Operation Tiger Tests Anti-Defection Law Amid Shiv Sena-UBT Political Crisis

Hindustan Times - India · 18 Jun 2026 · 2 min read
Prelims · Polity Mains · GS2 Polity and constitution High relevance

Shiv Sena (Shinde) faction allegedly attempts to poach six MPs from Shiv Sena (UBT) under 'Operation Tiger', threatening Maharashtra's political stability and testing the Tenth Schedule's anti-defection provisions.

Key points

Operation Tiger refers to the alleged poaching of six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs by the Eknath Shinde faction, leveraging the tiger symbol of the undivided Shiv Sena founded by Bal Thackeray.

Under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, at least six of Shiv Sena (UBT)'s nine Lok Sabha MPs must defect together (two-thirds majority) to avoid disqualification, making this a critical test case for anti-defection law enforcement.

[GS2-Polity] This connects to GS2's 'Parliament and State Legislatures' syllabus by highlighting real-time challenges in implementing constitutional safeguards against political defections.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut accused rebel MPs of being lured with ₹50 crore offers, exposing the financial dimensions of political horse-trading that undermine democratic integrity.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla's role becomes pivotal as he must adjudicate any formal merger request under Paragraph 4 of the Tenth Schedule, setting a precedent for future cases.

[GS3-Economy] The alleged ₹50 crore inducement reveals how unaccounted money flows distort political processes, linking to GS3's 'Money Laundering' and 'Electoral Reforms' topics.

The BJP publicly distanced itself from Operation Tiger, reflecting the sensitivity of coalition dynamics in Maharashtra where it governs with Shinde's faction.

One MP's denial (Sanjay Patil) has disrupted the rebellion's arithmetic, demonstrating how individual decisions can alter anti-defection law outcomes.

Way Forward: Strengthen the Election Commission's powers to verify party mergers, impose mandatory cooling-off periods for defecting legislators, and fast-track judicial disposal of anti-defection cases to restore public trust in representative democracy.

Key terms

Operation Tiger

A political operation allegedly orchestrated by Shiv Sena (Shinde) to poach MPs from Shiv Sena (UBT), named after the undivided Shiv Sena's tiger symbol. For UPSC, this exemplifies real-world challenges to the anti-defection framework and the monetization of political loyalty in India's democracy.

Shiv Sena (UBT)

The Uddhav Thackeray-led faction of Shiv Sena, recognized as the original party by the Election Commission after the 2022 split. Its current crisis tests constitutional mechanisms for party splits under the Symbols Order and anti-defection law, making it crucial for GS2's 'Political Parties' syllabus.

Lok Sabha Speaker's Role

The Speaker acts as quasi-judicial authority under the Tenth Schedule to decide disqualification petitions. This case highlights the office's constitutional significance in upholding legislative integrity, a recurring theme in GS2's 'Parliamentary Functioning' topics.

Tenth Schedule

The Tenth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, added by the 52nd Amendment Act (1985), contains anti-defection laws to prevent political defections. It mandates disqualification of legislators who voluntarily give up party membership or violate party whip, except when two-thirds of a party's members merge with another group. UPSC relevance lies in its role in maintaining legislative stability and ongoing debates about its effectiveness.