Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray at his residence, ‘Shivtirth’, at Shivaji Park on Monday. This was Fadnavis’s first visit to Raj Thackeray’s residence since the former became CM. Accompanying him was BJP leader Mohit Kamboj, while the MNS was represented by senior leaders Bala Nandgaonkar, Nitin Sardesai, and Sandeep Deshpande.

Meeting Triggers Intense Speculation In Political Circles

The meeting has triggered intense speculation in political circles, amid buzz of a BJP-MNS alliance for the upcoming local corporation elections. The speculation comes on the heels of reports of internal conflict within the stateʼs ruling bloc, the Mahayuti. In the Lok Sabha elections, MNS chief Raj Thackeray had extended unconditional support to the Mahayuti. However, in the assembly elections, the MNS contested independently but failed to win a single seat.

With the upcoming local body elections on the horizon, this meeting between the two leaders is being seen as significant. Speculation is also rife that an offer could be made regarding Rajʼs son Amit Thackeray’s political future, as part of this strategy.

Statement Of Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis

Speaking about his meeting with Raj Thackeray, CM Devendra Fadnavis clarified that it was not a political meeting but a personal one. He said, “Raj Thackeray had called to congratulate me when I became chief minister. At that time, I had told him that I would visit him at his home. I had an event in Dadar, so before that, I went to meet him at his residence. The speculation about this being a political meeting is only in the media. It was purely a personal visit.” Fadnavis also mentioned that he had had breakfast at Raj Thackeray’s residence.

MNS Chief Raj Thackeray Criticises The Assembly Election Results

Before this meeting, Raj Thackeray had criticised the assembly election results during a gathering of MNS office-bearers. He questioned the outcome, saying, “Even those who won called me, shocked by the results. The BJP secured 132 seats, compared to 105 in the previous election and 122 in 2014. But Ajit Pawar’s party won 42 seats. Does that even seem believable? Just four months ago, he had only one MP. How can the results change so drastically in such a short time?”

Thackeray had also remarked that people often advised him not to meet BJP leaders. However, he countered this by saying, “If someone visits my home for tea, should I refuse?” Interestingly, just a week after these statements, Fadnavis and Raj Thackeray met on Monday morning.

In the coming months, the date for the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections are expected to be announced. For the BJP, the key challenge will be to defeat Uddhav Thackeray. Since Eknath Shinde does not have a strong influence in Mumbai, there is growing curiosity about whether the BJP will once again seek Raj Thackeray’s support, as they did in the Lok Sabha elections.