Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and his son Aaditya Thackeray met Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar at Vidhan Bhavan in Nagpur on Tuesday. The meeting, held during the ongoing winter session of the state legislature, was described as a gesture of goodwill.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Aaditya Thackeray said, “We talked about taking a step towards showing political maturity and working together in the interest of the people of Maharashtra”, as quoted by news agency PTI. He clarified that the discussion did not include the issue of the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) post in the assembly.
Uddhav Thackeray, who was accompanied by Sena (UBT) legislators Anil Parab and Varun Sardesai, met Fadnavis in the Chief Minister’s chamber.
VIDEO | Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray (@uddhavthackeray) and party leader Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) met Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadavanis (@Dev_Fadnavis) at Vidhan Bhavan office in Nagpur, earlier today.
(Source: Third Party)
(Full video available on PTI Videos -… pic.twitter.com/GrYIDO21T4
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 17, 2024
Addressing the media, Uddhav said, “This was purely a goodwill meeting. We could not win the elections, the Mahayuti coalition won. Therefore, we now hope that work will be done in the interest of Maharashtra. We will continue to raise issues through public voice.”
Aaditya added, “Today, our party chief Uddhav Thackeray met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Speaker Rahul Narwekar. Even though we are in the opposition and they are in power, we are all elected representatives of the people. We expect that they listen to our concerns and prioritise development. Political ideologies will differ, and debates will continue, but the aim should be to derive positive outcomes.”
The winter session of the state legislature is underway in Nagpur, with the 15th Assembly currently functioning without a Leader of the Opposition. None of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies—the Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction)—managed to secure the 10% seat threshold required to claim the LoP position.
In the November 20 polls, the Shiv Sena (UBT) secured 20 seats, Congress won 16, and NCP (SP) managed 10. Meanwhile, the Mahayuti coalition, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction), secured a decisive victory with 230 seats in the 288-member assembly, reducing the opposition MVA to just 46 seats.
Maharashtra Politics: Rare Thaw In Relations Between Uddhav Thackeray And Devendra Fadnavis
The meeting marked a rare thaw in relations between Uddhav Thackeray and Devendra Fadnavis, whose ties have been strained since the Shiv Sena (undivided) severed its long-standing alliance with the BJP in November 2019 over the Chief Ministerial post. Thackeray then formed the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance with the Congress and the NCP, a move that drew sharp criticism from Fadnavis and BJP leadership.
According to ABP Majha, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had earlier invited Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar to the swearing-in ceremony of the Mahayuti government, but both leaders declined the invitation. However, the goodwill meeting on the second day of the legislature’s winter session hinted at a possible shift towards constructive dialogue.
Uddhav Thackeray, who is a member of the Legislative Council, is expected to attend the Shiv Sena (UBT) legislature party meeting scheduled for Tuesday evening.
