Lok Sabha Speaker approves merger of six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs with Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. File | Photo credit: PTI

Ahead of the monsoon session of Parliament, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla approved the merger of six Shiv Sena MPs (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray or UBT) into the Shiv Sena under the leadership of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The Shiv Sena (UBT) will now have only three MPs in the Lok Sabha.

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The Lok Sabha Secretariat on Saturday (July 18, 2026) released a circular with the Shiv Sena’s revised stand in the Lok Sabha. The Shiv Sena with leader Shrikant Eknath Shinde has 13 MPs, the circular said, indicating that the Speaker of the Lok Sabha has approved the merger of six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs with the Shiv Sena, as the faction led by Mr Eknath Shinde is called.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MLAs — Nagesh Patil Ashtikar, Sanjay Deshmukh, Sanjay Dina Patil, Bhauaheb Wakchoure, Omraje Nimbalkar and Sanjay Bandu Jadhav — have sought a merger with the Shiv Sena led by the Deputy CM of Maharashtra. The merger request was discussed with Mr. Birla, and by issuing a circular on the party’s position, the chairman apparently approved the merger.

The Speaker also approved the request of 20 Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs to sit separately during the session. Meanwhile, the Union government has invited rebel TMC leaders – Sudip Bandopadhyay and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar – for a leaders’ meeting on Sunday (July 19, 2026).

After a split in the Trinamool Congress, 20 MPs announced that they had joined the little-known National Civic Party of India (NCPI). In a letter to Mr. Bandopadhyay, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said he had requested the Speaker to recognize the NCPI, which he was considering.

Mr. Rijiju also wrote to Mr. Bandopadhyay and Ms. Dastidar. “It is my pleasure to invite you to a meeting of the top leaders of political parties in the Lok Sabha/Rajya Sabha to discuss important issues and legislative matters likely to come before the Houses in the ensuing monsoon session of Parliament. I would seek your cooperation to ensure smooth functioning of both the Houses of Parliament,” Mr. Rijiju said in his letter to Mr. Bandopadhyay. “I will look forward to your participation and request you along with Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, your party’s nominated chief whip, to kindly facilitate the meeting,” the letter added.

The Monsoon Session of Parliament begins on Monday (July 20, 2026) and is scheduled to continue till August 13. The government has listed seven bills to be discussed during the session, including the Prevention of Insults to National Honor (Amendment) Bill 2026, which seeks to overturn the 1971 Act to make Matde chanting or the singing of national songs an intentional insult, punishing the national song, vanara, insult. offense; the Births and Deaths Registration (Amendment) Bill, which proposes stricter rules for late registration; The Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhikaran Bill and the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill are also brought up for consideration and approval.

Published – 18 Jul 2026 22:55 IST