Aaditya Thackeray Alleges BJP Is Breaking Parties To Change Constitution (Watch Video)

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Monday, June 22, accused the BJP of attempting to engineer defections within opposition parties to secure the parliamentary strength required to amend the Constitution, amid reports that six Shiv Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha MPs are preparing to join the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction.

Addressing a press conference, Thackeray claimed that the BJP was trying to weaken opposition parties after falling short of a majority on its own in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. His remarks came as speculation intensified over a fresh split within Shiv Sena (UBT), with several MPs reportedly moving closer to the ruling alliance. Eknath Shinde Led-Shiv Sena Gains Sixth MP as Omraje Nimbalkar Confirms Exit From Uddhav Thackeray Faction.

Aaditya Thackeray Claims BJP Wants 2/3 Majority Through Defections to Amend Constitution

#WATCH | On 6 rebel MPs of his party, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray says, "They are not rebels but 'darrpok aur bekau'. They were elected in the name of Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray and MVA against the BJP. Now, the BJP wants to include them in their 'daldal' so that they… pic.twitter.com/237Yd3g67q

— ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2026

Launching a sharp attack on the BJP, Thackeray alleged that the party's objective behind encouraging defections was to strengthen its position in Parliament. “Today they are breaking our MPs and MLAs as they are willing to change the constitution of Babasaheb Ambedkar. Voters prevented them in 2024, and they got only 240 MPs, but now they are trying that again by breaking parties; their main aim is to change the constitution,” he said.

Referring to the MPs reportedly planning to leave Shiv Sena (UBT), Thackeray said: "They are not rebels but 'darrpok aur bekau'. They were elected in the name of Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray and MVA against the BJP. Now, the BJP wants to include them in their 'daldal' so that they can change the Constitution of the country by achieving 2/3rd majority (in Lok Sabha). The way our party was split, the same way TMC & AAP were also split. If there is law and Constitution in this country, then we can expect justice." 'I Am Ready to Quit Party Chief's Post': Emotional Uddhav Thackeray Amid Shiv Sena (UBT) Crisis; Eknath Shinde Hits Back.

The controversy comes amid reports that six of Shiv Sena (UBT)'s nine Lok Sabha MPs could switch allegiance to the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction in a move that has been referred to in political circles as "Operation Tiger."

The MPs whose absence from a recent parliamentary party meeting triggered speculation are Nagesh Aashtikar, Sanjay Deshmukh, Sanjay Jadhav, Sanjay Dina Patil, Omprakash Rajenimbalkar and Bhausaheb Wakchaure. Patil and Rajenimbalkar have formally announced their split.

A parliamentary party meeting held in New Delhi on Thursday was attended by only three MPs, Arvind Sawant, Anil Desai and Rajabhau Waje, further intensifying speculation about an imminent division within the party.

Thackeray argued that the MPs owed their victories to the collective efforts of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance and were now acting against the mandate of voters. “All these people were elected on Shiv Sena (UBT) with the help of MVA allies, and now they are switching to the other side against the people's mandate,” he said.

He also maintained that voters in those constituencies had rejected the NDA's political ideology during the election and questioned the rationale behind the MPs aligning with the ruling alliance after securing victory on an opposition platform.

Thackeray expanded his criticism beyond the current political developments, accusing the BJP of focusing on political expansion rather than governance. “BJP can riot in the country, put things on rampage, can campaign, but one thing is sure that BJP doesn't know how to rule. We are seeing this in BMC in Mumbai and PMC in Pune,” he said.

He further alleged misuse of resources to facilitate defections. “These people don't have money for salaries of employees and welfare schemes, but they have money to buy MPs,” he claimed.

Reiterating his party's position on the Shiv Sena identity, Thackeray said: “I think Shiv Sena is just one that is ours, Shiv Sena (UBT), and the other one is a space of BJP and not Shiv Sena Shinde, etc.”

Amid the growing uncertainty, Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut said the process of seeking the disqualification of the absent MPs had already begun. The controversy deepened after Shiv Sena MLC Chandrakant Raghuvanshi claimed that six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs had expressed confidence in Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and joined his faction.

The latest developments come nearly four years after the rebellion led by Eknath Shinde triggered a major split in the Shiv Sena, reshaping Maharashtra's political landscape.

With reports of further defections gathering pace, the situation has raised the possibility of another significant realignment within the party founded by Bal Thackeray, while also intensifying the political confrontation between the BJP-led NDA and opposition parties in Maharashtra.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 22, 2026 02:10 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).