Maharashtra CM Shinde meets MNS chief Raj Thackeray

In a politically significant development, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde met Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray at the latter’s residence at Shivaji Park in Mumbai's Dadar Thursday.

This is the first meeting of Shinde with Raj after he rebelled and dislodged Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray's government in the state replacing him as chief minister. The visit was described as a courtesy call and coincides with the ongoing Ganesh festivities.

A couple of months ago, Raj had undergone hip surgery and is now back in action and has started to travel.

Last month, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis had met Raj.

Prominent among the BJP leaders who visited Raj in recent times include union ministers Nitin Gadkari and Raosaheb Patil-Danve, former BJP president and minister Chandrakant Patil, state BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule and his Mumbai counterpart Ashish Shelar.

The meeting comes ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s next week’s visit.