Mumbai was politically charged on Friday as both factions of Shiv Sena marked the party's 60th foundation day with separate rallies — and Uddhav Thackeray used the occasion to address the most serious internal crisis his group has faced since the 2022 split that cost him the Maharashtra government.

Speaking at Shanmukhananda Hall in Sion, Uddhav struck a combative tone. "If you do not trust or believe in me, I am ready to step down as party chief," he told party workers, even as he sought to project confidence. He insisted Shiv Sainiks were not disheartened by the rebellion of six MPs and remained full of enthusiasm. In a pointed remark that drew attention, he said Congress — his current alliance partner — had never tried to destroy Shiv Sena, unlike the BJP. He also warned that the country was drifting toward a "one party, no elections" system, calling it a threat to democracy.

Across the city, Eknath Shinde's faction held its rally at NESCO Center in Goregaon, with large hoardings of Balasaheb Thackeray, Anand Dighe, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Shinde himself lining the approach roads. The central question hanging over the Shinde event was whether the six rebel MPs would make a public appearance there — sources within the ruling camp suggested they might attend, though no official confirmation had come through by Friday morning.

The rebellion had been building through the week. On June 15, reports of an "Operation Tiger" — an alleged effort to peel away Uddhav's MPs — began circulating, with the Uddhav faction initially dismissing them. By June 16, the MPs had reportedly been brought to Delhi. Sanjay Raut alleged that inducements of up to Rs 50 crore had been offered to MPs to switch sides. On June 17, Shinde faction leaders claimed six MPs had agreed to form a separate group, prompting Raut, Anil Desai and Arvind Sawant to rush to meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. The rebels then formally skipped the parliamentary party meeting on June 18 and submitted a letter to the Speaker explaining their position.

In that letter, the six MPs alleged that senior leaders in the Uddhav camp were working toward merging Shiv Sena (UBT) with Congress, and that the party had strayed from its foundational ideology. Senior Sena leader Chandrakant Khaire described the episode as part of the ongoing Operation Tiger exercise in Maharashtra.

The arithmetic matters here. Shiv Sena (UBT) has nine Lok Sabha MPs. Six of them breaking away crosses the two-thirds threshold stipulated under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution — the provision that governs disqualification for defection. Legal experts note this could shield the rebels from immediate disqualification and bolster their claim to recognition as a separate group, though they may eventually need to merge with a recognised political party to consolidate their standing.

This is the second major fracture in Shiv Sena in under four years. In June 2022, Eknath Shinde's rebellion involving 39 MLAs brought down Uddhav's government. The Election Commission subsequently recognised the Shinde faction as the official Shiv Sena and awarded it the party's bow-and-arrow symbol. The current parliamentary revolt threatens to further erode what remains of Uddhav's political organisation.

Further developments are expected as the foundation day events conclude and the rebels' next move becomes clearer.