Two Maharashtra MPs Block Defection Move as 'Operation Tiger' Stalls

Two Maharashtra Lok Sabha MPs from Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) — Omraje Nimbalkar and Sanjay Dina Patil — refused to sign a letter to the Speaker on June 17, 2026, effectively halting 'Operation Tiger,' an informal term for alleged efforts to bring about six MPs switching allegiance to the Shinde-led Shiv Sena. The refusal to sign has thrown the political maneuver into uncertainty, with sources indicating the process requires all six MPs to act in concert to succeed.

Sanjay Dina Patil remained in contact with Uddhav Sena leaders until Wednesday afternoon, according to top sources. Omraje Nimbalkar, meanwhile, faced reported pressure linked to a pending court verdict in the 2006 murder case of his father, Congress leader Pawanraje Nimbalkar. A special CBI court in Mumbai is scheduled to pronounce judgment on June 20, with Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders claiming the verdict's outcome may be conditional on Nimbalkar's political stance.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut had alleged that Maharashtra's MPs were being offered ₹50 crore each to defect, with ₹15 crore reportedly disbursed via an aircraft. The party's Parliamentary Party leader, Arvind Sawant, submitted a detailed letter to the Speaker invoking constitutional provisions and Supreme Court precedents. The letter emphasized that political party merger requires both formal party merger and the support of at least two-thirds of the legislature party members — conditions that Shiv Sena (UBT) claims have not been met.

Senior party sources told The Hindu that 'Operation Tiger' would require a lengthy process even if the six MPs eventually sign. After signing a letter, they would need to present themselves before the Speaker, followed by due constitutional and legal procedures. Party leaders stressed the matter would not be resolved "in a day or two," signaling protracted political and legal battles ahead as the defection attempt faces significant obstacles.