Story by Raksha Bhattacharjee
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray and MNS chairman Raj Thackeray met on Sunday night at Mahendra Kalyankar’s son’s wedding in Andheri, Mumbai.
At a wedding in Mumbai on Sunday, Raj Thackeray, the leader of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), reportedly met Uddhav Thackeray, the leader of the Shiv Sena (UBT), and his cousin. This led to rumors that the two could reconcile before Maharashtra’s civic elections.
There has been speculation of a political thaw between them, and this is their third public encounter in two months.
In Andheri, Mumbai, on Sunday night, the politically estranged cousins were spotted together at the wedding of Mahendra Kalyankar’s son, according to news agency PTI. Speculation about a potential reconciliation before of the municipal elections has been heightened by a few widely circulated photos of them laughing together.
HT.com, however, was unable to independently confirm the photographs’ legitimacy. Amid rumors of difficulties between the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and ruling Mahayuti alliances, Raj Thackeray met former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and his wife: Rashmi Thackeray.
MNS and Sena (UBT) may try to patch things up before the next civic elections, which include the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections, according to political analysts quoted by PTI. The poll schedule, however, has not yet been made public.
Before Raj left the Shiv Sena in 2005 and started MNS in 2006, he was a member of the party alongside Uddhav Thackeray. The MNS did not win any seats in the Maharashtra assembly elections last year, although the Sena (UBT) did.
Recent appearances in public together
It was not the first time the Thackeray cousins were spotted together, including at the Andheri meeting. Their third public appearance in three months fueled rumors that they would get back together.
Raj Thackeray was present at the wedding celebration of Shounak Patankar, the nephew of Rashmi Thackeray, held at Taj Land’s End in Bandra West on December 15, 2024. Although Raj and Uddhav did not meet and came at different times, Raj reportedly spoke with Rashmi Thackeray and her mother. Raj went because of his affection and family links, according to Rashmi’s brother Shridhar Patankar.
A week later, on December 22, 2024, Uddhav and Raj Thackeray met in person and spoke with each other at the wedding of Raj Thackeray’s nephew, Yash Deshpande, in Dadar.
