Political splits in India have often been marked by public acrimony, allegations of betrayal and prolonged legal battles. But the latest rebellions involving the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) appear to be unfolding in a noticeably different tone.
In both cases, rebels have largely avoided personal attacks on their party chiefs — Mamata Banerjee and Uddhav Thackeray — while the leaders, too, have refrained from directly targeting those who have broken away.
The contrast is especially stark when compared with Maharashtra’s turbulent political developments in 2022, when the Shiv Sena split triggered fierce accusations, ideological clashes and a battle over the party’s name and symbol.
Om Birla’s Upcoming Key Decision
The latest developments have now reached the Lok Sabha, where Speaker Om Birla is expected to take a decision before the Monsoon Session on matters concerning rebel MPs from the TMC, Shiv Sena and Shiv Sena (UBT), sources said.
Legal and constitutional experts are being consulted within the Lok Sabha Secretariat, according to sources. Birla has held two rounds of meetings each with MPs from the TMC and its rebel faction, as well as Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs and the rebel group.
A decision on the seating arrangement in the Lok Sabha for TMC MPs and the party’s rebel MPs is also expected shortly, sources said.
The Bitter Shiv Sena Split Of 2022
Maharashtra witnessed one of its most dramatic political revolts in June 2022, when MLA Eknath Shinde rebelled against then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
Shinde objected to the Shiv Sena’s alliance with the Congress and Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). He first moved a group of MLAs to Surat and later shifted them to Guwahati.
Within days, Shinde secured the support of 40 Shiv Sena MLAs and 10 independents, leading to the fall of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.
The split was accompanied by sharp accusations on both sides. Uddhav loyalists accused Shinde of betraying Bal Thackeray’s legacy, while the rebel camp said the party under Uddhav had moved away from its Hindutva ideology.
The dispute also triggered legal proceedings over the anti-defection law, which continue even now.
The Election Commission of India later recognised the Shinde faction as the “real” Shiv Sena. Uddhav Thackeray’s faction was subsequently known as Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), or Shiv Sena (UBT).
The Shiv Sena split was followed by another bitter political breakup in the NCP, led by Sharad Pawar, marked by public confrontations and sharp exchanges between the rival camps.
TMC Rebellion Began After West Bengal Defeat
The first signs of the latest TMC crisis emerged after the party’s defeat in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, which ended Mamata Banerjee’s 15-year rule.
The immediate dispute centred on the appointment of the Leader of the Opposition. Mamata Banerjee nominated veteran leader Sovandeb Chattopadhyay for the post. However, newly elected MLAs Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha alleged that signatures on the paper recommending Chattopadhyay’s name had been forged.
The TMC expelled Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha on June 1 for “anti-party activities”. But the move did not end the dispute.
In the following days, 58 of the TMC’s 80 MLAs backed Ritabrata Banerjee and submitted a letter to the Assembly Speaker nominating him as the Leader of the Opposition. The Speaker accepted the claim.
The development marked the first successful challenge to Mamata Banerjee’s authority over the party’s elected representatives since the TMC was founded in 1998.
The revolt reflected frustration among legislators following the electoral defeat, concerns over the functioning of the party leadership and complaints about the lack of internal democracy.
Yet, despite leading the challenge, several rebel legislators continued to say that Mamata Banerjee remained their leader. Ritabrata Banerjee suggested that she should become the legislative party’s “chief advisor”.
The rebellion later spread to Parliament, where a section of TMC MPs extended support to the BJP-led NDA. Even then, the rebels largely avoided personal criticism of Mamata Banerjee.
Mamata Targets BJP, Not Her Party’s Rebels
Mamata Banerjee’s response to the rebellion was also distinct from the language often seen during major party splits.
Instead of directly attacking the dissidents, she accused the BJP of being behind the division.
“I know many will leave for other parties. They may have their own compulsions. Whoever wants to go may go. I do not believe in forcibly holding anyone back,” she said after the election defeat.
As the crisis intensified, her criticism continued to be aimed at the BJP.
“You [the BJP] have split the ruling party [Shiv Sena] in Maharashtra. You are doing the same here,” she alleged at a protest rally.
Mamata Banerjee also accused police and authorities of intimidating TMC legislators.
“The Police are telling TMC MLAs to form a new party. Police are going to the homes of MLAs facing corruption charges and threatening them with federal agency investigations. Is this democracy?” she asked.
The rebels, meanwhile, maintained that their objections concerned the way the party was functioning, rather than Mamata Banerjee personally.
Shiv Sena (UBT) Faces A Second Split
A similar pattern has played out in Maharashtra, where six of Shiv Sena (UBT)’s nine Lok Sabha MPs have merged with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and joined the NDA fold.
The rebel MPs have argued that Uddhav Thackeray’s leadership had moved away from the ideological foundations laid by Bal Thackeray, particularly Hindutva and Marathi identity politics. They have also raised concerns about the party’s growing proximity to the Congress.
However, unlike the sharp exchanges that defined the 2022 revolt, the MPs have largely avoided hostile personal remarks against Uddhav Thackeray.
They have presented their decision as a return to the Shiv Sena’s original political direction rather than a personal rejection of Uddhav Thackeray.
Nagesh Patil Ashtikar, a Shiv Sena (UBT) MP who joined the Shinde-led Shiv Sena, cited development concerns as a key reason for changing sides.
He said that, as an opposition MP, he was unable to secure sufficient funds for his constituency and that development work had stalled. He said it was necessary to align with the ruling side for the benefit of the people.
While stressing that he was moving “from Sena to Sena” and was not abandoning the party’s ideology, the other rebel MPs have largely justified their move on ideological grounds, alleging that the Uddhav faction had drifted away from Bal Thackeray’s principles.
The merger route could also offer a possible shield against anti-defection action, while allowing the MPs to remain within the broader Shiv Sena structure under the recognised party name and symbol controlled by Eknath Shinde.
Uddhav Responds With Emotion, Not Aggression
Uddhav Thackeray’s response has been more emotional than confrontational.
Speaking on Shiv Sena’s 60th foundation day, he offered to step down as party chief if workers no longer had faith in him. He said he had “no lust for leadership” and had spent more than a decade defending the organisation.
Rather than launching an aggressive attack on the rebel MPs, Thackeray apologised to voters who had elected them and said Shiv Sena (UBT) remained committed to Hindutva and Marathi pride.
He rejected allegations that the party was preparing to merge with the Congress and suggested instead that the BJP could eventually absorb the Shinde faction.
Uddhav Thackeray had also said that MPs who wanted to leave were “free to go”.
A More Managed Form Of Defection?
The political impact of the TMC and Shiv Sena (UBT) rebellions could be as serious as earlier party breakups. Both pose a challenge to established regional leaders and could alter the political landscape in West Bengal and Maharashtra.
But the language used by the rebels and their party chiefs has been different.
The rebels have focused their criticism on leadership decisions rather than directly targeting their leaders. Mamata Banerjee and Uddhav Thackeray, meanwhile, have either blamed external forces or avoided a direct confrontation with defectors.
Whether this reflects genuine restraint, political strategy or a more carefully managed form of defection remains unclear.
For now, the latest rebellions in West Bengal and Maharashtra appear less like the bitter political divorces of recent years and more like carefully worded separations, even as their consequences could prove equally significant.
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