In a rare sight, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray were on Thursday seen greeting each other, smiling and laughing as they arrived together at Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai. Uddhav Thackeray’s son and former state minister Aaditya Thackeray was also seen catching up behind the rival leaders.
Member of Legislative Council (MLC) Uddhav Thackeray was at the state assembly to take part in a meeting of the Marathi Language department.
The scene came as a surprise to the audience at home as Fadnavis and Thackeray have been bitter foes since the undivided Shiv Sena broke its alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party after the 2019 Assembly polls over sharing of the chief ministerial tenure.
Thackeray had overthrown Fadnavis to form the then Maharashtra government with the support of the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party.
But the acrimony between the two leaders increased after a rebellion by Eknath Shinde brought down Thackeray's Maha Vikas Aghadi government in June last year. Shinde then became chief minister with the BJP's support, with Fadnavis as his deputy.
Fadnavis had earlier said he had taken revenge on Thackeray by ensuring the collapse of the MVA government.
(With PTI inputs)