A day after Fadnavis’s ‘invite’, Uddhav meets CM

The meeting comes against the backdrop of a simmering cold war between Fadnavis and Shinde

- Saurabha Kulshreshtha

Tremors in the corridors of power grew stronger on Thursday, a day after chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, speaking in a lighter vein in the state legislative council, invited Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray to join the treasury benches.

Barely 24 hours later, the two leaders were closeted in the chamber of legislative council chairperson Ram Shinde - a meeting that left political observers wondering whether Fadnavis’s lighthearted remark was, in fact, a precursor to serious political realignments in Maharashtra.

The meeting, which could signal a thaw in relations between Fadnavis and Thackeray, comes against the backdrop of a simmering cold war between Fadnavis and deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde. It’s a war that began late last year, when Shinde had to concede chief ministership to Fadnavis when the Mahayuti alliance swept to power in the state.

Now, Fadnavis appears to be warming up to Thackeray, arch rival of Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde, who ditched Thackeray to join the Fadnavis-led BJP in 2022.