<p>Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday said their party is positive about an alliance with the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) for the “sake of Marathi people”.</p>.<p>Estranged cousins Raj and Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray last month sparked speculation about a possible reconciliation with statements indicating they could ignore “trivial issues” and join hands in the larger interest of “Marathi manoos” (Marathi-speaking people), nearly two decades after a bitter parting of ways.</p>.Dhule cash recovery: Why CM didn’t hand over case to ED, asks Sanjay Raut.<p>Raut said Sena (UBT) has a positive approach towards an alliance with MNS, which is pronounced ‘Manase’ in Marathi, while attempting to make a wordplay with the party's name.</p>.<p>“Uddhavji’s stand regarding an alliance with Raj Thackeray for the sake of the Marathi people is 'manase' and 'dil se' (from the mind and the heart),” Raut told reporters here.</p>.<p>Local body elections in Maharashtra, including for civic corporations of Mumbai, Thane, Nashik, Nagpur and Pune, are slated to be held later this year.</p>.<p>Earlier, senior MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande said on Thursday that Raj Thackeray would consider an alliance with the Sena (UBT) only if a concrete proposal is put forward, noting their previous overtures for a tie-up were met with “betrayal”.</p>.<p>“If the Shiv Sena (UBT) feels an alliance with the MNS is possible, they should come forward with a substantial proposal. Raj Thackeray will take a decision on it,” he maintained.</p>.<p>Deshpande recalled past instances when the MNS had initiated tie-up talks, but faced what he called “betrayal”.</p>.<p>The buzz over a rapprochement between the two Thackerays has dominated the state politics for a while now. Raj last month spoke about it in an interview with filmmaker Mahesh Manjrekar, while Uddhav responded positively within hours of the comment.</p>.<p>Raj Thackeray quit the undivided Shiv Sena in 2005 and floated his own party the next year. In the past, he has allied with the BJP, a bitter rival of the Shiv Sena (UBT). </p>
<p>Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday said their party is positive about an alliance with the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) for the “sake of Marathi people”.</p>.<p>Estranged cousins Raj and Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray last month sparked speculation about a possible reconciliation with statements indicating they could ignore “trivial issues” and join hands in the larger interest of “Marathi manoos” (Marathi-speaking people), nearly two decades after a bitter parting of ways.</p>.Dhule cash recovery: Why CM didn’t hand over case to ED, asks Sanjay Raut.<p>Raut said Sena (UBT) has a positive approach towards an alliance with MNS, which is pronounced ‘Manase’ in Marathi, while attempting to make a wordplay with the party's name.</p>.<p>“Uddhavji’s stand regarding an alliance with Raj Thackeray for the sake of the Marathi people is 'manase' and 'dil se' (from the mind and the heart),” Raut told reporters here.</p>.<p>Local body elections in Maharashtra, including for civic corporations of Mumbai, Thane, Nashik, Nagpur and Pune, are slated to be held later this year.</p>.<p>Earlier, senior MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande said on Thursday that Raj Thackeray would consider an alliance with the Sena (UBT) only if a concrete proposal is put forward, noting their previous overtures for a tie-up were met with “betrayal”.</p>.<p>“If the Shiv Sena (UBT) feels an alliance with the MNS is possible, they should come forward with a substantial proposal. Raj Thackeray will take a decision on it,” he maintained.</p>.<p>Deshpande recalled past instances when the MNS had initiated tie-up talks, but faced what he called “betrayal”.</p>.<p>The buzz over a rapprochement between the two Thackerays has dominated the state politics for a while now. Raj last month spoke about it in an interview with filmmaker Mahesh Manjrekar, while Uddhav responded positively within hours of the comment.</p>.<p>Raj Thackeray quit the undivided Shiv Sena in 2005 and floated his own party the next year. In the past, he has allied with the BJP, a bitter rival of the Shiv Sena (UBT). </p>