The incident unfolded at Shinde’s native Dare village in Satara district, where he was interacting with reporters
Raj Thackeray, nephew of late Shiv Sena patriarch Bal Thackeray, had exited the party in 2006, citing differences with cousin Uddhav. Eknath Shinde. File Pic
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday appeared visibly irked when confronted with a question concerning the potential patch-up between estranged cousins Uddhav and Raj Thackeray. As per PTI reports, the leader brusquely dismissed the line of questioning and instead urged media personnel to centre their attention on the state government’s performance.
The incident unfolded at Shinde’s native Dare village in Satara district, where he was interacting with reporters. During the exchange, a journalist from TV Marathi sought his reaction to the growing speculation surrounding a possible reconciliation between Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray. According to PTI, Shinde brushed aside the reporter’s microphone and tersely responded, “Talk about work,” marking a rare display of irritation from the usually composed leader.
Buzz around a possible rapprochement between the two Thackeray cousins gained momentum following the release of a podcast interview featuring Raj Thackeray and filmmaker Mahesh Manjrekar. Although the conversation was recorded weeks ago, it was made public on Saturday. In the interview, Raj remarked that he had no issues working alongside Uddhav during their time in the undivided Shiv Sena. “The question is, does Uddhav want to work with me?” Raj mused.
Adding fuel to the fire, both cousins made separate statements suggesting openness to reconciliation, provided shared interests — particularly concerning the welfare of the Marathi manoos were kept at the forefront. Raj maintained that coming together in the interest of Marathi people “is not difficult,” while Uddhav signalled willingness to put aside “trivial fights,” though he issued a caution against supporting those who act against Maharashtra’s interests — widely interpreted as a veiled dig at Raj for hosting Eknath Shinde at his residence recently.
Without naming names, Uddhav also remarked that nothing should be done to “help the thieves,” an apparent jibe at the Bharatiya Janata Party and Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction. Uddhav suffered a major political blow in 2022 when Shinde orchestrated a rebellion, split the Shiv Sena, and formed a new government with the BJP's backing.
In the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections, the Shiv Sena (UBT), part of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, managed to secure just 20 out of the 95 seats it contested. The MNS, once a force to reckon with in the 2009 elections where it clinched 13 seats, was entirely sidelined in 2024, failing to win a single seat.
Raj Thackeray, nephew of late Shiv Sena patriarch Bal Thackeray, had exited the party in 2006, citing differences with cousin Uddhav. His newly formed MNS initially gained traction with its strong anti-North Indian stance but gradually faded from the political spotlight.
(With inputs from PTI)
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
