What Sunetra Pawar brother’s acquittal in murder case means for Uddhav Sena split

As the Shiv Sena (UBT) battles a rebellion by six of its nine Lok Sabha MPs, a court verdict delivered on Saturday has removed a key uncertainty surrounding one of the rebel camp’s most prominent faces.The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Court’s acquittal of former minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Padamsinh Patil, who is also Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar’s brother, and seven others in the 2006 murder of Congress leader Pawanraje Nimbalkar came hours after his son and Dharashiv MP Omraje Nimbalkar, who is among the MPs expected to quit the Shiv Sena (UBT) to join the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, had linked his political future to the outcome of the case.For weeks, Nimbalkar had maintained that he would take a final decision only after the verdict in the case involving his father’s murder. With the judgment now delivered, attention has shifted back to whether he and the other rebel MPs will formally break ranks with the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena. Who is Omraje Nimbalkar? A two-time MP from Dharashiv and one of the Shiv Sena’s prominent leaders in Marathwada, Omraje Nimbalkar entered politics after the murder of his father, Congress leader Pawanraje Nimbalkar, in 2006. Pawanraje’s killing, which investigators linked to a bitter political rivalry in Osmanabad, now known as Dharashiv, reshaped local politics and generated a wave of sympathy that helped propel Omraje into public life. At 26, he was elected MLA from Osmanabad on a Shiv Sena ticket in 2009. Over the years, the pursuit of justice in the murder case became closely intertwined with Nimbalkar’s political journey. Investigators alleged that the rivalry centred on former NCP strongman Padamsinh Patil, Pawanraje’s cousin and one of the district’s most influential political figures. The CBI had alleged that Patil viewed Pawanraje’s growing influence as a challenge to his political dominance. Patil was acquitted along with the other accused on Saturday. He is the brother of NCP chief Sunetra Pawar, while his son Rana Jagjitsinh Patil is a BJP MLA. Reasons for Nimbalkar’s rebellion As speculation over the Sena (UBT) split intensified, Nimbalkar argued his decision was driven by the realities of constituency politics rather than personal ambition. “After the verdict in the murder case of my father, Pawanraje Nimbalkar, is delivered, I will return to Dharashiv, discuss the matter with party workers and then make a final decision,” he had said. Explaining his position, Nimbalkar said: “The other side has power and money. I have only loyalty. But if, despite that loyalty, I am unable to get people’s work done, then how do I face them? How long can I continue going around empty handed? I had no other option.” Contrasting the Mahayuti alliance with the Thackeray camp, he said: “There is a huge difference between the two. Even after getting so many MLAs elected, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde are not sitting idle. They worked extensively during local body elections and are now actively campaigning for the Legislative Council elections as well.” Referring to Uddhav Thackeray’s health, he added: “I can understand that Uddhav Thackeray cannot travel extensively because of his health. But at least Aaditya Thackeray should have travelled more. He should have given strength to party workers. Unfortunately, that did not happen.” Responding to allegations that financial inducements were behind the rebellion, Nimbalkar said: “The talk that I accepted money is false and baseless. For me, power and money have always been secondary. This decision is not about money. It is about development works in my constituency and meeting the expectations of my voters.” Uddhav’s counterattack At the party’s diamond jubilee celebrations on its foundation day Friday, Uddhav Thackeray singled out Nimbalkar while rejecting criticism that the party leadership had become inaccessible. “They say I was not meeting people. If I was not meeting anyo