The Shiv Sena (UBT) MP from Dharashiv, Omraje Nimbalkar, on Sunday evening confirmed that he was joining the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, paving the way for the anticipated split in Uddhav Thackeray’s party.

Even before Nimbalkar’s formal announcement, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Shinde had signalled the success of what was widely being dubbed “Operation Tiger” to engineer defections from the Sena (UBT).

“We do not leave any operation incomplete. You will soon get breaking news,” Shinde told reporters in response to a question while addressing the media ahead of the monsoon session of the Assembly beginning on Monday.

Seated beside him, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis remarked with a smile: “The operation is complete, and the patient is fully healthy.”

Shortly after Shinde and Fadnavis’s remarks, reports from Dharashiv claimed Nimbalkar, after consultations with his supporters, has decided to align with Shinde.

“I have taken my decision. I am joining the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena,” Nimbalkar told supporters in Dharashiv.

His announcement is expected to clear the way for six of the nine Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha members to switch to the rival faction led by Shinde.

Nimbalkar’s support was considered crucial, particularly after he appeared hesitant following Saturday’s court verdict in the murder case of his father, a former politician. If he had backpedalled, the two-thirds number (six in this case) required for a formal split wouldn’t have been possible.

If the defections are formalised, as now appears likely, the Lok Sabha strength of the Shinde-led Sena will rise to 13 members, overtaking key BJP ally JDU, which has 12 members. The Shinde party can also demand more ministerial berths in the Modi government.

The expanded strength will also put Shinde’s Sena on a par with the Congress in Maharashtra, which won 13 Lok Sabha seats in the 2024 general election. The BJP, which secured nine seats, will slip to the third position in terms of representation in the Lower House from Maharashtra — a development that may not sit comfortably with a party that has long sought to establish itself as the state’s dominant political force.

Earlier in the day, Nimbalkar held a series of meetings with supporters in his constituency to finalise his political course. He arrived at his Dharashiv residence from Pune in the afternoon under Y-plus security cover.

Rejecting suggestions that he had acted under pressure, Nimbalkar said the decision was neither financially motivated nor driven by fear of central agencies.

“I am not joining for money. I have no fear of the Enforcement Directorate. I have my own business,” he said, adding that his decision was driven by the need to get justice for the murder of his father and Congress leader, Pawanraje Nimbalkar, and securing funds for his constituency.

Shinde had on Saturday claimed that the CBI would appeal against the verdict in the murder case, claiming that he had raised the matter with Union home minister Amit Shah.

Ahead of Nimbalkar’s confirmation, Hingoli MP Nagesh Patil Ashtikar, one of the six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs believed to have sought a merger with Shinde’s Sena, publicly confirmed his defection, citing a lack of development funds and the constraints of remaining in the Opposition.

In a video posted on social media, Ashtikar said his decision was guided by the need to secure development projects for his constituency.

“The work of party workers is not getting done because we are not on the side of power. People elected us with great expectations, and it is my responsibility to fulfil them. But I was not getting development funds. The ₹5-crore MPLADS allocation is very limited. Considering all these factors, I took this decision,” he said in Marathi.

“We need funds, and I have taken this step to continue working for the people. I was left with no option,” he added.

Ashtikar claimed that neither he nor his colleagues had decided to switch sides until June 18. According to him, remarks made by the party leadership thereafter pushed them towards defection.

“Some other MPs and I had not taken any decision until June 18. We had not gone anywhere. But certain remarks made against us since then convinced us that there was no point in staying here,” he said in an apparent reference to Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, who had described the rebel MPs as “traitors”.

Uddhav on Sunday asserted that the group led by him is the only Shiv Sena, hitting back at Shah over his remark that the only Shiv Sena is the one headed by Shinde.

“The Shiv Sena headed by me is the only Shiv Sena,” Uddhav told his party workers.