A meeting between the BJP leader and former Maharashtra Prime Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday sparked speculation in political circles amid the feud between the two parties in recent months.
The two leaders met at a five-star hotel in the Mumbai suburbs. The BJP dismissed any political motives for this meeting.
The meeting takes on significance as the Seine-led government of Maharashtra faces heavy pressure over the death case of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput and the icy relationship between ruling party allies as right-wing trolls have targeted at Prime Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s son, Aaditya Thackeray.
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“Sanjay Raut wanted to meet with Devendra Fadnavis to conduct his interview for the Saamana party editorial, so it was decided to meet once before the interview. Since Fadnavis wanted the entire interview to be published unedited, it was decided to meet earlier to decide the modalities. The interview will take place after Fadnavis returns from the Bihar campaign, ”said BJP leader Pravin Darekar.
Raut, a strong critic of the BJP, did not react to media reports of the meeting.
Political analysts note that the meeting attracts more than one eye. “No one will meet simply to discuss an interview. This seems more like a message from Shiv Sena to his allies, Congress and the NCP, that he still has good relations with the BJP, “said political commentator Hemant Desai.
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