Maharashtra politics is once again at the center of intense political speculation and rhetoric. The ongoing discussions regarding the so-called “Operation Tiger” have further increased the political turmoil in the state. However, till now neither party has officially confirmed these claims.

Mumbai: Maharashtra’s political turmoil regarding Eknath Shinde is once again in the news. It has come to light that the strategy to bring Thackeray group MPs into its fold under ‘Operation Tiger’ has not yet received the green signal from the Delhi leadership. According to sources, efforts are being made by the Shinde group to establish political contacts behind the scenes and it is being claimed that they are also involved in talks with some MPs of Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray).

Meanwhile, information has also come to light that an alleged secret meeting took place between Shinde and some MPs of the Thackeray group in Thane on Wednesday (April 8) night, which has increased the stir in the political circles. Although this meeting has not been officially confirmed, it has increased speculations about possible changes in Maharashtra politics.

What are the claims regarding “Operation Tiger”?

It is being claimed in sources and media reports that efforts are being made by the Eknath Shinde group to contact some MPs. These reports have been informally named “Operation Tiger”. However, neither the government nor any party has issued any official statement regarding these claims. Only speculations and discussions are emerging regarding this in political circles.

Some reports also claimed that a meeting was held late night in Thane, in which some MPs from both the parties were said to have attended. According to these claims, the meeting lasted for several hours and possible political equations were discussed. But there is no independent confirmation of these incidents.

MPs and leaders refused

Responding to these allegations and reports, many leaders have categorically denied them. Arvind Sawant said that he is not aware of any such meeting and this is completely baseless news. Similarly, Omraje Nimbalkar also rejected these claims and said that he was not a part of any such meeting nor did he have any information about it. He said that such political rumors have been spreading for the last several years.

Chief Minister’s son and MP Shrikant Shinde has also rejected all these claims outright. He said that such news has been coming out from time to time for the last one year, but there is no truth in it. According to him, no such meeting or political conversation took place and this is purely hearsay based reporting.

A major change came in the politics of Maharashtra when there was a split in Shiv Sena and two separate factions came into existence. One faction is led by Eknath Shinde, while the other faction is working under the leadership of Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray).