Devendra Fadnavis meets Raj Thackeray ahead of for civic body polls; no political discussion held, says CM

Mumbai: In a surprising development that sparked off talks of a possible alliance of BJP and the MNS ahead of civic polls, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis drove down to the residence of Raj Thackeray and held wide-ranging discussions over breakfast. 

What transpired in the meeting is not yet known, however, Fadnavis said that it should not be read politically. 

But, it is being held in the backdrop of BJP’s landslide victory in the Delhi Legislative Assembly polls and ahead of the municipal polls in Maharashtra - when over 60 per cent of state’s population will vote. 

The BJP heads the MahaYuti-NDA alliance which includes Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, Ajit Pawar-headed NCP and a dozen smaller parties and groups.

With the focus clearly on winning the elections to the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the BJP may have a pre-poll arrangement with the MNS. 

The MNS had extended support to the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and did not field any candidates.  However, in the subsequent Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections last November, Raj’s party contested independently and failed to secure a single seat. Even Raj’s son Amit Thackeray lost the polls from Mahim. 

Last month, while addressing party people, Raj broke his silence over the surprising results in Maharashtra polls and even said that his party’s then sitting MLA Raju Patil did not get a single vote from his village, which has around 1,400 voters. "On the day of the results, there was an unusual silence across Maharashtra. The kind of celebrations that should have happened did not take place. Even some people from the RSS, whom I spoke to were surprised. One of them jokingly asked me -- 'Why is there so much silence?,” he had and also pointed out how people with a corrupt background had been inducted to BJP. 

As part of the pre-poll electoral understanding for BMC, the BMC may offer Amit a berth in the Maharashtra Legislative Council.

After the meeting, Raj has not offered any comments. 

However, Fadnavis said: “There is no politics involved in it. After the Vidhan Sabha polls, he (Raj) congratulated me…he called me and invited me to his residence… I told him that I would visit his place. I returned the gesture by coming to his house and joining for breakfast. Various things were discussed.” 

Fadnavis reiterated that  it was a personal meeting and no political discussions took place during this meeting. 

Reacting to the development, Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut said: “Raj has opened a cafe in Dadar…if the cafe is good, people come and go.”

Hitting back at the confidante of Shiv Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray, MNS spokesperson Sandeep Deshpande said: “What does he (Raut) do when he goes to the house of NCP (SP) supreme Sharad Pawar…sweeping!”.