Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday said the party was preparing for a legal battle amid speculation of defections and announced a meeting of the party's parliamentary group at 11 am on Thursday. He said that at a meeting of MPs on June 14, some members had sworn in the name of Sai Baba and Mata Bhawani that they would remain loyal to the party.

"If they want to betray their mother -- UBT -- even after taking an oath, we won't spare them," he said. Raut warned that if anyone still betrayed the Uddhav Thackeray-led outfit after such a pledge, the party would act against them. 

He added that the MPs were not elected because of PM Modi's popularity but due to Uddhav's leadership and campaign. 

"If anyone wants to go, they can resign and leave. If such reports emerge about our MPs, then they should refute them. This time, the people of Maharashtra will not remain silent," he said at the press conference in Delhi. 

The row grew after Raut alleged on Tuesday night that Maharashtra MPs were being offered Rs 15 crore each as an advance to switch sides. In a post on X, he called the claim shocking and said money was being used to buy MPs. The allegation came amid reports that six to seven of the party's nine Lok Sabha MPs could break away and join the ruling Shiv Sena led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

In Marathwada, party workers in Parbhani, Hingoli and Dharashiv have been closely watching the developments. In Hingoli, local leaders said MP Nagesh Bapurao Patil Ashtikar would stay with Sena (UBT). The party contested four of the region's eight Lok Sabha seats in 2024, with Sanjay Jadhav from Parbhani, Patil Ashtikar from Hingoli and Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar from Dharashiv winning.

Sena (UBT) Parbhani district president Ravi Dharme said Sanjay Jadhav had been away from party activities for around two-and-a-half months and there had been no contact with him recently. Dharme also claimed that Jadhav had once asked him about changing sides, but he had refused to support such a move.

Hingoli district president Sandesh Deshmukh said he had spoken to Patil Ashtikar around 4 pm on Tuesday and that the MP was in Nanded, not Delhi, as his son was contesting the Legislative Council election. Deshmukh said Patil Ashtikar had not mentioned joining another party, and he did not believe he would leave. Dharashiv city head Somnath Gurav said Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar had not taken any decision on switching sides. 

With rumours continuing, Sena (UBT) issued a whip asking all its MPs to attend the Delhi meeting to discuss what sources called important issues. According to party sources, MPs who skip the meeting could face disqualification proceedings. The move is similar to the steps taken during the 2022 rebellion led by Eknath Shinde, when 39 MLAs revolted against Uddhav Thackeray.

Raut said the absence of some MPs from Sunday's meeting at Matoshree should not be seen as a sign of rebellion. Four MPs attended in person, four joined online, and Sanjay Jadhav is reported to have spoken to Thackeray over the phone. Raut said all of them had reaffirmed their loyalty to the party and its chief. 

Lok Sabha MP Anil Desai also dismissed reports of a breakaway. He said there was no such move and that Uddhav Thackeray had held several meetings over the past one-and-a-half years, all of which were attended by the MPs. Desai said four MPs were physically present at the last meeting, while five joined through video conference as they had earlier commitments and could not come to Matoshree.

Published on: Jun 17, 2026 11:54 AM IST