Major Setback for Uddhav Thackeray as Speaker Recognises Merger of Six MPs With Shinde Camp

Ahead of the monsoon session of Parliament, Lok Sabha SpeakerLok Sabha SpeakerLok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has approved the merger of six Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray or UBT) MPs into the Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The Shiv Sena (UBT) will now have only three MPs in the Lok Sabha.

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The Lok Sabha Secretariat on Saturday (July 18, 2026) 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, the circular said, suggesting the Lok Sabha Speaker had approved the merger of six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs with the Shiv Sena, as the faction led by Mr. 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 CM. The request for the merger was pending with Mr. Birla, and by issuing a circular on party’s position, the Speaker has apparently cleared the merger.