'With Uddhav Thackeray ji and will remain with him': Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Rajabhau Waje amid split speculation

Shiv Sena UBT MP Rajabhau Waje on Wednesday dismissed speculation about divisions within the party and reaffirmed his loyalty to party chief Uddhav Thackeray amid growing rumours of a possible rebellion by some parliamentarians reported ANIThe Nashik Lok Sabha MP said he remains firmly with the Uddhav Thackerayled Shiv Sena UBT and denied having any contact with leaders from the rival Eknath Shindeled Shiv SenaHis statement comes at a time when political discussions in Maharashtra are dominated by reports that a section of Shiv Sena UBT MPs may be considering a switch to the ruling campWaje declares support for Uddhav ThackeraySpeaking to ANI after arriving in New Delhi Waje made it clear that he has no plans to leave the partyI am with Uddhav ji and will remain with him I have no contacts with anyone else I have not received any call and no contact has been established with me by Shinde ji I am not upset and I am with Shiv Sena UBT he told ANIThe clarification comes amid intense speculation that several MPs from the party could be exploring alternative political options Wajes remarks are likely to be viewed as a boost for the Shiv Sena UBT leadership which has been attempting to counter rumours of an impending splitDelhi visit linked to parliamentary workWaje also sought to dispel speculation surrounding his visit to the national capital stating that he had travelled to Delhi for official parliamentary businessI have come here for a committee meeting the MP said rejecting suggestions that his visit was connected to political negotiations or discussions regarding a possible realignmentHis arrival in Delhi had attracted attention because of ongoing reports that several Sena UBT MPs were in the capital amid the political uncertaintyDetails shared about Thackerays emergency meetingCommenting on the emergency meeting convened by Uddhav Thackeray earlier this week Waje said only a handful of leaders were physically present while others participated virtuallyAccording to him four MPs attended the meeting in person while five others joined through video conferencingThe meeting was called amid increasing speculation about possible defections and was seen as an effort by the party leadership to gauge support within its parliamentary ranksParty leaders have since maintained that the meeting demonstrated continued communication between the leadership and its MPsMP avoids commenting on rebellion reportsWhen questioned about reports suggesting that some MPs could break away and whether dissidents had the numbers required to form a separate group Waje declined to commentHe said he was not aware of the latest developments and suggested that media reports were moving faster than the information available to himI dont know yet I have just arrived and am still travelling I am not aware of the latest developments he saidHis cautious response reflects the uncertainty surrounding the situation as no MP has publicly confirmed plans to leave the party despite persistent speculationPolitical tensions continue amid Operation Tiger buzzMaharashtras political landscape has been dominated by discussions around an alleged Operation Tiger with reports suggesting that several Shiv Sena UBT MPs may be in contact with leaders from the Eknath Shindeled Shiv SenaThe speculation has drawn comparisons with the 2022 rebellion that split the undivided Shiv Sena and led to a major political realignment in the stateMeanwhile Shiv Sena UBT Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut has continued to attack alleged attempts to engineer defections In a post on X he sarcastically claimed that the Minimum Support Price for an MP had been fixed at Rs 50 crore and that Rs 15 crore was merely an advance paymentThe remarks were made while responding to a social media post by Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra who had commented on reports of alleged monetary inducements being offered to lawmakersWhile the political speculation continues Shiv Sena UBT leaders insist that no official split has occurred and that the party remains united under Uddhav Thackerays leadership Attention is now focused on upcoming meetings of the partys parliamentary wing which could provide greater clarity on the evolving situationWith inputs from ANI