Uddhav Thackeray alleges ‘Operation Devendra’ as Fadnavis hits back amid Sena split

A political war of words erupted in Maharashtra between Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis after Thackeray accused the BJP of orchestrating the defection of his faction’s MPs through a move he called “Operation Devendra”.

During a visit to constituencies of six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs who recently joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, Thackeray alleged that the defections were planned to limit Fadnavis’ political rise.

“The MPs were taken away when there were no elections. Why did they not join the BJP? I suspect this is actually ‘Operation Devendra’,” Thackeray said, claiming the move may have been aimed at keeping Fadnavis away from a possible future prime ministerial race.

Responding to the allegations, Fadnavis dismissed the remarks and said no one could “clip his wings” as he had the support of Maharashtra’s people and senior party leaders.

“I am a human being. I don’t have wings, so who can clip them? I have the blessings of Maharashtra’s 14 crore people and my senior leaders,” Fadnavis said.

The remarks followed a viral video showing Thackeray and Fadnavis travelling on the same flight from Mumbai to Nagpur. Thackeray later claimed the chief minister appeared “helpless” and lacked confidence during the journey.

Comparing Fadnavis’ situation to former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Thackeray alleged that leaders who become strong contenders for higher positions within the BJP are sidelined.

Fadnavis responded by saying he was simply watching content on his phone throughout the flight and questioned how Thackeray judged his state of mind.

“Whenever I board a flight, I watch a movie or OTT content downloaded on my phone. That is what I was doing throughout the flight. So, when did he see my helplessness?” he said.

Calling the speculation around the shared flight a “mad market”, Fadnavis said travelling on the same flight was only a coincidence. He also took a swipe at Thackeray, saying he accepted his “good wishes” now, though things might have been different if they had come in 2019.

The latest exchange comes amid continued tensions within the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) following the defection of six MPs to the Shinde faction.