MUMBAI: After a series of social and courtesy meetings between them, Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray and MNS chief Raj Thackeray met for a marathon meeting on Wednesday. Uddhav visited Raj’s home at Shivaji Park with party MP Sanjay Raut. The discussions lasted for close to two and a half hours. Shiv Sena (UBT) functionaries said that with Wednesday’s meeting, a Shiv Sena (UBT)-MNS alliance for the BMC polls is certain. Raut, though, said the visit happened because Raj’s mother, Kunda, had asked Uddhav to visit since the family had not been able to spend much time together during a recent Ganeshotsav visit. He said Uddhav went to meet her and the family. Functionaries from both parties said there could be further talks on the Shiv Sena (UBT)-MNS alliance and seat-sharing for the BMC polls.Uddhav’s meeting with Raj comes two days after a delegation of Congress politicians visited Uddhav’s home, Matoshree, and discussed the state of the MVA for the upcoming local body polls and whether the MNS would be part of the MVA. A functionary said the MNS was expecting 90-95 seats in the BMC polls-there are 227 seats in the civic house-but seat-to-seat negotiations would “rationalise” this number. Observers noted that this was a “political” meeting, even though it could have been a family affair.Political observers said the meeting signalled a shift from symbolic gestures to a meeting many described as political. Raut dismissed it as speculation. “There was no political discussion. The truth is that Kunda, the mother of Raj Thackeray, asked Uddhav to visit. She said during our Ganpati visit that we were not able to speak at length. So let’s sit and speak. Hence, we went to Raj Thackeray’s house to meet Uddhav’s aunt,” he said.Last month, Uddhav visited Raj’s home for Ganpati darshan. Shiv Sena (UBT) functionaries said Raj called Uddhav and invited him for Ganpati darshan. Raut also visited Raj’s home.In July, Raj visited Matoshree, the Thackeray residence in Bandra (East), to wish his “big brother” on his 65th birthday. Uddhav welcomed Raj with a hug, and Raj gave Uddhav a bouquet of roses. Raj visited Matoshree for the first time since he split from the Shiv Sena and formed the MNS in 2006.
