India, June 17 -- The Shiv Sena (UBT) led by Uddhav Thackeray is facing a fresh political setback after six of its Lok Sabha MPs reportedly decided to form a separate group and align with the Shiv Sena faction headed by Eknath Shinde.

According to reports, the MPs have submitted a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking recognition as a separate parliamentary group.

The development comes amid growing speculation over "Operation Tiger," an alleged effort to engineer defections from the Thackeray camp.

The six MPs are expected to formally join the Shinde-led Shiv Sena on June 19, a move that could further strengthen the NDA's numbers in the Lok Sabha and weaken the opposition INDIA bloc in Maharashtra.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) le...