India, June 18 -- Fresh political speculation erupted in Maharashtra on Thursday after Shiv Sena MLC Chandrakant Raghuvanshi claimed that six Members of Parliament from the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) faction had shifted their support to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

The claim has reignited discussions around the much-talked-about 'Operation Tiger', a term being used in political circles to describe a possible migration of leaders from the Uddhav Thackeray-led camp to the Shinde faction. If the claims are substantiated, the development could trigger another phase of political realignment within the party that split in 2022.

Speaking to reporters in Dhule, Raghuvanshi welcomed the alleged move and said the M...