Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis lit up the Legislative Council on Monday with a cheeky offer to his predecessor, Uddhav Thackeray, inviting him to join the ruling side – a suggestion that was met with laughter in the House but stony silence from the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief.
The remark came during the farewell ceremony of Ambadas Danve, the Leader of Opposition and a member of Thackeray’s faction of the Shiv Sena.
Thackeray was present in the House when Fadnavis turned toward him and said: “Look Uddhav-ji, there is no scope of (our) going there (in the opposition) till 2029 But if you want to come over here, then consider it it depends on you it can be considered.”
“Let it go. Some things should be taken on lighter note,” said Uddhav when asked to comment on Fadnavis’s offer by reporters.
Adding to the buzz, a video surfaced showing Fadnavis and Thackeray greeting each other cordially ahead of the session, with both leaders briefly shaking hands and exchanging smiles – a rare public moment between two former allies now on opposite sides of the aisle.
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) – comprising the BJP, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP – secured a decisive victory in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections, effectively ruling out the possibility of Fadnavis finding himself in the opposition any time soon.
As NDA members burst into laughter at the remark, Fadnavis, adding to the moment, said, “Ambadas Danve may be anywhere (party or opposition) but his real thoughts are right wing.”
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