Mumbai | Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday dared dissident MPs to quit if they want to switch sides, amid heightened speculation of an imminent split within the Uddhav Thackeray led party.

Holding a press conference in New Delhi, Raut said the people of Maharashtra and Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs won't remain quiet if the party split is replicated, a reference to the rebellion in 2022.

Out of the nine Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha members, only three -- Arvind Sawant, Anil Desai and Rajabhau Waje -- attended Raut's press conference.

"Uddhav Thackeray, Sena (UBT) workers toiled hard to ensure the victory of MPs; resign if you want to switch sides," Raut said in a message to rebels.

The Rajya Sabha member, however, maintained that the Sena (UBT) still does not have official information on MPs leaving the party.

He alleged that Maharashtra MPs were being bought for Rs 15 crore. There is no point in contesting elections if parties like the TMC and Shiv Sena (UBT) are split, Raut added.