MNS chief Raj Thackeray sprang a surprise on Friday, as he called on Shiv Sena president and his cousin Uddhav Thackeray at the latter’s residence “Matoshri”, thus sparking intense speculation in the State political circles.
Held in the backdrop of the strained relations between the ruling BJP and Shiv Sena, the luncheon meeting between Raj and Uddhav triggered speculation about the possibility of their forging an alliance for the crucial Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls, scheduled for February next year.
Though sources close to the two leaders said that Raj had gone to greet to Uddhav on the latter turning 56 on Wednesday, there were not many takers to the theory that it was a family meeting. For, Raj’s close associate Bala Nandgaonkar was also present at the meeting between the Thackeray cousins.
Friday’s was the first visit of Raj to “Matoshri” after more than three and a half years, though the two cousins had met on the occasion of second death anniversary of late Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray at the Sena patriarch’s “Smriti Sthal” at the historic Shivraji Park on November 17, 2014.
The two Thackeray cousins have been on talking on talking terms, ever since Raj — on July 16, 2012 — made the first move to improve his strained relations with Uddhav, by visiting the latter at the lilavati hospital, where the latter subsequently underwent an angioplasty for removal of three major blockages in his coronary arteries. Raj had driven back Uddhav to “Matoshri” from lilavati Hospital on that occasion.
Raj’s reconciliation gesture had come more than six and half years after he had rebelled against his elder cousin and walked out of the Sena and subsequently founded the MNS.
Raj had also met ailing Thackeray at ”Matoshri” — in the presence of Uddhav — at least on three occasions a fortnight ahead of the Sena patriarch’s death on November 17, 2012. Raj had also visited “Matoshri”, when the Sena chief passed away.
Similarly, Uddhav had tried to reach out Raj in the run-up to the 2014 Assembly polls, when the latter fell ill and had to cancel his electioneering for some days. Uddhav had visited Raj’s daughter Urvashi at Hinduja Hospital on November 2, when the latter was admitted there for injuries sustained in a road mishap.
Raj himself made a disclosure on October 9, 2014, six days ahead of the State Assembly polls, that Uddhav had telephoned him to forge a pre-poll alliance between the MNS and Sena, but the initiative did not materialise.
“During the telephonic conversation had with me on September 25 2014 ( after the BJP snapped its ties with the Sena), Uddhav had mooted three things, we could hold talks and discuss seat-sharing, avoid criticising each other during the campaigning, and k at post-poll scenario later. I agreed to start with talks about seats... But the talks did not materialise owing to lack of follow-up on the part of the Sena,” Raj had disclosed.
No wonder that both Raj and Uddhav did not speak against each other at their election rallies during the 2014 Assembly polls.
Unlike in the initial six years after he quit the Sena in December 2005 and floated his own party, MNS, on March 9 2006, there has not been any bitterness two Thackeray cousins during the last four years.
Given that the Thackeray cousins had explored the possibility of sharing seats for the 2014 State Assembly polls, political observers are not ruling out a scenario wherein the Sena would have seat adjustments with the MNS for the February 2017 BMC polls.
Considering that it is a major force to reckon with in Mumbai, the Sena does not perceive any threat from the MNS. For, the MNS had won 28 seats in the 2012 BMC polls, as against the 75 seats won by the Sena and 32 seats won by its ally, BJP.
Though the possibility of the Sena forging an alliance with the MNS is still in the realm of speculation, the real import of Friday’s luncheon meeting between the two Thackeray cousins will be known in the coming weeks.