Amid rumours of an alliance between the Thackeray brothers, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis held a meeting at the Taj Lands End in Mumbai's Bandra on Thursday, June 12. Reports suggest the hour-long meeting between Fadnavis and the MNS leader will put an end to a possible alliance between Shiv Sena UBT and MNS ahead of crucial civic body elections in Maharashtra, which are likely to be scheduled at the end of 2025.
Both leaders reached the Taj Lands End hotel in Mumbai on Thursday morning. This meeting comes as there is talk of Raj forming an alliance with estranged cousin Uddhavin in the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, sparking speculation that he may be considering a realignment with the BJP-led Mahayuti government.
The political development comes after nearly two months of appeals, symbolic gestures and strategic signalling of the Shiv Sena UBT to reunite with MNS under the ‘Marathi manoos’ banner. However, Shiv Sena UBT leaders and workers were dependent on public messaging. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former BMC mayor Kishori Pednekar said that it was too early to comment on the matter.
“Let us wait and watch. Both brothers have called their differences minor, and there is also a shared feeling among the MNS and Sena UBT workers. So let us see how it goes.. it would be inappropriate to jump the gun now,” she said.