![\"Dhurandhar](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-131941427,imgsize-1348487,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/eknath-shinde-with-newly-inducted-mps.jpg\" "\\"With")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nNEW DELHI: Tigers or traitors! Yes, you guessed it right. We are talking about the six Uddhav Sena MPs who crossed the political divide in Maharashtra to be on the right side of power.Well, they were \u201cTigers\u201d for Eknath Shinde<\/a>, who boastfully claimed credit for successfully poaching six MPs from the rival Sena faction while they were labelled \u201ctraitors\u201d by Uddhav Thackeray camp which was dealt a second blow by the defectors in a span of 4 years.They are the latest set of legislators who have ditched their original parties to veer towards power in this \u201cseason of defections.\u201d The six “Tigers” follow in the footsteps of their Trinamool and AAP \u201ccomrade-in-arms\u201d – who managed to change ships by outmanoeuvring the provisions of the anti-defection law.With six defected MPs on his side, a proud Shinde marked the culmination of \u201cOperation Tiger\u201d. No, this was not about the preservation of the four-legged felines, it was about engineering defections of MPs from Uddhav Sena to Shinde Sena which was achieved with perfection.<\/p>\n Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde proudly announced that he was behind engineering these defections. And why not? After all, the defections make his Shiv Sena, the second largest party in Maharashtra in terms of MPs. Not only that – at the national level – Shinde\u2019s Shiv Sena now becomes the fourth-largest constituent within the NDA coalition, trailing only behind BJP (240 MPs), NCPI (20 MPs via the TMC<\/a> split) and TDP (16).“Operation Tiger is now complete and successful. My operations are fool proof,\u201d Shinde said while referring to the six defected MPs as Dhurandhar (stalwarts\/experts) who are connected to ground.Interestingly, the number that changed sides could easily have been seven had another deal with a prospective rebel for a Union Cabinet berth gone through.This is what Shiv Sena leader Ramdas kadam had to say: “Back in 2022, there were 40 MLAs, including 10 ministers, and Eknath Shinde pledged that I will bring all of them back. He succeeded in getting 60 MLAs and even today six MPs have joined us to support development in their respective constituencies. I welcome them. A seventh MP has also signed in the paper but he demanded a cabinet post to which Eknath Shinde declined. He went back after that… I will not name him but he sits next to Uddhav Thackeray.”<\/p>\n The defections of Uddhav Sena MPs is the third \u201cpower\u201d shift this season. It all started with seven AAP MPs in Rajya Sabha announcing merger with the BJP. Ironically the rebellion was led by Raghav Chadha, who was once the most trusted aide of Arvind Kejriwal. Kejriwal watched helplessly as seven of his MPs jumped on the other side of the political divide, dealing him a crushing blow ahead of the Punjab assembly elections next year.That was followed by the great exodus in Trinamool Congress, a party that unravelled like a pack of cards after Mamata Banerjee lost the 2026 assembly elections at the hand of the BJP. Today, the government in West Bengal is being run by the BJP and the opposition is also working under the guidance of the BJP. The entire Trinamool rebellion – first at Kolkata and then in the national capital – played out under the watch of the BJP leaders. For now, Mamata is battling the rebels as they try to now gain control of the Trinamool Congress.<\/p>\nRebels are \u2018Dhurandhars’<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Season of defections<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Will there be more defections this season?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n