Latest news with #Uddhav
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
All parties working for Marathi, Mumbai and Maharashtra should unite: Aaditya
MUMBAI: After Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray added fuel to the growing speculation of a potential reunion with his estranged cousin Raj Thackeray, ahead of local body elections in the state, party leader and MLA Aaditya Thackeray has the rumour mill working overtime. After a function to felicitate students who had cleared the Class X 10 and 12 exams, Aaditya said it was time for all parties working for Maharashtra to join hands. 'Adani and BJP are tightening their grip on Mumbai and Maharashtra, and it needs to be stopped. All parties working for Marathi, Mumbai and Maharashtra should come together,' he said at a function organised by Bandra East MLA Varun Sardesai on Sunday. On Friday, Aaditya's father Uddhav had alluded to speculation about a reconciliation between Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT), saying, 'What Maharashtra wants will happen.' Now, Sena (UBT) leader Chandrakant Khaire said relatives of the Thackeray cousins are in back-door discussions. 'Relatives of both cousins are in discussions, and party workers from both parties are expressing the need for a reunion,' said Khaire. There has been talk of a potential patch-up between the Thackerays since April. After a month's silence, Uddhav on Friday indicated that the MNS and Sena (UBT) may indeed join forces for the upcoming elections. Meanwhile, on Sunday Uddhav held a meeting of leaders to review the situation on ground. He asked party leaders to take programmes to voters and citizens, and organise functions. 'Our party workers and leaders should be seen on ground contacting people, raising their voice on their issues,' he said. It was against this backdrop that Khaire on Sunday indicated that relatives of the Thackerays were trying to broker a patch-up. 'The people of Maharashtra want to see both cousins working together. Everyone who has known Chandumama Vaidya (the Thackerays' uncle) for years wants this to happen. He along with other relatives are in the process of back-door discussions on a possible alliance of the two cousins,' said Khaire. He said party workers from both political parties have been pressuring their respective leaders to reunite. 'Due to the politics of defection by BJP and Shiv Sena led by deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, party workers of Sena (UBT) and MNS were upset. But the possibility of a reunion of the Thackerays has created hope for them. They feel that once the cousins unite, it would be a setback for the BJP and Shinde,' said Khaire. Another leader said that along with Chandumama Vaidya, another person involved in the back-door discussions was Shridhar Patankar, brother of Rashmi Thackeray, Uddhav's wife. Anil Parab, close aide of Uddhav, is also playing a role as he plays a key role in the BMC elections.
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Saamna hints at Thackeray cousins getting together for municipal polls
MUMBAI: A day after Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray declared that whatever the people of Maharashtra wanted would happen, fuelling speculation about the estranged Thackeray cousins coming together, the Sena (UBT) mouthpiece Saamna published an old picture of him with Raj Thackeray on its front page. Meanwhile, Raj held another meeting of leaders of his party, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), on Saturday, reportedly seeking to gauge the mood among his workers as well as the people on the issue. After Raj, who parted ways with the undivided Shiv Sena in 2006, said in a podcast in April that he would set aside his differences with cousin Uddhav in the interest of Maharashtra, and Uddhav echoed similar sentiments, there has been rising pressure from the workers of both parties for their leaders to join hands. Uddhav on Friday said that the wish of the people of Maharashtra would be fulfilled. He also said that instead of giving any message to party workers, he would give the news to them directly. The statement was highlighted with a picture of the two cousins together in Saamna on Saturday, saying that Uddhav had been hinting about the reconciliation. This is seen as yet another indication that the Sena (UBT) is seeking a reunion. 'Leaders from both sides have been deliberating on the possibilities of coming together, as it is seen as the need of the hour for both parties,' said a Sena leader. 'Both are going through troubled phases and it is a battle for survival for them.' Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former MP Chandrakant Khaire claimed that the issue was discussed in a meeting at Thackeray's residence Matoshree a month ago. 'Uddhavji was favourably inclined towards joining hands with Raj Thackeray, and the responsibility of talks was given to Anil Parab,' he said on Saturday. The MNS too is believed to be holding meetings of its senior leaders. In one such meeting on Saturday, the issue was reportedly discussed. However, senior party leader Bala Nandgaonkar, who was part of the meeting, chose to remain silent on it. 'The decision (about joining hands with the Sena-UBT) will be taken by our top leader (Raj) and it would not be proper for me to speak about it,' he said after the meeting. Shinde Sena leader Gajanan Kirtikar surprised many in political circles by saying that even the Shinde-led Sena should join hands with the two Thackerays. 'The revival of the Thackeray brand is the need of the hour and is the sentiment among the people of Maharashtra,' he said. 'It will be a people-friendly alliance. The Shinde-led Sena should join them to revive the Shiv Sena.' Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde said it would be premature to react to the potential alliance. 'It would not be fair for me to react to what Raj Thackeray has said and how Uddhav Thackeray has reacted,' said Fadnavis. 'More than the two cousins, the media is excited about the reconciliation. I will react when it actually happens.' Shinde echoed Fadnavis' remarks. 'Everybody has the right to decide whom to go with,' he said. 'There is no point in reacting to possibilities based on ifs and buts.' As positive reactions have started emerging from the two parties over the Thackeray cousins joining hands, the ruling and opposition combines have begun assessing the repercussions. The BJP leadership, while admitting that it would hamper its prospects in the urban parts of the state, claimed that it would damage the Shinde-led Shiv Sena more. The ruling alliance is wary of the consolidation of Marathi votes in urban areas, especially in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region which houses nine municipal corporations due for elections. The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) expects to benefit from the two cousins joining hands. 'Raj draws crowds to his rallies but Uddhav translates the crowds into voters,' NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar remarked on Saturday while talking informally to the media. 'The MVA has a fair opportunity of benefitting from potential clashes among the ruling parties over seat-sharing in the forthcoming elections.'
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Tension at Durgadi Fort as rival Shiv Sena factions clash during Id-ul-Azha prayers
Tensions escalated in Maharashtra's Thane district on Saturday (June 7, 2025) after members of both the Eknath Shinde-led and Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray-led factions of the Shiv Sena attempted to reach Durgadi Fort while Id-ul-Azha prayers were being offered at its foothill. According to police officials, protestors from both factions tried to ascend to the Durga temple atop the hill during the course of the Id-ul-Azha prayers being held at the base, resulting in chaos in the area. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC were in effect, and several protestors were subsequently detained for violating the restrictions. Leaders from both sides, including Shinde faction functionary Ravi Patil and Uddhav faction leader Vijay Salvi, led rallies demanding that 'Durgadi Fort should be freed'. Their convoys converged at Shivaji Chowk, near the Durgadi temple, where slogans were raised by supporters of both groups. 'Police took measures to prevent protestors from both factions from reaching the fort. The protestors attempted to breach the barricades, triggering scuffles and a standoff with the police. We detained several members in preventive custody so that it does not escalate,' Deputy Commissioner of Police Atul Zende said. Durgadi Fort has long been at the centre of a communal dispute regarding the control of a mosque located within its premises. Access to the Durga temple is typically restricted during Id-ul-Azha to facilitate prayers at the foothill. Members of the Shiv Sena have criticised the arrangement, alleging discrimination against Hindu devotees and calling for equal access to the site. The Idgah located at the fort has been under litigation since 1976, when the Majlish-e-Mushavreen Majjid Trust filed a suit seeking control. In 2024, the court ruled in favour of the State government.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘We look to the future, not past': Sanjay Raut amid Sena (UBT)-MNS alliance buzz
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said Saturday that his party is focused on building the future, not dwelling on past differences, amid growing speculation of a possible alliance with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). 'Those who wish to take positive steps do not look back. We look to the future. How long are you going to dwell on the past?' Raut told reporters in Mumbai, urging MNS leaders to forget rifts in the past and look at the future of the two parties. The MP's comments come on the heels of Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray's recent admission that informal talks are underway with the Raj Thackeray-led MNS, a statement that has revived hopes of a political rapprochement nearly two decades after they split. Meanwhile, the Sena (UBT)'s mouthpiece Saamana on Saturday carried photographs of Uddhav and Raj Thackeray together on its front page—an image not seen in party media for years. This came even as posters featuring the two leaders together, calling for unity, were spotted in parts of Mumbai and Thane. Party workers from both sides are reportedly behind the campaign, urging the cousins to 'unite for the Marathi cause.' One of the posters put up at Girgaon has a message, in Marathi, stating that the two brothers must come together for the cause of eight crore Marathi people, and the people of Girgaon are eagerly waiting for their reconciliation. 'Please come together and save Marathi manoos before the outsiders' plan to capture Maharashtra succeeds,' it reads. Raut's statement came after MNS leaders said on Friday that the Sena (UBT) should send a proposal to their party president and pointed out that they were met with a cold response when they attempted to form an alliance with the undivided Shiv Sena in 2014 and 2017 and during the Covid period. 'Maybe the leaders have already spoken on phone calls, who knows? Once the process is completed, you will see the fruits. There is positivity among workers of both parties,' Raut had said on Friday, hinting that the talks could be well advanced. Earlier, Uddhav had told reporters at his residence, Matoshree, 'There is no confusion in my mind or that of my Shiv Sainiks. Even MNS workers are in touch with us, and there is no confusion in their minds either.' He added, '…what is in the hearts of the people of Maharashtra—that will happen.' Meanwhile, Raj Thackeray has reportedly been holding marathon meetings with party office-bearers and leaders in Mumbai amid the possible alliance with Sena (UBT).
News18
3 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Major Political Shift in Maha Soon? Posters Urging Uddhav, Raj Thackeray to Unite Come Up
Last Updated: Amid buzz of a possible reunion of Uddhav and Raj Thackeray, posters have come up in Mumbai urging both the leaders to join hands Posters demanding Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Raj Thackerey join hands, erected in Girgaon area of Mumbai. If this demand is met, it could lead to a significant shift in the political landscape of Maharashtra. This comes ahead of municipal elections in the state. Through this poster, people have demanded both the brothers to come together who reportedly grew apart due to political and personal reasons. The text written on the poster read," The 8 crore Marathi population of Maharashtra wants both the brothers together again." Dropping hints of a possible merger, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav said on Friday that 'whatever people of Maharashtra wish will happen." For the past days, speculations are rife about a possible alliance between his party and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) led by his estranged cousin, Raj Thackeray. Addressing reporters, the former Maharashtra Chief Minister said there was no confusion among the workers of either party. 'There is no confusion in our and our Shiv Sainiks' hearts. There is no confusion in his (MNS) mind either. We will not give any message, we will give the news directly," Uddhav said. The comes as both Thackeray cousins have recently hinted at the possibility of setting aside past differences and working together, nearly two decades after parting ways. Uddhav's latest remarks have further fuelled speculation of a political rapprochement. While Raj Thackeray has previously said that coming together in the interest of the Marathi manoos (Marathi-speaking people) wouldn't be difficult, Uddhav has stated he is willing to overlook 'trivial fights," provided those working against Maharashtra's interests are not entertained. Reacting to the development, Maharashtra Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis said it was up to both the cousins to decide their next political move and that he personally had got nothing to do with that. 'Raj Thackeray heads the MNS and Uddhav Thackeray is the chief of Shiv Sena (UBT). They will decide if the railway engine (MNS symbol) and the flaming torch (Sena UBT symbol) will have an alliance. It is up to the leaders of the two parties to take a call. What is the point in you and me discussing the issue," news agency PTI quoted Fadnavis as saying. First Published:
