NAVI MUMBAI, June 28 -- Industries minister Uday Samant on Saturday dismissed suggestions that the BJP was engineering defections from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), claiming that leaders and workers were joining the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena voluntarily. "We do not have to carry out any Operation Tiger; people from UBT automatically join us," Samant told reporters. Operation Tiger is the BJP's name for the mission to lure members of rival parties, and was recently used by deputy CM Eknath Shinde and CM Devendra Fadnavis in connection with the successful defection of six Sena (UBT) MPs to the BJP. Samant, however, attributed the continuing defections to discontent within the UBT camp. "Party workers have been alienated over the past few years," he said. "There was no dialogue with many people and there was no natural political alliance, which is why they rebelled. But instead of introspection, there is constant criticism of us and of Eknath Shinde." The minister claimed that despite this criticism, the Shinde-led Sena had emerged as Maharashtra's second-largest political force after the BJP. Reacting to Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut's combative comments, Samant said that such statements no longer had any political impact. "Every day, we hear this kind of rhetoric," he said. "But there is no one left to listen to it now. The voters have given us a mandate." Responding to speculation of political developments after CM Devendra Fadnavis and Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray travelled on the same flight to Nagpur on Saturday, Samant said political interpretations were uncalled for. "There is a tradition in Maharashtra to take along the opposition as well," he said....