NEW DELHI: In a major setback for Uddhav Thackeray, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Saturday formally recognised the change in party affiliation of six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs who have joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, according to an official communication issued by the Lok Sabha secretariat.The decision formally updates the party position in the 18th Lok Sabha to reflect the six MPs’ switch to the Shinde-led faction.In a communication dated July 18, the Lok Sabha Secretariat said, “Consequent upon the change in party affiliation of 6 Members of Shiv Sena (UBT) in Lok Sabha, the revised Party Position in Eighteenth Lok Sabha, as on 18.07.2026 is enclosed.” It added that the revised party position had been circulated to all concerned branches for information.The developments come amid wider political realignments in Parliament. The NDA, led by the BJP, currently has 292 members in the Lok Sabha. Earlier projections had suggested that if both the Shiv Sena and TMC merger requests were recognised, the alliance’s strength could rise further.The Speaker is also expected to decide on the DMK’s demand for separate seating from the Congress following the parties’ political fallout in Tamil Nadu after the assembly elections.The merger claims have also fuelled speculation over whether the Centre could revive the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, which proposes increasing the strength of the Lok Sabha to up to 850 seats and facilitating the implementation of the Women’s Reservation Act. However, no decision has been announced on the proposal.
