Pune: A day after five out of the nine MPs failed to physically attend a meeting called by the party leadership, Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Aaditya Thackeray and Sanjay Raut on Monday averred that all of them were with the Uddhav Thackeray-led party.
Speaking separately, they also downplayed the speculation of an ‘Operation Tiger’ being afoot to poach party MPs. Notably, the mascot of the undivided Shiv Sena was a tiger drawn by party founder Bal Thackeray.
“Do not believe in rumours. Uddhav Thackeray and I have ensured that those who are with us, we repose blind faith in them. Some people are ‘andha-bhakt’ (blind followers), we are those who believe in ‘andha-vishwas’ (blind faith),” Aaditya said, speaking to reporters in Pune.
Be it his father, Uddhav Thackeray, or ally NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, they all had campaigned for these Sena (UBT) MPs and made them victorious in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, he futher said. Asked whether the five MPs, who did not attend Sunday’s meeting called by Uddhav Thackeray in person, were “sitting on the fence”, Aaditya asked what was wrong in joining a meeting online.
Speaking in Mumbai, Sena (UBT) Rajay Sabha MP Sajay Raut responded to a question about the Operation Tiger buzz by stating that the party will launch ‘Operation Wolf’ to target its opponents, apparently referring to the rival Sena faction led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Raut had told reporters on Sunday that MPs Arvind Sawant, Anil Desai, Rajabhau Waze and Sanjay Patil attended the meeting called by Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai in person, while Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar, Bhausaheb Wakchaure, Nagesh Bapurao Patil Ashtikar and Sanjay Deshmukh attended online. Sanjay Jadhav spoke to Thackeray over phone.
Jadhav would be visiting Mumbai and meeting Thackeray in the next two days, Raut said on Monday. “When the Shiv Sena split, those whose loyalty could not be doubted left….We trust our MPs and it will continue. All these MPs are with the Shiv Sena (UBT),” he said.
