Raj-Uddhav meeting sparks speculation

Shiv Kumar

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Tribune News Service

Mumbai, July 29

A closed-door meeting between MNS chief Raj Thackeray and his estranged cousin Uddhav Thackeray, who heads the Shiv Sena, today has sparked rumours of new political alignments in Maharashtra ahead of the Mumbai civic polls early next year.

Raj drove to Matoshree, the residence of the Shiv Sena chief in suburban Bandra, where the two had a long discussion behind closed doors. Leaders of both the parties refused to go on record as to what transpired between the two estranged cousins. The two are meeting formally after a gap of more than three years, though they are known to discuss family matters over the telephone.

Raj had accompanied Uddhav when the latter returned home from hospital after undergoing an angioplasty in 2012. That meeting, however, did not result in any political alliance and both the Shiv Sena and the MNS contested the 2014 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections separately. An associate of Raj told reporters that the cousins think as one regarding matters concerning the family.

At present, the family is roiled in litigation after Jaidev, Uddhav’s elder brother, challenged the will of the late Bal Thackeray in court.

Jaidev contended that the founder of the Shiv Sena was not of sound mind when he wrote the will giving him no share in the family’s assets.

Jaidev also made a sensational claim in court that Aishwarya, who everyone believed was his son with Smita Thackeray, did not belong to him. However, there were no further revelations in the matter as the proceedings moved in camera.