NEW DELHI: Former Maharashtra CM and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday visited his cousin, MNS supremo Raj Thackeray, at his Mumbai residence to offer prayers on Ganesh Chaturthi.The visit once again highlighted the growing bonhomie between the two cousins, who have had a history of strained ties both personally and politically.Speculation is rife that their renewed warmth could pave the way for a possible alliance in the upcoming civic polls.

This marks at least the third public interaction between the once estranged cousins. In July, Raj had visited Matoshree – the Thackeray family home in Bandra East, once the political base of Balasaheb Thackeray – to greet Uddhav on his birthday. The meeting, where Raj presented a bouquet of red roses and Uddhav responded with a warm hug, was widely seen as a step towards cementing a potential MNS–Sena (UBT) partnership.The two had also come together on a political stage in July to mark their “victory” after the Maharashtra government withdrew its controversial GRs on the three-language formula for Classes 1 to 5 and the alleged “imposition of Hindi” in the state.