In a significant political setback for the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), senior leader and Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) Sachin Ahir joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Tuesday, further intensifying the battle for dominance within the party.
Ahir filed his nomination for the post of Deputy Chairman of the Maharashtra Legislative Council and submitted his papers as the party’s candidate in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar.
Soon after switching allegiance, Ahir filed his nomination as the ruling alliance’s candidate for the post of Deputy Chairperson of the Maharashtra Legislative Council, signalling his immediate integration into the Shinde camp.
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विधान परिषदेच्या उपसभापतीपदाच्या निवडणुकीसाठी #शिवसेना पक्षाच्या वतीने आमदार मा. सचिन अहिर यांनी आज आपला उमेदवारी अर्ज दाखल केला.
यावेळी मुख्यमंत्री मा. देवेंद्रजी फडणवीस साहेब, उपमुख्यमंत्री मा. एकनाथजी शिंदे साहेब, उपमुख्यमंत्री मा.सुनेत्राताई पवार, मंत्री… pic.twitter.com/yrtklT2rT5
— Shivsena – शिवसेना (@Shivsenaofc) June 30, 2026
The move is a part of the ruling alliance’s ongoing strategy, informally referred to as “Operation Tiger”, aimed at consolidating its organisational strength ahead of key political contests, including the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.
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A former Maharashtra minister and an influential leader from Mumbai, Ahir joined the undivided Shiv Sena in 2019 after leaving the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Following the split in the Shiv Sena in 2022, he chose to remain with the Uddhav Thackeray faction and was later elected to the Legislative Council.
This development deals another massive blow to the Uddhav Thackeray camp, coming just days after six Shiv Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha MPs defected to the Eknath Shinde-led faction. The high-profile exit marks one of the most severe political setbacks for the UBT camp since the original party split.
Meanwhile, the Uddhav Thackeray faction termed the defection politically motivated and accused the ruling alliance of engineering a series of defections to weaken the opposition.
The six rebel MPs had secured victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections by defeating candidates from both the BJP and the Shinde-led Shiv Sena.