Amid speculation that some Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs might switch sides, party chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday chaired a meeting of his party’s Lok Sabha MPs in which only four of nine MPs turned up, while four logged in virtually and one MP later spoke to Uddhav over the phone, the party claimed.While Arvind Sawant, Anil Desai, Sanjay Dina Patil, and Rajabhau Waje attended the meeting in person, four MPs joined online and Parbhani MP Sanjay Jadhav called Thackeray later, Sena (UBT) leaders said.This has caused concern in the party, especially as a day earlier, party leaders had gathered at the Thackerays’ residence, Matoshree, for Aaditya Thackeray’s birthday celebrations on June 13. However, the five MPs did not join in. Party sources said the MPs had already been told to remain in Mumbai through the weekend. The leadership expected all of them to be physically present for two days at a time when the party was trying to put an end to growing speculation of a split coming from the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, sources said.Read | Uddhav Thackeray meets Sena UBT MPs amid split rumours“For years, leaders have turned up for Aaditya’s birthday even when nobody has specifically asked them to come,” said a senior Sena (UBT) functionary. “This time, all MPs had already been told on Thursday itself to stay in Mumbai. Even if somebody had personal commitments, they could have come for ten minutes on either Saturday or Sunday, marked their presence and left. But five MPs stayed away physically on both days. Naturally, people inside the party are discussing it.”Another senior leader said calls from Matoshree had rarely seen this kind of response in the past and this had added to the concerns. “Whether leaders are formally called or not, they usually make sure they are in Mumbai when there is an occasion at Matoshree. This has been the culture of the party. This year five MPs stayed away physically on both days. People have started drawing their own conclusions,” he said, terming it “defiance”.Several office-bearers said the absence had become a matter of discussion not just among leaders but also among workers, with some privately admitting that it had led to anger and unease within sections of the organisation.The meeting was convened after two straight days of claims emerging from the Sena about a split in the Sena (UBT)’s Lok Sabha wing fracturing, dubbed “Operation Tiger”. Party leaders said the June 2022 split led by Shinde has made Matoshree far less willing to ignore even speculation about defections.Story continues below this adOn Saturday, Union Minister Prataprao Jadhav said “Operation Tiger” was nearing completion and could happen whenever Shinde decides. Soon after, state minister Bharat Gogawale said leaders from the rival party were already in touch and more would be joining soon. Party leaders said the expectation in Matoshree was that a full turnout on Sunday would quickly shut down the speculation and send a message that all MPs remain firmly behind Uddhav. Instead, the attendance itself became the story.Justifying the absenceSoon after the meeting ended, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut stepped up before the waiting cameras and, one by one, had to explain why the five MPs were absent. Raut said that Yavatmal MP Sanjay Deshmukh could not travel because preparations were underway for his daughter’s wedding, while Hingoli MP Nagesh Patil Ashtikar was busy in his constituency because his son is contesting the Legislative Council election. Shirdi MP Bhausaheb Wakchaure remained away because his wife is admitted in a Hyderabad hospital while Dharashiv MP Omraje Nimbalkar’s son is admitted in a Pune hospital, Raut added. Jadhav, he said, had separately spoken to UddhavShadow gamesThe Sena (UTB) currently has nine Lok Sabha MPs. Under the Tenth Schedule, a breakaway faction requires support of at least two-thirds members to avoid disqualification under anti-defection provisions. In Sena (UBT)’s case, that comes to six.It is this arithmetic that has made the latest Operation Tiger claims difficult for Matoshree to dismiss as routine political posturing. The speculation has also come at a time when political circles are closely watching the rebellion in the Trinamool Congress (TMC), triggering discussions about how quickly parliamentary equations can shift.Story continues below this adFor the Shinde-led Sena too, keeping the buzz about Operation Tiger alive has value of its own. Since the Assembly elections in 2024, the BJP has emerged stronger within Mahayuti, and one of Shinde’s remaining advantages has been his ability to show that he can still politically weaken Uddhav. Continuing to project that his party can still pull MPs from the Sena (UBT) helps project that image and retain the leverage in the ruling alliance.Even if no MP eventually crosses over, the latest episode has already worked politically for the Sena. Merely floating the claims of defections was enough to force Matoshree into an exercise to publicly display unity. The absence of the MPs has further added to the unease in the Uddhav-led party even though there is still no indication that any of the Sena (UBT) MPs is preparing to leave.Vallabh Ozarkar is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express' Mumbai bureau, recognized as an authoritative and deeply knowledgeable voice on the politics, governance, and infrastructure of Maharashtra. With more than nine years of experience in major news organizations, his reporting delivers high standards of Expertise and Trustworthiness. Expertise & Authority Current Role: Senior Correspondent, The Indian Express, Mumbai bureau. Geographical Specialization: Provides exclusive and detailed coverage of Maharashtra politics and governance, operating at the epicenter of the state's decision-making in Mumbai. 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