Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule dismissed allegations of involvement in any attempt to engineer defections
June 17, 2026: Maharashtra BJP leader Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Wednesday denied any connection between the BJP and reports of a possible split within the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT). His remarks came amid speculation that a section of Sena (UBT) MPs could break away and form a separate parliamentary group. The controversy intensified after Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut alleged that large sums of money were being offered to lawmakers to switch sides.
Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, Bawankule said he had no information about the alleged “Operation Tiger” and therefore could not comment on it. He firmly rejected claims that the BJP was involved in encouraging defections or offering financial incentives to MPs. According to him, decisions regarding party leadership and political alignments are matters for the respective parties, and both Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde are capable of handling issues within their own organisations.
Bawankule also suggested that Uddhav Thackeray should introspect on why legislators and MPs were leaving his party instead of blaming others. He argued that political leaders change positions for various reasons and not merely because of financial inducements. Responding to speculation about Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis moving to national politics, Bawankule said Fadnavis remains focused on Maharashtra’s development agenda and that discussions about leadership changes are unnecessary at present.