Uddhav meets Fadnavis for first time since Sena split

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray met Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in Nagpur on Tuesday, marking their first official meeting since the Shiv Sena split two and a half years ago.

- Pradip Kumar Maitra

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The meeting, which took place in the Vidhan Bhavan complex where the winter session of the state legislature is on, lasted for only about 10 minutes, but observers feel this could be a new beginning for the two political friends-turned-foes.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) has 20 MLAs, the highest among the Opposition parties, and is seeking the post of Leader of the Opposition (LoP) despite not having the required 10% of the house's elected members of 288 to officially get the post.

Speculation is rife that the LoP post was the motive behind Thackeray's surprise meeting but it is also felt that the poll drubbing and apparent cracks in the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi could well bring the Thackerays closer to Fadnavis.

'Healthy dialogue'

"I congratulated Fadnavis for the Mahayuti victory and becoming CM and gave him my best wishes for taking Maharashtra forward under his leadership," Thackeray was quoted as saying in the media. "There is a rich tradition in Maharashtra for healthy dialogue between ruling and opposition party leaders." Thackeray later separately met assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar, who had ruled against the Sena (UBT) in the disqualification petitions between the two warring Sena factions.