Amid growing speculation of a possible split within the Shiv Sena (UBT), senior party leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday alleged that some Members of Parliament from Maharashtra were being offered up to ₹50 crore to switch sides.
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Raut claimed that an “important person” informed him late on Tuesday night about attempts to lure MPs from Maharashtra with huge sums of money.
“I was told that the rate is ₹50 crore and that ₹15 crore each would be delivered by tonight. They were allegedly unwilling to board the aircraft without receiving the money,” Raut alleged.
The remarks come amid reports that some MPs of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) could break away from the party. However, Raut clarified that the party had not received any official communication regarding a split and was learning about such developments through media reports.
Out of the party’s nine Lok Sabha MPs, only three — Arvind Sawant, Anil Desai and Rajabhau Waje — were present at the press conference.
Raut asserted that all Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs were elected on the party’s “Mashal” symbol under the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray and had no moral right to betray the mandate given by voters.
“If anybody wants to leave, they should first resign. They have come to Parliament on our party’s ticket and because voters elected them,” he said.
Drawing parallels with the 2022 split in the undivided Shiv Sena, Raut warned that party workers and the people of Maharashtra would not remain silent if a similar situation unfolded again.
He further revealed that the party had issued a whip and convened a meeting of its parliamentary party on Thursday. According to him, the party has also approached Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, urging strict adherence to constitutional provisions in the event of any political defection.
Speaking alongside Raut, Arvind Sawant stated that no MP had officially informed the party of any decision to leave, while Anil Desai said the party continued to trust its MPs but was putting legal safeguards in place as a precautionary measure.
The leaders collectively expressed concern that attempts to “buy and break” elected representatives posed a serious threat to democratic values and constitutional principles.
Raut also alleged that pressure was being exerted on Dharashiv MP Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar in connection with a long-pending murder case involving his father. He claimed that Nimbalkar was allegedly told he would receive a favourable outcome in the case if he joined another political group.
“If this is happening, what remains of the Constitution, the courts and democracy?” Raut questioned.
Referring to a recent meeting of Shiv Sena (UBT) parliamentarians with Uddhav Thackeray, Raut said several MPs had pledged loyalty to the party by taking oaths in the names of religious figures, family members and personal beliefs.
“We spent our blood and sweat for these MPs. We gave them tickets and whatever financial help we could. If such reports are true, they should publicly deny them,” he said.
Raut maintained that the MPs were elected due to the legacy and leadership of Uddhav Thackeray and late Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray, and not because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
As political uncertainty continues, all eyes are now on Thursday’s parliamentary party meeting, which is expected to provide greater clarity on the future course of the Shiv Sena (UBT).
