Shinde‑Led Shiv Sena Gains Majority in Upper House After UBT Split

Following the Lok Sabha speaker’s clearance, the faction of Shiv Sena headed by Eknath Shinde has bolstered its representation in the lower house, effectively achieving a majority among the party’s former UBT legislators. Six MPs who previously sat with Uddhav Thackeray’s group have now officially merged into the Shinde camp, raising its count to thirteen.

The six legislators—Omprakash Bhupalsinh, Nagesh Bapurav Patil Ashtikar, Sanjay Haribhau Jadhav, Sanjay Uttamrao Deshmukh, Bhausaheb Rajaram Wakchoure and Sanjay Dina Patil—come from diverse constituencies across Maharashtra, underscoring the geographical spread of the realignment.

Shinde’s spokesperson Anand Dubey lamented the loss, alleging that the speaker’s unilateral decision ignored the MPs’ original mandate and eroded democratic practice. The spokesperson also referenced the 2022 split and the alleged involvement of former governor Bhagwat Singh Koshyari in facilitating the party’s fragmentation.

The altered composition arrives just before the monsoon parliamentary session, a critical period for the NDA government which aims to secure a two‑thirds majority required for a constitutional amendment on women’s reservation. Meanwhile, opposition parties continue to mobilise against the government on issues such as the NEET paper leak, the Ayodhya temple funding dispute, and the surge in living costs.