Rumours of alliance as Raj, Uddhav meet
The sudden meeting between estranged Thackeray cousins — Uddhav and Raj — have set tongues in political circles wagging. While Shiv Sena said that it was only a courtesy meeting in which Raj greeted Uddhav over his birthday, party insiders claimed that a discussion was held on Uddhav’s elder brother Jaidev, who has challenged the validity of late Balasaheb Thackeray’s will in Bombay high court.
On Friday morning, MNS supremo Raj Thackeray called on Shiv Sena chief Uddhav at Matoshree, his residence at Bandra. The meeting lasted for 45 minutes. It is speculated that the B r i h a n m u m b a i Municipal Corporation ( BMC) elections, due in February 2017, were also on the meeting’s agenda.
Sources said that the meeting was unplanned. Even Bala Nandgaonkar, former MNS legislator and a close confidante of Raj, claimed that he was not aware of the meeting.
“I was unaware of the meeting till the last moment. Raj saheb did not tell me that he was going to Matoshree to meet Uddhav saheb. He simply asked me to sit in the car. Whenever there is a family issue, they have always come together,” said Mr Nandgaonkar.
In the backdrop of the previous meeting between Uddhav and his MLAs, his meeting with Raj has fuelled several rumours of a possible alliance between the two in the future.
Sources said that apart from the upcoming elections, Raj and Uddhav also discussed Balasaheb Thackeray’s will in the meeting. Jaidev has filed a case against Uddhav regarding the will.