
Thackeray-Fadnavis reunion on cards? Aaditya's meet with Maharashtra CM sparks speculation
Aaditya Thackeray reached the Sofitel hotel in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) on Saturday evening around 6 pm. Shortly after, Fadnavis arrived at the hotel, where the two leaders held a closed-door meeting, party insiders told Hindustan Times.
However, the chief minister's office (CMO) said though Fadnavis was at the hotel on Saturday but he did not meet Aaditya.
'The two leaders were there for separate programmes and did not have any meeting,' an official from the Maharashtra CMO said.
Also Read: Language and power of identity politics in Maharashtra
Maharashtra CM Fadnavis is in alliance with Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar's NCP. Manwhile, Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT) is in the opposition Maha Vikas Agadhi (MVA), which includes Sharad Pawar's NCP and Congress.
Aaditya's meeting with Fadnavis comes days after Uddhav Thackeray and son Aadtiya Thackeray, met with the Maharashtra CM at the office of Legislative Council Chairman Ram Shinde.
Saturday evening's meeting 'cannot be a coincidence', multiple leaders of Shiv Sena (UBT) and BJP told HT on the condition of anonymity.
The meeting between the BJP and Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders have led to speculations of a possible alliance between the former partners. The development has also evoked reactions from the parties of the rival blocs.
Reunion possible? Rival bloc leaders react
Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) (NCP-SP) leader Prashant Jagtap said a BJP-Shiv Sena (UBT)'s unification will be of 'no surprise' as similar developments have been happening in the state since 2019.
"Anything can happen in Maharashtra. We've already witnessed several unexpected developments after 2019. If they decide to reunite, it won't be shocking for the people of Maharashtra."
Also Read: Raj Thackeray's 'duba, duba ke' dare to BJP MP amid Marathi row sparks political storm in Maharashtra
However, Jagtap added that he hopes the Shiv Sena (UBT) faction stays with the Maha Vikas Agadhi and doing so otherwise would be a betrayal to the people.
"I truly hope Shiv Sena (UBT) does not join hands with BJP again. The voters backed MVA for its ideology and progressive stance. Reuniting with BJP would be a betrayal of that mandate," he added.
'Scope to come to our side'
During the farewell to Leader of the Opposition in Legislative Council Ambadas Danve earlier this week, Fadnavis indulged in a light-hearted banter with Uddhav Thackeray and invited him to "join the ruling side."
"At least till 2029, there is no scope for us to come there (opposition). Uddhav Ji can think about the scope of coming to this side (ruling party) and that can be thought about in a different way, but there is absolutely no scope left for us to come," Fadnavis said.
The opposition MVA alliance had a dismal performance in the 2024 assembly election, winning only 46 seats.
Shiv Sena (UBT) is the largest party in the MVA alliance with just 20 seats. The Mahayuti alliance, comprising of BJP, NCP (Ajit Pawar) and Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde), had swept the assembly polls by winning a total of 230 out of 288 seats.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
20 minutes ago
- Time of India
'No current plans': Centre on plans to remove 'socialism', 'secularism' from Preamble; 'no formal decision made'
N EW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government on Thursday said that it had "no current plans" to remove the words 'socialism' and 'secularism' from the Preamble. Noting the recent calls to review the insertion of the two words in the Preamble during Emergency period, Centre said that "no formal decision or proposal has been announced by the government." "The government's official stand is that there is no current plan or intention to reconsider or remove the words 'socialism' and 'secularism' from the Preamble of the Constitution. Any discussions regarding amendments to the Preamble would require thorough deliberation and broad consensus, but as of now, the government has not initiated any formal process to change these provisions," Union law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal told Rajya Sabha in a written reply. Commenting on the discourse stirred by some social organisations, Meghwal said that certain groups might be voicing their opinions or calling for a re-evaluation of specific terms. "Such activities can create a public discourse or atmosphere around the issue, but this does not necessarily reflect the official stance or actions of the government," he said. RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale, last month, triggered a political uproar, after he called for a national debate on retaining the terms "secular" and "socialist" in the Preamble. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Libas Purple Days Sale Libas Undo Then Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar weighed in, asserting that the Preamble was sacrosanct and 'not changeable.' He went a step further, calling the addition of those words a 'sacrilege to the spirit of Sanatan.' Hosabale's comment triggered backlash from leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, who said that "RSS-BJP doesn't want the Constitution; they want 'Manusmriti'". "The Constitution irks them because it speaks of equality, secularism, and justice. The RSS-BJP doesn't want the Constitution; they want 'Manusmriti'. They aim to strip the marginalized and the poor of their rights and enslave them again. Snatching a powerful weapon like the Constitution from them is their real agenda," Gandhi had said.


NDTV
38 minutes ago
- NDTV
"Ravi Kishan Built House On Drain": Yogi Adityanath's Swipe At BJP MP
New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath pulled the leg of actor and BJP MP Ravi Kishan over building a house on top of a drain in Gorakhpur. The comment made at an event where Mr Kishan was also present drew laughter from the audience. Yogi Adityanath congratulated the Gorakhpur Municipal Corporation for its impressive performance in the Swachh Survekshan Awards where it came in the list of top 10 cities. GVMC Visakhapatnam, Jabalpur, and Gorakhpur were declared 'Best SaifaiMitra Surakshit Shehar' for their outstanding commitment to the safety and dignity of sanitation workers in the Swachh Survekshan awards. The chief minister while explaining the contribution of the municipal agency and residents of Gorakhpur in keeping the city clean said, "I appreciate the whole team of the municipal corporation, which has sanitation workers, councillors, and cleanliness committees," he added. On widening roads and drains, Yogi Adityanath said it is sometimes not easy as there are encroachments. "Some people encroach upon drains. Ravi Kishan ji also built a house on top of a drain in Ramgarh Tal area. I told him not to build a house there. It will lead to inconvenience to the public. You can build the house some distance away from the drain. It will help in smooth flow of sewage," the chief minister said, drawing a laugh from the audience. The chief minister also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of projects worth Rs 253 crore in Gorakhpur. He inaugurated the state's first urban flood management cell and early warning system. Others who attended the event included Gorakhnath temple head priest Yogi Kamalnath, mayor Manglesh Shrivastava, MLA Vipin Singh, MLC Dharmendra Singh, and other dignitaries.


New Indian Express
39 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
BJP leader Mithun refutes Mamata's claim on harassment of Bengali-speaking migrant workers
KOLKATA: Actor and BJP National Executive member Mithun Chakraborty on Thursday refuted West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's allegation that Bengali-speaking migrant workers were being harassed and tortured in various BJP-ruled states. After attending an organizational meeting of the BJP in Kolkata, he said, 'These are all lies. I opened a hotel in Bengaluru where most of the workers were Bengali migrants. There were no Bangladeshis. But if someone is Bangladeshi, he will obviously be identified as Bangladeshi.' He was replying to a question of Banerjee's allegation over attack on Bengali-speaking people form West Bengal in various BJP-ruled states.