Shiv Sena predicts 'U-turn' after Raj Thackeray's surprise meeting with Devendra Fadnavis: 'Anything can happen in politics'

MNS chief Raj Thackeray met Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis at a hotel in Mumbai on Thursday.

U-turns in politics are not uncommon and anything can happen in the near future, the Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said, adding a fresh twist to the ongoing speculation around which way the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) would lean ahead of the municipal elections in Maharashtra.

The Shiv Sena's remarks come in the wake of MNS chief Raj Thackeray's surprise meeting with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at a plush hotel in Mumbai on Thursday. The meeting came amid recent overtures by Raj and his cousin and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, hinting at a rapprochement in ties between the estranged cousins.

"One can see many U-turns in politics. Nothing can be predicted about what can happen in politics. Such alliances have to be made to strengthen a party or expand it. We had given an offer (of alliance) to Raj saheb before and looking at his appeal, he can very well fight the civic body polls. He should come with us (Mahayuti)," Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra minister Sanjay Shirsat, seen as a close aide of Eknath Shinde, said.

In a podcast interview with filmmaker Sanjay Makjarekar in April this year, Raj Thackeray said that he is willing to keep aside "minor disputes" in the larger interest of Maharashtra. "I am ready to work with Uddhav. The only question is whether he is ready to work with me," he had said.

Uddhav returned the favour and said he is willing to put aside trivial issues and hinted at uniting with his cousin in the interest of the 'Marathi manoos' provided those working against Maharashtra's interests are not entertained.

While the statements from the estranged cousins appeared to be genuine attempts towards reconciliation, Raj Thackeray's meeting with Fadnavis Thursday has raised questions on the credibility of such public overtures.

Frequently changing allegiances, however, have defined Raj Thackeray's political career. Following his very public spat with Uddhav's Shiv Sena, Raj floated the MNS in 2006 and made an impressive debut in the 2009 Assembly elections, winning 13 seats with a vote share of 5.75 percent.

Over the next decade or so, Raj's shifting loyalties made his party's success, largely driven by the regional identity plank, proved difficult to sustain. In the Assembly elections held in Maharashtra last year, the MNS failed to win a single seat and garnered a vote share of a meagre 1.55 percent.

In 2014, the MNS chief endorsed Narendra Modi, but five years later, attacked him while campaigning for the Congress-NCP combine. In 2019, he backed Modi again and even shared the stage with him in the run-up to the Assembly polls. This year, he said he is willing to shed differences with Uddhav and tie up with the Shiv Sena (UBT). Two months down the line, he is now seen hobnobbing with BJP's Fadnavis.

With the municipal elections around the corner, the MNS appears to have gained stock with both Shiv Sena (UBT) and the BJP vying for his support. Having styled his politics and personality after late Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray, Raj continues to be a vocal proponent of regional identity in Maharashtra -- a factor that still resonates in segments of the Marathi-speaking urban populace in the state.

While the Shiv Sena (UBT), which has positioned itself as a more centrist political player contrary to the image of the Shiv Sena under Bal Thackeray, sees Raj as capable of compensating for the voters' disillusionment with Uddhav, the BJP views the MNS chief as a strategic disruptor who could cut into Uddhav's voter base while also keeping Eknath Shinde in check.

For now, the BJP has downplayed the development and said that Raj Thackeray and Devendra Fadnavis are old friends and that nothing more should be read into their meeting.