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A day after cousins Amit and Aaditya Thackeray expressed positivity towards the idea of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and Shiv Sena (UBT) joining hands, Aaditya’s father, Uddhav Thackeray, too, seemed to give out positive signs about a reunion.

Asked about the Thackeray cousins coming together, Uddhav replied that whatever was in the minds of the people of Maharashtra would happen. Questioned about the reunion, Uddhav said, “I will not give any signals, you will get the news straight off.”

Devendra Fadnavis, CM

Meanwhile, Uddhav’s cousin, MNS chief Raj Thackeray, has asked his party workers and leaders not to speak or comment on a possible alliance between the two parties. MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT) workers have already started coming together on the ground level, claiming that the Thackeray cousins needed to come together for the cause of Marathi and Maharashtra and to keep the Thackeray brand alive. On Thursday, speaking to a media person, Raj’s son Amit mentioned that the cousins should pick up the phone and speak to each other if the alliance had to be formed.

Mahayuti reacts

Replying to a query on the Thackeray cousins reuniting, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “I have nothing to do with this. Hence, why should I speak on it?” 
He added, “I will speak at the appropriate time on this.”

Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, the leaders of BJP-allied parties and deputy chief ministers, also commented on the matter. Pawar said it was for the two cousins who are heading two different parties to decide on their reunion. “What can others do or say about this?” Pawar added.

However, Shinde dodged the question, saying, “The Mahayuti will contest the election unitedly and win the polls.”

Uddhav and Raj have been at loggerheads for over two decades. The former’s father, the late Balasaheb Thackeray, founded the undivided Shiv Sena in 1966 to safeguard the interests of the ‘sons of soil’. In 2005, Raj, citing differences with Uddhav, broke with the Sena and launched the MNS, which has a similar ideology to the Shiv Sena, a year later.

However, over the years, both Raj and Uddhav have failed to keep their flock together, and their vote banks have seen a steady decline. With both cousins struggling to keep their respective parties afloat, the only survival strategy of the cousins and their respective parties seems to be to bury the hatchet and forge an alliance to keep their relevance intact in Maharashtra politics.