Mumbai: A day after Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, speaking in the state legislative council, made an offer to rival Uddhav Thackeray in a lighter vein to join his side, the two leaders had a meeting at Vidhan Bhavan Thursday.
The Fadnavis-Thackeray meeting took place inside the chamber of Ram Shinde, the chairman of the state legislative council, who is known to be close to Fadnavis. Worli MLA Aaditya Thackeray also took part in the meeting.
According to sources, Uddhav Thackeray gifted Fadnavis a book, titled ‘Hindi chi sakti havi ch kashala? (Why should Hindi be compulsory?)’.
The leaders held talks over the post of the Leader of Opposition in the state legislative council against the backdrop of the tenure of the current LoP, MLC Ambadas Danve, expiring next month, sources said. LoP Danve is from the Shiv Sena (UBT).
On Wednesday, speaking at LoP Danve’s farewell in the council, Fadnavis joked there was no scope for Bharatiya Janata Party to sit in the Opposition till 2029 when the term of his government comes to an end, but that Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) “can come this side”.
The CM said, “[In] 2029, we have no scope of sitting in the Opposition. But Uddhav ji, you can shift to this side. This can be thought through.”
Outside the Maharashtra assembly, Uddhav Thackeray dismissed the comment as “banter”, something that “need not be taken seriously”.
During the winter session of the state assembly last year, Thackeray had a meeting with Fadnavis, as well, at the Nagpur Vidhan Bhavan, supposedly to congratulate him for taking over as the new CM.
The rising interaction between them comes at a time when a silent power tussle is underway between CM Fadnavis and his Deputy CM Eknath Shinde.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)