Speaker Om Birla clears merger of 6 Shiv Sena UBT MPs with Shinde camp
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla approved the merger of six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs with the Eknath Shinde-led faction, increasing its strength in the Lok Sabha to 13. This merger is significant as the BJP seeks a two-thirds majority to pass key legislation, including the women's reservation law and the Delimitation bill. The Shiv Sena now becomes the second largest ally of the BJP in the National Democratic Alliance, following the Telugu Desam Party, which has 16 MPs.