawant said, "Jaane wale gaye! We agree (with what has been published in Saamna)."
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MLC Dr Manisha Kayande said she doesn't have official confirmation of the reported switch.
She said, "No one is a rebel. They are 'Shiv Sainiks' joining Shiv Sena. I don't have any official information about this. Eknath Shinde ji has certainly welcomed this."
She further added, "Yesterday, Omraje Nimbalkar made his stand clear, and other MPs had also met their electorate. There will be some good news today."
As this happened, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray is scheduled to begin a Maharashtra-wide outreach campaign to meet party workers in the constituencies, including those of the rebel party MPs.
As per the schedule shared by UBT Sena MP Sanjay Raut, Uddhav Thackeray will begin the campaign on June 27 with his Yavatmal visit, followed by Washim in Vidarbha and Hingoli in the Marathwada region. On June 28, he will visit Parbhani and Dharashiv, followed by Shirdi on June 29.
Yavatmal-Washim MP Sanjay Deshmukh, Hingoli MP Nagesh Patil Ashtikar, Parbhani MP Sanjay Jadhav, Shirdi MP Bhausaheb Wakchaure, Mumbai North East MP Sanjay Dina Patil, and Osmanabad MP Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar were the ones who skipped the Sena (UBT) parliamentary party meeting and are likely to join Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. (ANI)
