Devendra Fadnavis meets Raj Thackeray amid buzz over Thackerays' alliance

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray held a meeting at a suburban hotel in Bandra on Thursday. The meeting gains significance amid speculation that Uddhav Thackeray and his cousin Raj Thackeray could explore an alliance ahead of the upcoming Mumbai civic polls, likely to be held at the end of this year.

The hour-long meeting is seen as part of the BJP's effort to build support by bringing the MNS into an alliance-either with itself or the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction)-as it eyes control of the influential Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Both Fadnavis and Thackeray left the venue without addressing the media. However, Raj later convened a meeting with senior MNS leaders from Mumbai, Thane, and Palghar.

Sources said the BJP has extended an offer, which the MNS chief is currently considering.

The meeting follows recent signals from the Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) faction that it is not averse to aligning with the MNS in the BMC polls-a potential sign that the Thackeray cousins may set aside their long-standing feud in the interest of the "Marathi Manoos."

Before its split, the Shiv Sena had held sway over the Mumbai and Thane civic bodies for decades. The cash-rich BMC has been crucial to the party's political clout in Maharashtra. A BJP win in the polls would be a major setback for the UBT faction, which may be why it is open to joining hands with the MNS.

UBT leader Anil Parab, however, downplayed Thursday's meeting: "Let us see what their (Fadnavis and Raj) discussions were about-we need to understand whether political issues were discussed or if it was something else."

MNS leaders have remained tight-lipped. Party workers have been instructed by Raj not to speak to the media regarding alliance talks, with a formal statement expected from him alone.