The BRICS TimesShiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at his Varsha residence late at night. The surprise meeting happened just ahead of Maharashtra Vidhan Parishad elections. No details about their discussion have come out yet, but political circles are buzzing with speculation.
Maharashtra politics gets a midnight twist
Maharashtra’s political scene just got a major jolt. As the Vidhan Parishad elections draw closer, a shocking late-night development has set political corridors abuzz. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray reportedly visited Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at his official Varsha residence in the dead of night. The meeting took place around 2 AM. What was discussed between the two leaders remains completely unknown. The surprise rendezvous has triggered a fresh wave of speculation across the state.
The meeting was first brought to public attention by Prabuddha Bharat, a media house founded by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. A social media post by the outlet revealed Thackeray’s late-night visit. Since then, political watchers have been working overtime to decode what this meeting could mean for Maharashtra’s rapidly shifting political landscape.
Uddhav Thackeray and CM Fadnavis meet secretly
Why did this meeting happen? Which issues came up for discussion? These questions remain unanswered for now. On one side, candidate selection for Vidhan Parishad elections is in full swing. On the other, news of Uddhav Thackeray and Devendra Fadnavis sitting together has sent shockwaves through party offices across Maharashtra.
The two leaders have had frequent disagreements over the years. Alliance break-up rumours have also never fully gone away. But earlier this month, something interesting happened. At a farewell ceremony for retiring Vidhan Parishad members, both Uddhav and Fadnavis recited poetry on stage. They showed mutual respect for each other during that event. Their warm chemistry became a talking point across Maharashtra at the time.
How the Maha Vikas Aghadi was formed in 2019
In 2019, a fierce power struggle over the Chief Minister’s post rocked the then Mahayuti alliance. Uddhav Thackeray broke away and joined hands with the Nationalist Congress Party and Congress. Together, they formed the Maha Vikas Aghadi, which dealt a massive blow to the BJP. However, Fadnavis hit back with a masterstroke. Mahayuti first split the Shiv Sena and then the Nationalist Congress Party. This eventually helped them capture power in Maharashtra.
During that turbulent period, Uddhav Thackeray openly explained his reasons for opposition at party events and in various interviews. Notably, he made clear that he had no personal grudge against Fadnavis. Fadnavis too surprised everyone when he stated that he had no objection to sharing a cup of tea with Thackeray. Despite deep political differences, a window for dialogue always seemed to remain open. If the claims in the recent social media post hold true, that dialogue may have finally begun.
Is Uddhav Thackeray eyeing a Vidhan Parishad seat?
There is a widely held belief that Uddhav Thackeray is not interested in contesting the Vidhan Sabha. However, this creates a tricky equation for both Maha Vikas Aghadi and Mahayuti. The MVA has only one available Vidhan Parishad seat to offer. If a candidate other than Uddhav Thackeray contests, votes may split. This could give a Mahayuti candidate an unexpected advantage. Political analysts believe that having Uddhav Thackeray in the Vidhan Parishad strengthens Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena from BJP’s perspective. This makes the surprise meeting between the two leaders even more politically significant.
