Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited Raj Thackeray’s residence in central Mumbai to hold a meeting with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief.
While an official said that Shinde met with Thackeray on the occasion of the Ganesh festival, the meeting led to speculation as it took place before the crucial 2022 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election.
The meeting occurred at Raj Thackeray’s new home in Dadar, ‘Shivtirth’.
As Raj Thackeray met Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis (Bharatiya Janata Party) on August 29, there were rumblings that MNS might tie up with BJP for the Mumbai polls. Notably, Raj Thackeray has been at odds with his cousin and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray for years now.
There is currently an alliance between BJP and Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction.
Also, JP Nadda, the national president of BJP, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are expected to visit Mumbai during the ongoing Ganeshotsav festival.
In spite of Maha Vikas Aghadi losing power at the state level on June 29, Shiv Sena, led by ex-CM Uddhav Thackeray, is planning to retain its hold on the country’s biggest and richest civic body.
A new alliance has been struck between Shiv Sena and Sambhaji Brigade, and prominent Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Uddhav Kadam joined the party on Monday in the presence of Uddhav Thackeray.
In the civic elections, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led breakaway Shiv Sena faction and the BJP plan to give Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena a tough fight in Mumbai, Thane, and other key cities.
