No secret Uddhav-Raj meeting: Sanjay Raut

A day after a local news channel reported that Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray and his estranged brother and MNS chief Raj Thackeray had met secretly, Sena MP Sanjay Raut termed the report false and said that rumours are being circulated to create a political stir.

Raut said in a release, "There are rumours that the Sena and the MNS presidents met for a political discussion on Friday. False information is being spread to create confusion. No such meeting has taken place between the two leaders."

‘Rumour mongering'
He added, "The Shiv Sena is an independent and a powerful political party and does not believe in holding secret meetings. Some people make rumours into news stories when there are no political events happening."

A private news channel had claimed on Saturday that both the leaders had met in a secret place to discuss upcoming elections of the Kalyan-Dombivli and Kolhapur Municipal Corporations. Raut said the Sena will emerge victorious in the upcoming municipal elections. The elections are scheduled for October this year.

In Kolhapur, the BJP has decided to have a pre-poll alliance with the Tara Rani Group, a local outfit. Thus, the Sena called off its alliance with its ally there. It was then being assumed that the Sena and the MNS may come together to fight the municipal polls together.

Clearing the air
A senior Sena leader, asked about the events of the recent days, said "After PM's meeting, Modi ji called Uddhav ji and cleared the air. They have gotten close since then. Uddhav ji at this stage will not go towards the MNS and sideline the BJP once again".