Amid Reunion Buzz with Uddhav, Raj Thackeray Holds Meeting With CM Devendra Fadnavis At Mumbai Hotel
Amid Reunion Buzz with Uddhav, Raj Thackeray Holds Meeting With CM Devendra Fadnavis At Mumbai Hotel
Mumbai, June 12 – Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at a five-star hotel in Mumbai on Thursday, fuelling strong speculation that he may be leaning toward a political realignment with the BJP-led Mahayuti coalition. This comes even as Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) has been publicly pushing for a reunion of the Thackeray cousins under the banner of Marathi pride.
The unannounced meeting, which took place at Taj Lands End in Bandra, lasted for over an hour and was not listed on either leader’s official schedule.
The timing of the meeting is significant, occurring just ahead of Raj Thackeray’s birthday on June 14 and Aaditya Thackeray’s on June 13—dates that some Shiv Sena (UBT) workers had hoped would mark symbolic ground for a renewed alliance between the Thackerays.
For nearly two months, Shiv Sena (UBT) has made visible overtures to Raj, ranging from emotional appeals and symbolic gestures to newspaper front pages and social media campaigns. Uddhav, Aaditya, and key leaders like Sanjay Raut have repeatedly emphasized that a united front is vital to preserve the ‘Marathi manoos’ identity and to reclaim lost political ground.
Despite these efforts, the MNS leadership has remained non-committal. In a podcast aired on April 19, Raj hinted that he values Maharashtra’s interests above personal rifts, but the party swiftly clarified that shared issues do not imply electoral alliances. On June 5, Raj’s son Amit Thackeray dismissed alliance talk, stating, “Alliances are not formed through media sound bites.”
Thursday’s meeting adds a new layer to this evolving political landscape, particularly with upcoming civic elections and control of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) at stake. Political analysts suggest that a possible MNS-BJP tie-up could prove more strategically effective than a Sena (UBT)-MNS alliance.
With civic polls nearing and the political chessboard shifting, Raj Thackeray’s recent move could be an indication that he is keeping his options open — but may be tilting away from family reunification and toward strategic powerplay.
