Raj and Uddhav spark reunion buzz, say ready to ignore trivial issues in Maharashtra's interest
Mumbai, Apr 19 (PTI): MNS leader Raj Thackeray has sparked speculation about a potential political rapprochement with his estranged cousin and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, noting their past differences are "trivial" and uniting for the greater good of "Marathi manoos" is not a difficult task.
The buzz strengthened when Uddhav on Saturday said he is ready to put aside trivial fights provided that those working against Maharashtra's interests will not be entertained, a veiled reference to Raj hosting Shiv Sena head and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde at his residence.
In an interview with actor-director Mahesh Manjrekar’s podcast, released on Saturday, Raj said he had no issues working with Uddhav when they were in the undivided Shiv Sena. Raj said the question is, does Uddhav want to work with him?
"For a bigger cause, our fights and issues are trivial. Maharashtra is very big. For Maharashtra, the existence of Marathi manoos, these fights are very trivial. I don't think it is a difficult task to come together and stay united. But the issue is of desire.
"It is not the question of my desire or selfishness. We need to look at the larger picture. All Maharashtrians should form one party," Raj said when asked whether the two estranged cousins could come together politically.
Raj, for his part, stressed that ego should not be brought to dictate such small issues.
Responding to Raj, Uddhav told Shiv Sena (UBT) workers, "I am also ready to put aside trivial issues and I appeal to everyone to come together for the sake of Marathi manoos."
Without taking the name of his cousin, Uddhav said had the MNS president opposed Maharashtra's investments and businesses moving to Gujarat, then a government that takes care of the interests of the state would have been formed in Delhi and Maharashtra.
"It cannot happen that (you) support (the BJP during Lok Sabha polls), then oppose (during the state assembly polls) and again compromise. This cannot happen.
"First decide that whoever works against the interests of Maharashtra will not be welcomed at home, you will not go to their homes and break bread. Then talk about the interests of Maharashtra," Uddhav said.
Uddhav said he was ready to set aside minor disagreements.
"I am saying I don't have fights with anyone, and if any, I am resolving them. But decide on this (the interest of Maharashtra) first. But then all Marathi people should decide whether they will go with the BJP or with me," Uddhav added.
Notably, Uddhav's assertion comes at a time when Shiv Sena (UBT) has opposed the "imposition" of Hindi in Maharashtra after the state government gave its nod to the three-language formula under NEP.
Raj, nephew of late Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray, resigned from his uncle's party in January 2006 and later formed the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena by picking the son-of-the-soil agenda aggressively.
He had launched several pointed attacks on Uddhav Thackeray who he had blamed for his exit from Shiv Sena.
After winning 13 seats in the 2009 assembly elections, MNS gradually declined and was pushed to political margins in Maharashtra. The party currently has no representation in the legislative assembly due to eroding voter base.
In the recent assembly polls, the Shiv Sena (UBT) was reduced to 20 seats, while the Raj Thackeray-led party drew a blank with even Raj's son Amit losing his maiden poll contest.
The rapprochement buzz comes ahead of civic polls in Mumbai amid the realisation that Shiv Sena (UBT) will have to fight the Sena led by Shinde and BJP to protect its citadel of Mumbai.
Meanwhile, responding to the speculation that the warring cousins may bury their hatchets, state Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal on Saturday said if two families are coming together, there is no reason to object.
"When Raj Thackeray says that his issues with Uddhav Thackeray are not bigger than Maharashtra, he must be hitting that BJP is causing loss to Maharashtra. He must be hinting that investment is going out of Maharashtra. The other meaning of his statement is that BJP and Mahayuti are trying to cause harm to the basic foundation of the state," he told reporters in Pune.
Sapkal underlined Maharashtra's tradition of inclusive governance based on the ideologies of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Shahu Maharaj, Jyotiba Phule, and B R Ambedkar.
"The BJP is trying to break the language and culture of Maharashtra, and Raj Thackeray's recent stand seems to endorse this view," he added.
Using the 'Bharat Jodo' analogy, he said, "If two families are coming together, there is no reason to object. If bonds are being formed, it should be welcomed".
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Kerala polls: ‘People rejected 10 years of misrule’, says AICC gen secy
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal on Monday said the Congress-led UDF’s sweeping victory in the Kerala Assembly polls was a clear verdict against the “arrogance”, corruption, and nepotism of the CPI(M)-led LDF government headed by CM Pinarayi Vijayan.
Addressing a press conference as counting of votes for all 140 Assembly constituencies neared completion, Venugopal said the outcome reflected public anger against what he termed “10 years of misrule” by the Left government.
He claimed that Vijayan’s victory in his home constituency, Dharmadam, was “only technical”, alleging that the CM trailed the UDF candidate in the initial rounds of counting and failed to secure a majority in his own village.
“He just escaped. He suffered a setback even in his home turf. He was the only person who did not realise the people’s mood in this election,” Venugopal said.
Alleging that the CPI(M) and the LDF had resorted to “communal and opportunistic politics”, he further claimed that the ruling front had entered into a “secret understanding” with the BJP in a bid to retain power for a third consecutive term.
He said that when a government driven by power and arrogance attempts to align with anyone to stay in office, even its own cadre turns against it.
Referring to the results, Venugopal said that while the UDF expected rebel CPI(M) leaders, including K Kunhikrishnan in Payyannur, to impact the vote share, their victories came as a surprise.
Describing the UDF’s performance as a “historic victory”, he attributed it to coordinated teamwork, grassroots mobilisation, and the dedication of party workers, adding that the alliance accepted the mandate “with humility”.
Venugopal also credited Rahul Gandhi’s campaign guarantees, calling them a “trump card” that helped voters focus on real issues and reject what he described as the LDF’s “false narratives”.
He claimed that the Congress witnessed one of its lowest levels of rebellion in this election, which contributed to the alliance’s strong performance.
The senior Congress leader further alleged that the BJP managed to win two seats with the help of the CPI(M), and asserted that forces attempting to divide society on communal lines should “learn a lesson” from Kerala’s verdict.
“This is the real Kerala story,” he said.
On the question of the next Chief Minister, Venugopal said the party leadership would decide at the earliest after due consultations.
The counting of votes began on Monday morning for all 140 Assembly constituencies in Kerala, where the Congress-led UDF secured a decisive majority, defeating the CPI(M)-led LDF, which was seeking an unprecedented third consecutive term in office.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) posts, "Thank you to my brothers and sisters in Keralam for a truly decisive mandate. Congratulations to every UDF leader and worker for a hard-fought, well-run campaign. As I said before, Keralam has the talent, Keralam has the potential… pic.twitter.com/6T4IZbEmp4
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 4, 2026
