Uddhav, Fadnavis Accidental Encounter While Waiting For Lift Sparks Speculations, Sena Leader Responds

A video, that has now gone viral, shows the two political rivals exchanging some words. Though it wasn't known what they spoke about, but the body language suggested that it was more than a small talk.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and the Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis share the same lift while going to the Vidhan Sabha.

Source : Screengrab/IANS

On the first day of Maharashtra Assembly's monsoon session, arch-rivals Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis found themselves together waiting for the lift.

A video, that has now gone viral, shows the two political rivals exchanging some words. Though it wasn't known what they spoke about, but the body language suggested that it was more than a small talk.

The two leaders unexpectedly met on the premises of the state legislature while they were waiting to enter the Legislative Council chamber on the second floor.

Watch: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and the Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis share the same lift while going to the Vidhan Sabha pic.twitter.com/YmefNTcbGQ

— IANS (@ians_india) June 27, 2024

The video sparked speculation of the two parties realigning, however, Uddhav Thackeray dismissed the rumours saying it was "an informal chat."

When asked about the conversation with Devendra Fadnavis, Thackeray jokingly said, "From here on, we will do all our secret meetings in the lift."

"When Devendraji and I were in the lift, people must have thought of the song, 'na na karte pyar tumhi se kar baithe' (I fell in love with you despite denials)," the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief said.

"There is nothing like that. It was an unexpected meeting," he added.

Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader also met Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandrakant Patil. When the BJP leader reportedly gave a bar of chocolate to Uddhav Thackeray, he replied, "Tomorrow you will give chocolate to the people of Maharashtra." 

Uddhav was referring to the state budget that is likely to woo voters ahead of the assembly elections in Maharashtra.

The current session is the last assembly session before the Maharashtra elections due later this year.

The election will likely see a tight contest after the opposition MVA trumped against the Mahayuti alliance of the BJP, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) and NCP (Ajit Pawar) in the Lok Sabha polls.

Out of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, the opposition parties, consisting of Uddhav Thackerya's Shiv Sena, Sharad Pawar's NCP and Congress won 30 and the NDA bloc 17.