Operation Tiger not over, more shocks await Thackeray camp, warns Eknath Shinde

Mumbai: Days after dealing a major political blow to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) by engineering the defection of six Lok Sabha MPs, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief leader Eknath Shinde on Tuesday in the state Assembly dropped a fresh bombshell, hinting that more political earthquakes are on the horizon.

Referring to the defection of the six parliamentarians as part of Operation Tiger, Shinde stated that the political realignment is far from over. His remarks have sent ripples of anxiety across the Opposition, stoking speculation about a second wave of desertions from the Thackeray camp.

The Assembly witnessed fiery exchanges after Opposition leaders raised objections over the absence of senior Cabinet ministers during key legislative discussions and allocation of departments to various ministers as a collective responsibility during the session.

Seizing the moment, Shinde launched a direct, no-holds-barred attack on the Sena (UBT) leadership without explicitly taking names. “The ‘loud shock’ delivered yesterday has severely rattled their mental balance. I want to tell them—this is just the beginning. More shocks are yet to come,” Shinde said, indicating that ‘Operation Tiger’ is still active.

Mocking the current state of the Thackeray faction, Shinde resorted to poetic sarcasm: “Now they have no real issues left to raise; they are drowning in despair. If they were present in the House today, I would have told them—look who you were, what you have become, and how foolishly you have ruined yourself.”

Earlier, senior Opposition leaders, including Jayant Patil (NCP-SP) and Vijay Wadettiwar (Congress), had expressed strong displeasure over the absence of top ministers from the House, accusing the ruling alliance of taking the legislature for granted.

Patil questioned how public grievances would be addressed if key ministers remained outside the House, leaving junior ministers to handle critical matters. Echoing these concerns, Wadettiwar termed it a serious breach of legislative tradition.

Responding to them, Dy CM Shinde clarified that junior ministers are legally empowered by the Speaker to handle specific calling-attention motions to ensure smooth proceedings. He added that both he and the Chief Minister are always present during major debates.

Turning to the senior Opposition leaders, Dy CM Shinde added a word of caution: “Jayant-Rao, Vijay-bhau, Nana-bhau—you are senior, seasoned politicians. It is unfortunate that you have chosen to follow the lead of inexperienced children (immature leaders). Focus on raising farmers’ issues instead of indulging in mere political stunts.”

Shinde dismissed allegations from the Oopposition that the government was neglecting farmers or stalling development funds, stating that the public had already shown the Opposition its place in recent polls. “Their political space is shrinking by the day. They need to introspect. Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones at others,” he said.

The political sparring escalated further outside the House, with Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray taking a swipe at the Deputy Chief Minister’s late-night political manoeuvres. “The Deputy Chief Minister is highly skilled at running midnight operations to split parties, but he lacks the discipline to sit through formal proceedings in the House,” he countered.

IANS