Mumbai: UBT Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray met Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday at the Vidhan Bhavan, just a day after Fadnavis publicly extended a lighthearted offer to Thackeray to join the ruling alliance. The 30-minute meeting, which took place in the chamber of Legislative Council Chairperson Ram Shinde, has drawn significant political attention.
Thackeray was accompanied by several key party leaders including Aaditya Thackeray, Bhaskar Jadhav, Sunil Prabhu, and Varun Sardesai. Chairman of the Legislative Council Ram Shinde was also present during the discussion, which reportedly lasted about half an hour.
According to sources, the meeting focused on two primary issues: the appointment of the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly and council and the recent controversy over making Hindi compulsory in primary education.
In a symbolic gesture, Uddhav Thackeray handed over a Marathi book titled "Hindi chi Sakti Havi ch Kashala?" (Why enforce Hindi?) to CM Fadnavis, voicing his opposition to mandatory Hindi education.
The book is written by editors of different publications. Interestingly, Thackeray suggested that the book should be given to Narendra Jadhav, the newly appointed chairperson of the committee on language education.
According to sources, On the matter of the Leader of the Opposition, Uddhav and Aaditya Thackeray reportedly held a separate conversation with CM Fadnavis in the antechamber. Despite the Speaker holding the authority to appoint the Leader of the Opposition, the Assembly has yet to make a formal appointment, prompting Thackeray to press the issue with the Chief Minister.
The urgency is further compounded by the impending end of Ambadas Danve’s term as MLC in August. If a new appointment is not made before the next session, the legislature may temporarily be without an Opposition Leader in the Council.
This political stir follows CM Fadnavis’s remarks during the farewell speech for Ambadas Danve in the Legislative Council on Wednesday. In a surprising turn, he openly invited Thackeray to join the ruling Mahayuti alliance, saying:
"Uddhavji, We have no scope left to come to the opposition benches till 2029. But you still have the scope to come here (to the treasury benches). We can think about it differently."
When asked about the offer, Aaditya Thackeray brushed it off, calling it a light-hearted moment. "There should be room for humor and lighter moments during the legislative process," he remarked.
