Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs on Wednesday (June 24, 2026) met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and sought a copy of the letter submitted by the party’s six rebel MPs who recently announced their joining the Shiv Sena. Sena UBT MPs Anil Desai and Arvind Sawant also sought to know the demands made by the rebel MPs.
“We had earlier given the Speaker a letter of caveat. He had accordingly called us. We asked him if the rebel MPs had given him any letter. We asked him if they came as a group or as individuals. We told him that you need to inform us. We gave a copy of the Constitution, highlighting the provisions of the Tenth Schedule. A political party can merge if it wants to. But the party has to decide. There was no party meeting. No such proposal was moved by either of the six of them,” Mr. Sawant told The Hindu after the meeting.
The meeting took place days after six of the nine Lok Sabha members of the Shiv Sena (UBT) announced merger with Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena. This will be the first meeting between the Sena (UBT) leaders and the Speaker, after the party had submitted a caveat letter to him seeking a hearing on the matter before any decision is taken. The party leaders have decried the lack of transparency in the matter, asking why the House has not been informed about it so far, or why the details of the split and merger have not yet been declared by the Speaker’s office.
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Sena (UBT) has questioned the lack of transparency surrounding the entry of six MPs into the ruling Shiv Sena. It had submitted a letter to the Speaker seeking a hearing in case any group of leaders of their party approaches him to form a separate group.
“If anybody goes to meet the Speaker, the information is put out by his office. The photos are shared on his social media handle. There is openness and transparency in the matter. But when it has come to this merger, there is no information about it,” a Shiv Sena (UBT) leader said.
Leaders of Mr. Shinde’s Shiv Sena said all the legislative processes have been completed to induct the six MPs to their party. “We are not going to share any further details. But let me assure you, that we have completed all the processes. The MPs have also met the Speaker, apart from submitting a letter to him,” a senior party leader told The Hindu.
Constitutional expert Anant Kalse said that the Shiv Sena (UBT) can approach the apex court in the matter, seeking its intervention. “But considering that the previous case about the split in 2022 is itself pending, these names can now be added in the same petition,” he said.
Published - June 24, 2026 03:09 pm IST
parliament / Parliament proceedings / Lok Sabha / Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray / state politics
Source: The Hindu - India News
