Eyebrows up as BJP leaders hobnob with Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Thackeray, others

Mumbai: Political eyebrows shot up as some senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders were seen rubbing shoulders and displaying bonhomie with their archrival Shiv Sena (UBT)’s top leaders, on the first day of the last session of the current Maharashtra Legislature Session, here on Thursday.

Legislators and media persons went into a frenzy as ex-Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray waited for a lift at the Vidhan Bhavan and suddenly, the ruling MahaYuti ally and BJP Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis reached there.

When the lift stopped for them, a couple of persons in it were asked to step out and Fadnavis was seen beckoning Thackeray to join him, even as others like Pravin Darekar and Minister Chandrakant Patil were already present inside (the lift).

A smiling Thackeray obliged and went up – in a cloud of speculation – from the ground floor to the upper floor where the Assembly is situated. But after alighting, both walked away in opposition directions.

Later, when media persons mobbed and quizzed Thackeray for a bite, he airily replied that it was just a coincidence and nothing more.

In another development, Patil dropped in to meet Thackeray, Leader of Opposition (Council) Ambadas Danve, ex-minister Anil Parab and others at the SS (UBT) office.

An atmosphere of cheerful camaraderie seemed to prevail there, and a grinning Patil even distributed chocolates and conveyed his "advance" wishes to Parab who contested the just-concluded MLC elections, the result of which is expected on Monday (July 1), while Thackeray asked the BJP visitor to "maintain cordial relations always."

However, MahaYuti ally Shiv Sena leader Bharat Gogavale sought to downplay the developments, and ruled out the possibility of any talks opening between the BJP-SS (UBT), while his colleague Sanjay Shirsat said Thackeray-Fadnavis may have "winked" at each other.

Rejecting all political and media speculation, SS (UBT) MLA Vaibhav Naik termed it as "mere coincidence and nothing else" that Thackeray and Fadnavis happened to travel in the legislature building lift.