BJP Refutes Speculation Following Fadnavis and Thackeray’s Coincidental Flight Encounter

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swiftly dismissed any speculation regarding a potential thaw in relations between party leader and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his political rival, Uddhav Thackeray, president of the Shiv Sena (UBT). The two were spotted traveling together on the same flight from Mumbai to Nagpur, which is Fadnavis’ hometown.

Uddhav Thackeray, a vocal critic of the BJP, was accompanied on the flight by his son, Aaditya Thackeray, as well as his close associate and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut. In response to the situation, BJP MLC Pratap Lad downplayed the incident, emphasizing that political rivalry does not equate to personal animosity. “Although we are political opponents, we are not enemies. We do hold cordial talks. Despite the strained relations between the BJP and Shiv Sena (UBT), he (Uddhav) attended my daughter’s wedding with his family. We are not adversaries of each other. The CM is known for maintaining friendly relations across party lines,” Lad stated during an interview with a regional news channel.

Lad expressed his astonishment that Uddhav Thackeray chose to fly on a regular commercial flight, stating, “I am surprised that Uddhav Thackeray is traveling by a general passenger plane. Devendra Fadnavis regularly travels between Mumbai and Nagpur by air, so there is nothing unusual about his journey.” His remarks come just days after six Lok Sabha MPs transitioned from Shiv Sena (UBT) to the faction led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who is a BJP ally.

Further commenting on the recent political shifts, Lad claimed that the defections had been brewing for the past four months and firmly denied any BJP involvement in the matter. “The Lok Sabha members did not defect suddenly; the process had been underway for the last four months. The BJP has nothing to do with their defection. Thackeray may be disappointed by these developments, but I still saw a smile on his face,” he concluded, providing insight into the evolving political landscape.

(With inputs from PTI)