MUMBAI — Highlighting the sharp political undercurrents in Maharashtra, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde took a swipe at Shiv Sena (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday following the latter’s unexpected flight co-journey with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Dismissing any possibilities of a political realignment, Shinde characterized Fadnavis as a “very clever leader” who remains fully aware of past political betrayals.
The Co-Journey That Triggered Political Chatter
The political speculation began on Friday when political rivals Devendra Fadnavis and Uddhav Thackeray traveled together on the same commercial flight from Mumbai to Nagpur.
When questioned about the interaction, the two sides offered vastly different perspectives:
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Uddhav Thackeray’s Take: The Shiv Sena (UBT) chief cryptically noted that they engaged in a “very high-level discussion,” adding that the results of the mid-air meeting would become apparent in the coming days.
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The BJP’s Stance: The party quickly downplayed the incident, dismissing any strategic significance and stating that leaders across opposing party lines routinely maintain cordial personal relations during transit.
Shinde Invokes the 2019 Alliance Fallout
Responding to media queries on Saturday, Deputy CM Eknath Shinde used a aviation metaphor to remind voters of the 2019 post-poll fallout between the BJP and the undivided Shiv Sena.
“The BJP and the undivided Shiv Sena had taken the same flight in 2019, but then he [Thackeray] took a different flight and aligned with the Congress. Fadnavis is a very clever person. He knows very well how dangerous a scheming friend could be.” — Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister
Credit for Thackeray’s Grassroots Rallies
Shinde also addressed Thackeray’s recent schedule of public rallies across the home constituencies of six rebel MPs who had previously switched sides to join Shinde’s faction.
Taking a parting shot at his political rival’s working style, the Deputy Chief Minister took credit for the development, stating that his political maneuvers had successfully forced the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief to finally “venture out of his home” and engage directly with the grassroots electorate.
