Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray met Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday, just a day after Fadnavis jokingly invited his former ally to join the ruling alliance.
Thackeray was accompanied by his son and former minister Aaditya Thackeray. The meeting took place in the chamber of Legislative Council Chairperson Ram Shinde and lasted for around 30 minutes, according to PTI. However, neither party disclosed the reason or details of their conversation, fueling speculation in the already volatile political landscape of Maharashtra.
This development comes a day after Fadnavis made a tongue-in-cheek remark during a farewell event for Opposition leader Ambadas Danve in the Legislative Council. Speaking directly to Uddhav Thackeray, Fadnavis said:
“Uddhav ji, there is no scope (for a change in government) till 2029. We do not have the scope to come to the other (opposition’s) side. You have the scope to come here, and it can be thought about. We can think about it differently.”
The statement was followed by laughter, but political observers haven’t taken it lightly—especially amid ongoing shifts in alliances and postures in Maharashtra.
Background:
The Shiv Sena split in 2022, when Uddhav Thackeray’s former aide Eknath Shinde led a large faction to form a new government with the BJP, calling them a “natural Hindutva ally.” Since then, Thackeray has led the Shiv Sena (UBT) in opposition.
The 2019 split with the BJP, after a dispute over rotational Chief Ministership, had ended decades of alliance between the two parties. However, the recent rapprochement between Uddhav and his cousin Raj Thackeray, leader of the MNS, and the fresh dialogue with BJP leaders are being seen as significant political signals ahead of key municipal polls in Mumbai and the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections.