Political tensions between the Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) faction and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena have escalated further, with leaders from both camps trading sharp remarks. On Saturday, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut appeared to target the rival faction through a cryptic social media post.

Raut shared an infographic carrying the message, “Kuch log kuttey toh hoty hain lekin wafadar nahi hoty” (Some people may be dogs, but they are not loyal), and captioned it with “Jai Maharashtra!”. The post came amid an ongoing war of words between the two Sena factions. The development followed Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s remarks during the Shiv Sena’s 60th foundation day event, where he defended his decision to split from Uddhav Thackeray’s leadership. Shinde said that people had supported the move taken by his faction four years ago and took a dig at UBT leaders.

Referring to his critics, Shinde said, “Kutte jhund mein aake bhokte hai, sher akela aata hai” (Dogs bark in groups, while a lion comes alone), further intensifying the political exchange. Raut had announced that show-cause notices were issued to six UBT Sena MPs who were allegedly absent, marking the beginning of a process aimed at seeking their disqualification. He said the party would pursue the matter and claimed that action would follow if legal procedures and Supreme Court guidelines were followed.

The controversy gained momentum after Shiv Sena MLC Chandrakant Raghuvanshi claimed that six UBT Sena MPs had expressed support for Shinde and joined his faction, leading to speculation about a possible fresh split within the party. Amid the growing political turmoil, Uddhav Thackeray rejected allegations against him and said he would resign if they were proven true. However, he asserted that he would not allow the Shiv Sena to be handed over to “any thief.” Addressing party workers, Thackeray also criticized the BJP and Shinde-led faction, denied reports of a merger with the Congress, and accused the BJP of weakening democratic values through its political approach.