From ‘Lions’ to ‘Dogs’: The latest bitter exchange in the Shiv Sena family feud

A sharp war of words erupts between the Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray camps as internal instability threatens to fracture the Shiv Sena (UBT) once again.

The battle for the soul of the Shiv Sena has descended into a vitriolic exchange of metaphors. Just a day after Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde invoked the imagery of a lone lion to describe his political independence during the party’s 60th foundation day, Sanjay Raut fired back with a stinging social media post. Sharing an infographic, the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader wrote: "Kuch log kuttey toh hoty hain lekin wafa'daar nahi hoty" (Some people are dogs, but they are not loyal).

This latest spat follows Shinde’s aggressive swipe at his former colleagues, where he remarked, "Kutte jhund main aake bhokte hai, sher akela ata hai" (Dogs bark in packs, a lion walks alone). The rhetoric is far from just symbolic; it reflects a deep-seated anxiety within the Thackeray camp as reports of a potential mass defection gain traction in New Delhi.

The threat of 'Operation Tiger'

The political temperature has soared following murmurs of an "Operation Tiger," a rumored move that could see six out of the nine Shiv Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha MPs switch sides to join the Shinde-led faction. The speculation reached a fever pitch after these six lawmakers were notably absent from a critical parliamentary party meeting in the national capital.

Raut has moved quickly to contain the potential fallout. On Thursday, he confirmed that the party has already initiated formal proceedings against the absentees. "The process for taking action has started," Raut told reporters, noting that show-cause notices have been issued. He remains confident that if the Lok Sabha Speaker adheres strictly to the law and Supreme Court directives, these MPs will face disqualification.

Why it matters

This friction highlights the precarious state of the Shiv Sena (UBT) nearly four years after the 2022 rebellion that toppled the Maha Vikas Aghadi government. For Uddhav Thackeray, this is not merely a parliamentary skirmish; it is an existential threat. If the Shinde camp successfully lures these MPs, it would mark a second major split, effectively stripping the Thackeray faction of its remaining national legislative footprint.

The pattern here is clear: the Shinde faction is systematically attempting to consolidate its claim as the "real" Shiv Sena by eroding the Thackeray camp’s numbers. By framing their actions as a "lion’s" move—implying strength, solitude, and legitimacy—the CM is attempting to project confidence. Conversely, by questioning the loyalty of those jumping ship, the UBT camp is trying to maintain its moral high ground, even as its parliamentary ranks show signs of crumbling.

As the legal battle for party control continues to shadow these political theatrics, the urgency in Uddhav Thackeray’s recent appeal to workers during the foundation day celebrations suggests that the leadership is bracing for a long, grinding war of attrition. Whether the "lions" of the Shinde camp succeed in poaching the remaining MPs or the UBT’s disqualification strategy holds firm, the instability within the party ranks shows no sign of abating.