Maharashtra minister Uday Samant, from the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, met MNS chief Raj Thackeray at his residence in Mumbai on Tuesday.
As backchannel meetings increase, signs of a thaw emerge between Raj and Uddhav Thackeray—with political reunification hinging on BJP ties and public sentiment.
Maharashtra minister Uday Samant, from the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, met MNS chief Raj Thackeray at his residence in Mumbai on Tuesday.
Indian Express stated that this was their fourth meeting since the state Assembly elections held in November 2024. Samant said the meeting was a courtesy call and there was no political discussion. He added that if there had been a political agenda, a press conference would have been held.
Last month, Eknath Shinde had also visited Raj, and more recently, Raj met Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis at his official residence. These meetings have drawn attention amid talks of a possible reconciliation between Raj Thackeray and his cousin, Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray.
According to PTI, Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sanjay Raut said the party responded positively to Raj라이브 바카라 overtures. “We are waiting for them to reciprocate our response. We respected public sentiments. Till now we were being accused that we did not want rapprochement,”
Raj Thackeray, who, during a podcast with filmmaker Mahesh Manjrekar, said, “For me, the interest of Maharashtra is paramount… everything else is secondary. I am ready to work with Uddhav, but the question is whether he will be willing to work with me.”
Uddhav responded the same day at a party event, agreeing to the idea but stating Raj must not align with the BJP or the Shinde-led Sena.
Both leaders travelled abroad after these statements, and the reconciliation talks appeared to pause. On April 26, the Shiv Sena (UBT posted a message in Marathi stating “Vel Aaliye Ekatra Yenyachi,” on X suggesting it was time for the cousins to unite. A few days later, Raut repeated that the party was waiting for Raj라이브 바카라 response.
Raj Thackeray had formed the MNS in 2006 after splitting from the original Shiv Sena due to differences with Uddhav. The MNS focuses on issues related to Marathi identity but has seen a decline in influence. In the 2024 Assembly elections, the MNS contested 135 seats and did not win any, getting 1.55% of the vote share. In 2019, it had won one seat with 2.5% of the vote. In the 2017 BMC elections, the MNS won seven out of 227 seats, while the Uddhav-led Sena, then in alliance with the BJP, won 84 seats.
The relationship between Uddhav and Raj has been inconsistent over the years. Occasional meetings between them have often led to speculation about an alliance, but Uddhav has remained cautious about Raj라이브 바카라 changing stance towards the BJP.