Aaditya Thackeray meets Tejashwi, CM Kumar

Both young leaders, however, parried questions whether their interaction was part of efforts to form a larger opposition front ahead of the 2024 parliamentary polls.

Shiv Sena ( Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Aaditya Thackeray, son of former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and a former minister himself, on Wednesday met Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Prasad Yadav in Patna.

Tejashwi Yadav and Aaditya Thackeray in Patna. (Santosh Kumar/HT)

Addressing reporters and accompanied by Yadav, Thackeray said, “We discussed about development works and issues facing the country. It is always good that youths keen on working for country exchange views on how to address people’s issues like inflation, unemployment and the need for saving democracy. I have long been in touch with Tejashwi but we met for the first time.”

“CM Kumar told me to come again and see Bihar. I have always invited him to come to Maharashtra,” Thackeray said.

Earlier, Thackeray met Yadav at the latter’s residence. He was accompanied by Shiv Sena MPs Priyanka Chaturvedi and Anil Desai, besides others.

Recently, the young Thackeray had joined Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s ongoing Bharat Jodo yatra at Hingoli.

Both leaders, however, parried questions whether their interaction was part of efforts to form a larger opposition front ahead of the 2024 parliamentary polls.

Yadav, on his part, said the young Thackeray had worked well as a minister in Maharashtra. He parried questions on Sena’s Hindutva agenda earlier.

“It is always good when youths come together in decision and policy making. We will share knowledge. Of course, we have the challenge to save democracy in the country,” said the deputy CM.

He also called Thackeray’s interaction with CM Kumar as a “courtesy call”.

However, Upendra Kushwaha, parliamentary board chairman of CM Kumar’s party JD(U), said, “It is a good sign that major opposition parties are joining hands ahead of the parliamentary polls.”

Meanwhile, Bihar BJP spokesperson Nikhil Anand said CM Kumar and his deputy have insulted the sentiments of Bihar and Biharis by meeting Thackeray for their superficial politics. “These leaders of Bihar forgot that the same people used to abuse Biharis in Maharashtra and drive them away,” he said.

BJP’s Rajya Sabha member Sushil Kumar Modi, who was Bihar’s deputy CM for a long time, said Thackeray’s interaction with Tejashwi Yadav was more like a “picnic party” for scions of two political families. He said Thackeray had come to Patna ahead of municipal polls in Mumbai to seek votes of Biharis staying there.