Ajit Pawar Downplays MNS-Chief Minister Meeting Amid Political Speculations

Mumbai, Aug 21 (PTI): Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday sought to minimize the significance of the meeting between Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. He emphasized that keeping lines of communication open is a customary practice in the state.

Speaking with reporters in Wardha, Pawar stated, “It is common for many leaders to meet with each other, as well as with the chief minister, regardless of their position in power. Maintaining communication is a tradition in the state, and there is no need to assign any political connotation to this meeting.”

Previously, Raj Thackeray had a meeting with Fadnavis at the latter’s official residence 'Varsha' in south Mumbai, sparking speculations within the political circles of the state.

This meeting followed the first collaborative effort by the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) in the BEST Employees’ Co-operative Credit Society elections, which ended in a significant defeat on Wednesday. The joint panel of the two parties failed to secure any of the 21 available seats in the election.

On Wednesday, Fadnavis accused the two parties of politicizing the credit society polls, specifically focusing on the "Thackeray brand."

Speculations have arisen about a potential alliance between the Sena (UBT) and the MNS for the upcoming local body elections. This is especially relevant after the Thackeray cousins appeared together last month on a political platform addressing Marathi identity and the alleged "imposition" of the Hindi language in the state.