India, June 17 -- As speculation mounts over a possible split in the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Lok Sabha unit, senior party leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday alleged that some MPs were being lured with massive financial inducements to switch sides.

"I got a call from an important person. He told me the MPs have been promised Rs.50 crore with Rs.15 crore as an advance. MPs are being bought in Maharashtra," alleged Sena UBT MP Sanjay Raut during a press conference with party leaders Arvind Sawant, Anil Desai and Rajabhau Waje.

Arvind Sawant, Anil Desai and Rajabhau Waje are reportedly the only three of the nine Sena-UBT MPs backing Uddhav Thackeray.

Sena (UBT) parliamentary party leader Arvind Sawant has issued a whip directin...