Devendra Fadnavis and Uddhav Thackeray meet, ‘talk alliance’

Uddhav Thackeray (left) and Devendra Fadnavis.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray held a one-to-one closed-door meeting on Thursday. According to sources, it appears that the two parties, the Shiv Sena and the BJP, have kept their options open for an alliance before the Lok Sabha and state Assembly elections. A source said: “Fadnavis and Thackeray held a close-door meeting at Varsha (the residence of the chief minister) on Thursday. The meeting was significant considering the recent political development at the Centre and the state.”

Last month, Thackeray had declared that the Shiv Sena would contest elections alone. But Thackeray’s talks with Fadnavis on Thursday is being seen as both the parties willing to keep all options open at the moment. The development comes at a time, two other parties, the Congress and the NCP are also talking about a possible alliance with an eye on the upcoming elections.