Maharashtra’s political turmoil follows a historical playbook of defections. The 2022 uprising by Eknath Shinde and the recent 2026 threats of Parliament members abandoning Uddhav Thackeray mirror past fractures. Like Sharad Pawar’s rebellion against Indira Gandhi’s Congress, this cycle features revolving allegiances, legislative splits, and fights for party symbols.
The foundational schism in state politics occurred when the Congress Party split. Pawar sided with Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as a young rebel, a move that established a lasting culture of defection and opportunistic re-alignment in Maharashtra.
Prior to the Shinde split, the Shiv Sena repeatedly faced internal turbulence, including the exits of Chhagan Bhujbal, Narayan Rane, and Raj Thackeray, who formed his own outfit.
The 2022 Maharashtra political crisis saw Eknath Shinde break away from Uddhav Thackeray’s government with a majority of MLAs, ultimately claiming the original party name and symbol.Current Upheaval: Reports suggest the crisis has shifted to Parliament, with a large number of the Shiv Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha MPs reportedly preparing to join the ruling faction. For breaking news and ongoing developments, follow the coverage on NDTV Politics.
The underlying tensions have been heavily influenced by the NCP’s structural realignments and the shifting power dynamics between these regional factions and national coalitions.
News Edit KV Raman
