News Desk, Mumbai - Sanjay Raut sparked fresh controversy on Monday with a remark aimed at Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde amid reports that six MPs from the Shiv Sena (UBT) camp are set to join the ruling Shiv Sena faction.

Reacting to the impending defections, Raut said Shinde had been “pregnant” and had now “delivered six MPs”, referring to reports that the lawmakers gathered at his official residence before formally joining the Shinde-led Shiv Sena. The remark comes at a time when the Uddhav Thackeray camp is facing one of its biggest political setbacks since the party split in 2022. The six MPs expected to switch sides are Sanjay Dina Patil, Sanjay Deshmukh, Sanjay Jadhav, Bhausaheb Wakchaure, Nagesh Patil Ashtikar and Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar.

Speculation over their move gained momentum after they skipped a Shiv Sena (UBT) parliamentary party meeting in Delhi on June 17. Ashtikar and Nimbalkar have already confirmed their decision to leave the Uddhav-led faction. Leaders from the Shinde camp welcomed the development, claiming the MPs were influenced by the leadership of Shinde and Lok Sabha MP Shrikant Shinde. Maharashtra minister Pratap Sarnaik said the lawmakers had informed Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla about their decision and chose to join the Shiv Sena to follow the ideology of party founder Bal Thackeray.

Responding to the defections, Uddhav Thackeray accused the MPs of abandoning the party for power and money, insisting there can be only one Shiv Sena. The latest round of defections is being linked to the Shinde camp's reported "Operation Tiger" strategy, further intensifying the battle for the party's legacy