Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Friday played down political speculation around his recent meeting with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, making it clear that the interaction should not be interpreted as the beginning of any political tie-up.
The meeting, held at Shinde’s official residence ‘Nandanvan’, quickly became a topic of intense debate in political circles, with suggestions of a possible understanding between the Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction and the MNS. Speaking to reporters after an internal party meeting, Thackeray said the habit of viewing every interaction between political leaders through an electoral lens reflects the decline of healthy political dialogue.
“We no longer have politics like we used to. Elections are still far away. If those in power can be approached to raise issues or suggest corrective steps, why should that be seen as an alliance discussion?” Thackeray said, stressing that elections are nearly three years away and there is no reason for premature political calculations.
He added that he does not hesitate to meet anyone in authority if public issues demand it, including the chief minister. According to him, urgent civic concerns in cities such as Mumbai, Pune and Thane require direct engagement with the government rather than political posturing.
The meeting also brought back memories of the Kalyan-Dombivli municipal corporation elections, where the MNS had supported Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction, a move that had drawn sharp criticism from Uddhav Thackeray. Raj Thackeray had largely stayed silent on that episode, which had earlier added to speculation about his political intentions.
Reacting to the development, Shinde Sena leader Naresh Mhaske welcomed the interaction, saying that if leaders influenced by the ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray come together in the interest of Hindutva and public welfare, party workers would view it positively.
During his media interaction, Raj Thackeray also raised strong concerns over what he described as chaotic urban growth across Maharashtra. He said redevelopment in major cities is taking place without matching upgrades in infrastructure, leading to overcrowding, traffic congestion and civic indiscipline. “What is being called development today is only swelling, not real growth,” he remarked, warning that unchecked population and vehicle growth could push cities into disorder.
Thackeray said these issues were conveyed earlier to the chief minister and were reiterated during his meeting with the deputy chief minister. He maintained that the discussion focused squarely on urban planning failures and civic stress, firmly rejecting suggestions that the meeting had anything to do with future political alliances.
