Amid intense speculation over a possible split in the Shiv Sena (UBT)’s parliamentary ranks, party Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday alleged that attempts were being made to poach MPs from Maharashtra by offering them Rs 50 crore each.

Raut made the claim at a press conference in New Delhi, where senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders, including Lok Sabha floor leader Arvind Sawant, chief whip Anil Desai and Nashik MP Rajabhau Waje, sought to dismiss reports of an impending rebellion within the party.

The developments come amid reports that four Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs have reached Delhi and may meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. Political circles are abuzz with speculation that a group of MPs could seek recognition as a separate faction by submitting a letter of support from six MPs.

Addressing the media, Raut sought to downplay reports of what has been dubbed “Operation Tiger”, an alleged attempt to engineer defections from the Uddhav Thackeray-led party.

“Today, Shiv Sena’s parliamentary party leader Arvind Sawant, chief whip Anil Desai and Nashik MP Rajabhau Waje are with me. Since yesterday, reports and rumours have been circulating that an ‘Operation Tiger’ is underway in Delhi. But breaking the Shiv Sena (UBT) is not so easy. In fact, those spreading these rumours have themselves admitted that we are still ‘tigers’. We have not received any official information about such developments. We are hearing and seeing all this through the media,” Raut said.

The Rajya Sabha MP, however, went on to make a sensational allegation about attempts to lure MPs.

“Last night, between 10.30 pm and 11 pm, a very important person informed me that MPs from Maharashtra were being purchased. He used the words ‘being purchased’. He did not name any party and neither will I. When I asked what the rate was, he said it was the same as before — Rs 50 crore. He told me that Rs 15 crore would be delivered to everyone by tonight, and only then would they come to Delhi. Otherwise, they are not even ready to board a flight,” Raut claimed.

He did not provide any evidence to support the allegation.

The remarks come as the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction faces fresh uncertainty over its parliamentary strength. The party currently has nine Lok Sabha MPs, and any defection by two-thirds of them could have significant implications for the faction’s position in Parliament.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) leadership has so far maintained that no MP has informed the party about leaving and has dismissed reports of a split as politically motivated speculation.

The alleged poaching attempts and reports of meetings in Delhi have nevertheless triggered fresh concerns within the party, which is still recovering from the 2022 rebellion led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde that split the Shiv Sena and led to the fall of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government.