Six Members of Parliament from Shiv Sena (UBT) officially joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Monday, dealing a major setback to Uddhav Thackeray’s faction. The announcement was made during a press conference held in Mumbai. The leaders who switched sides are Sanjay Dina Patil, Sanjay Deshmukh, Sanjay Jadhav, Bhausaheb Wakchaure, Nagesh Patil-Ashtikar and Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar.

Speculation about their departure had been growing for several days. The discussions intensified after the six MPs skipped the Shiv Sena (UBT) parliamentary party meeting held in Delhi on June 17. Their absence from the meeting had triggered rumours that they were preparing to join the Shinde-led faction of the party.

Among the six MPs, Nagesh Patil-Ashtikar and Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar were the only leaders who had publicly confirmed that they were moving to the Shinde camp before the official announcement. The remaining MPs had not openly spoken about their decision, though political circles were already discussing the possibility of their exit from Sena (UBT).

With the entry of the six MPs, the strength of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena in Parliament has increased to thirteen. The development has further strengthened the position of the Shiv Sena faction led by Shinde and increased its presence in the Lok Sabha.

Speaking about the development, Transport Minister and Shiv Sena leader Pratap Sarnaik said that the six MPs were influenced by the leadership and work of Eknath Shinde and Member of Parliament Shrikant Shinde. Explaining the reasons behind their decision, Sarnaik said, "Six MPs were impressed by work of Sena chief leader Eknath Shinde and MP Shrikant Shinde and were joining Sena today. They had given a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and wanted to follow the ideology of Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray."

The move marks another significant political development in Maharashtra, where the rivalry between the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena (UBT) and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena continues. The latest shift not only reduces the parliamentary strength of Sena (UBT) but also provides a major boost to Shinde’s faction as it expands its support base in Parliament.