In a surprising and politically significant moment, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray were on Friday spotted sharing same flight together to Nagpur from Mumbai, even as Maharashtra's political landscape continues to witness dramatic developments following the defection of 6 of Uddhav's 9 MPs to the Shinde faction.
Fadnavis warmly shakes hands with Uddhav
During the surprise meet, CM Fadnavis warmly shook hands with Uddhav Thackeray and the two leaders exchanged pleasantries during the flight. Aaditya Thackeray, Sanjay Raut, and other Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders were also present on the same flight.
The meeting of the both leaders has set a political buzz with speculation about what the unexpected encounter could mean for Maharashtra's rapidly evolving political dynamics.
Both leaders term the incident as mere coincidence
However, both sides have termed the incident as a mere coincidence. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is traveling to Nagpur—his home turf and assembly constituency—for pre-scheduled official and political engagements.
Meanwhile, Uddhav Thackeray has arrived in Nagpur to begin a three-day tour of the Vidarbha and Marathwada regions. During this tour, he is also set to visit Lok Sabha constituencies where former MPs from his party have since joined the Shinde faction.
While the presence of both leaders on the same flight and their handshake certainly became a topic of discussion, both camps are currently describing the interaction as nothing more than a matter of standard courtesy and coincidence.
The development comes after six MPs in the state left Uddhav Thackeray's side through Operation Tiger and then Devendra Fadnavis and Uddhav Thackeray were seen traveling in the same plane.
Sanjay Raut says party remains strong despite splits
Earlier in the day, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said that the party remains strong despite the splits it has suffered, and Aaditya Thackeray has the capability to lead it. Speaking to PTI Videos ahead of party chief Uddhav Thackeray's planned tour of the constituencies represented by the six party MPs who recently joined the Eknath Shinde-led Sena, Raut alleged that they switched loyalties only for money, power and protection.
Asked about Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray's role in the party, Raut Said, "The next generation should gradually take greater responsibility. For how many years we will continue to work? We have been working for 40 years. Young leaders must take the command of the party, and he has been doing it. He (Aaditya) will do it officially too, he has the capability, and we will welcome him."
The leaders who left the Uddhav Thackeray-led party were not "rebels" in the real sense of the term, Raut said, arguing that the word should be reserved for freedom fighters like Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev, and not used for politicians who cross over for money and power. Uddhav Thackeray's tour was part of an outreach to directly explain the party's position to voters and workers in the constituencies of the MPs who defected, said Raut.
Also Read:
Operation Tiger 2.0 loading? Shinde camp claims 14 UBT MLAs ready to rebel
