Raj Thackeray, Uddhav meet at wedding; spark speculation of rapprochement

MNS chief Raj Thackeray met his cousin and Shiv Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray at a wedding function in Mumbai, raising speculation that they might be keen on resolving their political differences ahead of civic polls in Maharashtra.

The politically estranged cousins were seen together on Sunday evening at the wedding of the son of Mahendra Kalyankar, a government official, in Andheri area here.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) Raj Thackeray met the former state chief minister and the latter's wife Rashmi Thackeray at the event, amid rumours of a rift in both the ruling Mahayuti and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) camps.

Political observers said there is a possibility of the MNS and Sena (UBT) wishing to resolve their political differences in view of the civic body elections, including the cash-rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, due in the state. The schedule for the civic polls has not yet been announced.

This was the third public meeting between the cousins in the last two months, further intensifying speculation of a thaw in ties between the two parties.

Raj Thackeray quit the Shiv Sena (then undivided) in 2005 and floated his own party the next year.

In the last year's elections to the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly, the Shiv Sena (UBT), which is part of the opposition MVA, won 20 seats, while the MNS drew a blank.