MNS chief Raj Thackeray met his cousin, Uddhav Thackeray, head of Shiv Sena (UBT), at a wedding in Mumbai, fueling speculation about a potential reconciliation ahead of Maharashtra’s civic polls. This encounter marks their third public meeting in two months, suggesting a thaw in their long-standing political estrangement since Raj Thackeray left Shiv Sena in 2005 to form MNS. Observers believe that both parties may seek to resolve differences due to upcoming elections for key civic bodies, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. In the last assembly elections, Shiv Sena (UBT) won 20 seats, while MNS did not secure any.
Mumbai:
Raj Thackeray, the chief of MNS, met his cousin Uddhav Thackeray, head of Shiv Sena (UBT), during a wedding event in Mumbai, sparking speculation about their potential desire to mend political rifts ahead of Maharashtra’s civic polls.
On Sunday evening, the politically disconnected cousins were spotted at the wedding of Mahendra Kalyankar’s son, a government official, in Andheri.
Raj Thackeray of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) interacted with the former chief minister and his wife Rashmi Thackeray during the event, amid ongoing rumors of discord within both the ruling Mahayuti and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) factions.
Political analysts suggest that MNS and Sena (UBT) may be looking to reconcile their political differences with the upcoming civic body elections, including the lucrative Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, for which the election schedule is still pending.
This marks the third public encounter between the cousins in the past two months, further fueling speculation about a warming of relations between their respective parties.
Raj Thackeray left the Shiv Sena (which was undivided at that time) in 2005 and established his own party the following year.
During last year’s elections for the 288-member Maharashtra assembly, the Shiv Sena (UBT) secured 20 seats while the MNS did not win any.
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