"I am with Shiv Sena (UBT)": Rajool Patil meets Uddhav Thackeray amid rebellion buzz

"I had come to Uddhav ji to present my side, and I told him I am with Shiv Sena (UBT)," she said.

Amid the political turmoil within Shiv Sena (UBT) over the alleged defection of several MPs, Rajool Patil, daughter of Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Dina Patil, on Sunday met party chief Uddhav Thackeray at Matoshree in Mumbai and reiterated her loyalty to the party. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Rajool Patil said she had come to present her side before the Shiv Sena (UBT) president and make her position clear.

"I had come to Uddhav ji to present my side, and I told him I am with Shiv Sena (UBT)," she said. Her visit comes at a time when the party is grappling with a deepening crisis triggered by the alleged defection of several parliamentarians under what has been dubbed "Operation Tiger."

Earlier on Saturday, Shiv Sena (UBT) issued a fresh show-cause notice to its absentee MPs, warning them of possible disqualification under the Anti-Defection Law. The notice was issued by the party's Chief Whip in the Lok Sabha, Anil Desai, who directed the MPs to submit a written explanation within 24 hours regarding their absence from a crucial parliamentary party meeting. The party warned that failure to respond would be treated as voluntary relinquishment of party membership, paving the way for action under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.

The controversy intensified after a parliamentary party meeting held in New Delhi on Thursday witnessed the attendance of only three of the party's nine Lok Sabha MPs. While Arvind Sawant, Anil Desai and Rajabhau Waje attended the meeting, six MPs, including Sanjay Dina Patil, remained absent. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut had earlier said that the process of seeking disqualification of the absent MPs had already begun.

The political storm gained momentum 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. (ANI)