They made the switch at an event attended by Shinde and other senior leaders, just five days after opting out of an important parliamentary meeting of the Shiv Sena (UBT) held in New Delhi. Only three Lok Sabha MPs from the Opposition party were present at that meeting.
The Lok Sabha MPs from Shiv Sena (UBT) who have defected include: Sanjay Deshmukh (Yavatmal), Sanjay Jadhav (Parbhani), Sanjay Dina Patil (Mumbai North East), Nagesh Patil-Ashtikar (Hingoli), Omprakash Rajenimbalkar (Dharashiv), and Bhausaheb Wakchaure (Shirdi).
All had defeated BJP and Shiv Sena candidates in the 2024 general elections. In 2024, the Shiv Sena (UBT) had secured nine Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra.
Speaking to the media, Shinde commented, “These Lok Sabha members have now rejoined the original Shiv Sena that adheres to the teachings of the late Balasaheb Thackeray. Four years ago, I took decisive action, and now I’ve hit a sixer (referring to the number of MPs who have switched allegiance).” “I made that earlier move (splitting from Shiv Sena in June 2022) to uphold the principles of late Balasaheb Thackeray and to preserve the Shiv Sena. This recent shift (the rebellion in the Lok Sabha wing of Sena UBT) marks the second phase of Shiv Sena’s expansion,” Shinde emphasized.
He also declared, “Operation Tiger” has now reached its successful conclusion.
