Shiv Sena Merger Explained: Why Om Birla's Decision Is A Big Win For Eknath Shinde

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla recognised the merger of six Sena (UBT) MPs with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena two days before the Monsoon Session of Parliament began. The move has altered numbers in Parliament and strengthened Shinde’s position within the BJP-led NDA.

The approval increased the Shiv Sena’s strength in the Lok Sabha from seven to 13 MPs and reduced Sena (UBT)’s tally to three. This decision followed the defection of six Sena (UBT) MPs to the Shinde camp under “Operation Tiger” and came after the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly election established the BJP as the dominant partner in the ruling Mahayuti alliance in the state.

What exactly has the Speaker recognised?

The Lok Sabha Secretariat published a circular with the Shiv Sena’s revised position in the Lok Sabha. The Shiv Sena with floor leader Shrikant Eknath Shinde has 13 MPs. This indicates that the Lok Sabha Speaker had approved the merger of six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs with the Shiv Sena, as the faction led by Eknath Shinde is called.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs — Nagesh Patil Ashtikar, Sanjay Deshmukh, Sanjay Dina Patil, Bhausaheb Wakchoure, Omraje Nimbalkar, and Sanjay Bandu Jadhav — had requested a merger with the Shiv Sena led by the Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister. The request for the merger was pending with Birla, and by issuing a circular on the party’s position, the Speaker has apparently cleared the merger.

The Speaker also approved the request of 20 Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs to sit separately during the session. For the TMC rebels, seats have been allotted away from the Mamata Banerjee-led bloc, though their bid for NCPI status is still under examination.

Why is this significant for Eknath Shinde?

By increasing the Shiv Sena’s strength in the Lok Sabha from seven to 13 MPs and reducing Sena (UBT)’s tally to three, the approval has strengthened Shinde’s position within the BJP-led NDA. This comes after the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly election established the BJP as the dominant partner in the ruling Mahayuti alliance in the state, The Indian Express noted.

The revised party positions in the Lok Sabha follow the defection of Sena (UBT) MPs Sanjay Jadhav, Sanjay Patil, Sanjay Deshmukh, Omraje Nimbalkar, Nagesh Patil Ashtikar and Bhausaheb Wakchaure, to the Shiv Sena on June 22 under what the Shinde-led party dubbed “Operation Tiger”. With these inductions, the Shiv Sena has become the NDA’s third-largest constituent in the Lok Sabha with 13 MPs, behind the BJP’s 240 and the Telugu Desam Party’s 16, according to The Indian Express.

The Shiv Sena’s tally of 13 Lok Sabha MPs makes it the joint largest party in Maharashtra along with the Congress. The BJP has nine MPs.

For the Shinde camp, the recognition marks the culmination of “Operation Tiger” and appears to restore some of the leverage it lost after the Assembly elections, when the BJP’s sweeping victory reduced Shinde from Chief Minister to Deputy Chief Minister and cemented the BJP as the dominant force within the Mahayuti.

Shiv Sena leaders say the exercise was aimed not merely at increasing the party’s strength in Parliament but also at enhancing its bargaining position within the NDA. They also point to another factor — the “rebel TMC” faction. Sena leaders fear their standing within the NDA could diminish further as the 20 “rebel TMC” MPs, who have merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) but are still awaiting recognition from Birla, have announced their support for the ruling alliance in Parliament. “Increasing our strength from seven to 13 secures our position in the NDA,” party sources said, as quoted by The Indian Express.

The Shiv Sena’s increased tally also reinforces the institutional recognition that Shinde has acquired since revolting against the undivided Shiv Sena in June 2022. Since the split, Shinde headed the Maharashtra government for nearly two years from 2022 to 2024, secured the Election Commission’s recognition as the leader of the “real Shiv Sena”, retained the party’s “bow and arrow” symbol, and outperformed Sena (UBT) in the 2024 Assembly elections, with the Shiv Sena winning 57 seats compared with Sena (UBT)’s 20.

What does it mean for Uddhav Thackeray?

The Shiv Sena (UBT) will now have only three MPs in the Lok Sabha, The Hindu reported. While the merger issue appears to have been settled in Parliament, the two Shiv Sena factions now face the prospect of a legal battle. Sena (UBT) continues to challenge both the defections and the Speaker’s recognition of the merger.

Reacting to the Speaker’s decision, Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray said: “What else were you expecting? This is the injustice we have already been facing.”

The Speaker’s decisions come despite both the TMC and Shiv Sena (UBT) pressing for the immediate disqualification of the rebel MPs under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution. Earlier, the Speaker held separate meetings with delegations from the parent parties as well as the dissident groups before arriving at the decisions, The New Indian Express reported.

How does the Anti-Defection Law apply?

Party leaders argue that legislators alone cannot merge a political party unless the original organisation itself merges, and contend that the legal requirements under the anti-defection law have not been met, The Indian Express reported. The Speaker accepted the claim of the six MPs after examining constitutional provisions, parliamentary precedents and legal opinion.

How does it alter NDA's numbers in Parliament?

With these inductions, the Shiv Sena has become the NDA’s third-largest constituent in the Lok Sabha with 13 MPs, behind the BJP’s 240 and the Telugu Desam Party’s 16, The Indian Express reported.

What happens next in Maharashtra politics?

The Shiv Sena is now expected to press for greater representation whenever the Union Cabinet is expanded. Party leaders are likely to seek two ministerial berths, with Kalyan MP Shrikant Shinde emerging as one of the leading contenders. Sena leaders also argue that the party’s larger parliamentary strength may translate into greater representation on parliamentary committees and a bigger role in NDA coordination, The Indian Express reported.

With the BJP keen to push major legislation, the Shiv Sena’s increased strength would be “useful in the context of future legislative priorities”. However, it has also prompted fresh calculations within the BJP to ensure that no single ally acquires disproportionate influence within the NDA.

To keep the Shiv Sena “in check”, the BJP has kept communication channels open with leaders from the NCP (SP). Even if the Sunetra Pawar-led NCP and the NCP (SP) were to come together, their combined strength would still be nine — below the Shiv Sena’s 13.

The BJP and the Shiv Sena have had an uneasy relationship since the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections. While both Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis have maintained that the Mahayuti remains united, leaders privately acknowledge differences over power-sharing.

The monsoon session of Parliament began on Monday July 20 and is scheduled to go on till August 13, The Hindu reported.