Mumbai, 22 June (HS): Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav

Thackeray is facing a significant setback as six of his party's nine Lok Sabha

MPs are expected to join the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Monday. According

to media sources, the MPs are scheduled to formally join the Shinde group at

approximately 3 p.m. If the plan is approved, the rebel group will have the

two-thirds strength necessary by the anti-defection statute, shielding them

from disqualification. According to reports, the Shinde camp plans to

disseminate images and recordings of six rebel MPs meeting with the Lok Sabha

Speaker later today in order to indicate that 'Operation Tiger' was a success.

Shiv Sena (UBT) has convened a meeting of all its MLAs and

MLCs at 2.30 p.m. at Shivalay at Nariman Point on the opening day of the

Maharashtra Legislature's monsoon session, amidst the hype surrounding

'Operation Tiger'. Uddhav Thackeray is set to address party leaders and discuss

the next steps as fears about further defections rise. The news comes a day

after Hingoli MP Nagesh Patil Ashtikar and Dharashiv MP Omprakash Raje

Nimbalkar openly proclaimed their intention to join Shinde's campaign. Sanjay

Dina Patil, Sanjay Deshmukh, Sanjay Jadhav, Bhausaheb Wakchaure, Nagesh

Patil-Ashtikar, and Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar are the six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs

that did not attend the party's parliamentary conference in Delhi on June 17.

Shiv Sena (UBT) presently has nine Lok Sabha MPs, with six MPs needed to reach

the two-thirds threshold.

Ashtikar stated that he and other MPs had not intended to

abandon the party before June 18. However, the statements made against them

over the last few days made them believe there was no use in sticking. I and

several other MPs had not made a choice till June 18. We hadn't traveled

anyplace. However, various insults made against us since Thursday made us

believe there was no use in staying at Sena (UBT), he added. Ashtikar stated

that he was not furious with Uddhav Thackeray or Sanjay Raut. However, he

stated that criticism directed at dissident MPs affected their choice. He

further stated that he had not altered his views and had only switched from one

Shiv Sena to another.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi