Uddhav, Fadnavis engage in banter

MUMBAI:AMID the ongoing tussle between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ally Shiv Sena, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray heaped praises on each other, on Wednesday.

At an awards function of a regional news channel, Fadnavis and Thackeray were asked, if they had to award each other for a quality, what would it be?

Fadnavis praised Thackeray for his photography skills and said he should be given an award for it.

He also praised Thackeray as a person.

“Many a times, he says something in his speeches, criticises me over some issue. Despite all of it, he has never spoken behind my back. I think, that is a rare thing in politics,” the chief minister said.

Thackeray, who is known to share a good rapport with Fadnavis called him his “good friend”. “When we discuss issues, and when there is unanimity [over the issue] between us, he does not waste time to take a decision. He keeps the interest of the state and its people before everything else,” Thackeray said.

The Sena has repeatedly attacked the BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah, and other BJP leaders over several issues and policies of the Bjp-led government.

There is also an ongoing tussle between the two parties, and Sena wants to regain its status of the bigger player in the state.

Thackeray said that he backed Fadnavis when his name was being discussed for the post of chief minister in 2014 because he viewed him as a “young, new face, who intends to work with honesty and integrity, which he is doing.”