Former allies turned political rivals, Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, came face-to-face today at the Maharashtra Assembly for the first time in several months. The brief yet significant 20-minute meeting was held in the ante-chamber of Vidhan Parishad Chairman Ram Shinde at Vidhan Bhavan.
Officially, the discussion revolved around the still-vacant post of the Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly. Uddhav Thackeray reportedly urged that Speaker Rahul Narvekar accept Bhaskar Jadhav—who was proposed in the last session and has the consensus of the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance—as the rightful candidate for the position. This is the second assembly session since the formation of the Mahayuti government, yet the Speaker has not acted on the recommendation.
Sources say Chief Minister Fadnavis maintained that the decision lies solely with the Speaker.
Also present at the meeting was Aaditya Thackeray. Alongside political matters, the controversial three-language policy was briefly discussed. In a symbolic gesture, Uddhav Thackeray handed over a book titled “Why Hindi Should Not Be Imposed”, a compilation of editorials from various Marathi editors, to Mr Fadnavis. The Chief Minister accepted the book but advised that it be submitted to Narendra Jadhav, who heads the committee reviewing the language policy.
The timing of the meeting drew heightened attention, coming just a day after Fadnavis jokingly invited Uddhav Thackeray to rejoin the ruling alliance. During the farewell speech of outgoing Leader of the Opposition Ambadas Danve—part of the Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction—Fadnavis, looking directly at Thackeray, quipped:
“Look Uddhav-ji, there is no scope of our going there (into the Opposition) till 2029… But if you want to come over here, then consider it… it depends on you… it can be considered.”
Thackeray dismissed the remark as a lighthearted jest, stating that such comments should be taken humorously and not fuelled into serious political speculation. His camp has consistently rejected any suggestion of reuniting with the BJP.
While the official agenda may have been procedural, the political undertones of the meeting have fueled fresh debate about the evolving dynamics between the Shiv Sena factions and the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance.
