Thackeray-Fadnavis reunion on cards? Aaditya's meet with Maharashtra CM sparks speculation

Aaditya Thackeray's speculated meeting with Fadnavis comes days after Uddhav Thackeray met with the Maharashtra CM at the office of legislative council chairman

Published on: Jul 20, 2025, 19:28:23 IST

By Majid Alam

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Speculation are rife over a change in Maharashtra's political landscape following a meeting between Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray and chief minister Devendra Fadnavis at a Mumbai hotel.

Uddhav Thackeray (back to camera) interacting with CM Devendra Fadanvis during a photoshoot at a farewell function for the leader of opposition in the legislative council, Amabdas Danve, on July 16. (Raju Shinde/HT Photo)

Aaditya Thackeray reached the Sofitel hotel in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) on Saturday evening around 6 pm. Shortly after, Fadnavis arrived at the hotel, where the two leaders held a closed-door meeting, party insiders told Hindustan Times.

However, the chief minister’s office (CMO) said though Fadnavis was at the hotel on Saturday but he did not meet Aaditya.

“The two leaders were there for separate programmes and did not have any meeting,” an official from the Maharashtra CMO said.

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Maharashtra CM Fadnavis is in alliance with Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar's NCP. Manwhile, Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT) is in the opposition Maha Vikas Agadhi (MVA), which includes Sharad Pawar's NCP and Congress.

Aaditya's meeting with Fadnavis comes days after Uddhav Thackeray and son Aadtiya Thackeray, met with the Maharashtra CM at the office of Legislative Council Chairman Ram Shinde.

Saturday evening’s meeting “cannot be a coincidence”, multiple leaders of Shiv Sena (UBT) and BJP told HT on the condition of anonymity.

The meeting between the BJP and Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders have led to speculations of a possible alliance between the former partners. The development has also evoked reactions from the parties of the rival blocs.

Reunion possible? Rival bloc leaders react

Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) (NCP-SP) leader Prashant Jagtap said a BJP-Shiv Sena (UBT)'s unification will be of 'no surprise' as similar developments have been happening in the state since 2019.

"Anything can happen in Maharashtra. We've already witnessed several unexpected developments after 2019. If they decide to reunite, it won't be shocking for the people of Maharashtra."

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However, Jagtap added that he hopes the Shiv Sena (UBT) faction stays with the Maha Vikas Agadhi and doing so otherwise would be a betrayal to the people.

"I truly hope Shiv Sena (UBT) does not join hands with BJP again. The voters backed MVA for its ideology and progressive stance. Reuniting with BJP would be a betrayal of that mandate," he added.

'Scope to come to our side'

During the farewell to Leader of the Opposition in Legislative Council Ambadas Danve earlier this week, Fadnavis indulged in a light-hearted banter with Uddhav Thackeray and invited him to "join the ruling side."

"At least till 2029, there is no scope for us to come there (opposition). Uddhav Ji can think about the scope of coming to this side (ruling party) and that can be thought about in a different way, but there is absolutely no scope left for us to come," Fadnavis said.

The opposition MVA alliance had a dismal performance in the 2024 assembly election, winning only 46 seats.

Shiv Sena (UBT) is the largest party in the MVA alliance with just 20 seats. The Mahayuti alliance, comprising of BJP, NCP (Ajit Pawar) and Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde), had swept the assembly polls by winning a total of 230 out of 288 seats.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Majid Alam
Majid Alam is a Chief Content Producer working at Hindustan Times, based in New Delhi. He currently heads shifts at online desk and manages homepage apart from writing, editing and curating articles. With over six years of experience in journalism, Majid has navigated national, politics and international news. His work primarily focuses on the politics of the Hindi heartland, government policies, and South Asia. He also writes on US and Europe’s policies vis-à-vis India. Before joining Hindustan Times, Majid worked at ABP LIVE as the Chief Copy Editor and at News18, where he managed the World and Explainers sections. His articles have featured in Dialogue Earth, The Quint, BMJ, The Diplomat, and Outlook India. Majid has a keen interest in the use of data for storytelling. Majid holds a Masters in Convergent Journalism from Jamia Millia Islamia. He was awarded the Erasmus+ scholarship to study International Affairs at Sciences Po, Paris in 2020. He is also part of the OCEANS Network, an alumni network of Erasmus+ exchange scholars. He is currently serving as the National Representative (India) at the OCEANS Network. Apart from journalism, Majid has a flair for academic writing and loves to teach. He has published a book chapter: 'Bombay Cinema and Postmodernism' in the book: 'Handbook of Research on Social and Cultural Dynamics in Indian Cinema.' He was also part of the OCEANS Network delegation to Hanoi National University of Education in Vietnam in 2025. He has also given guest lecture in digital journalism at AJK MCRC, Jamia Millia Islamia.Read More

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