Fadnavis and Uddhav Thackeray Share Flight

An interesting political development has emerged in Maharashtra after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray were seen travelling on the same flight. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde stirred political speculation with his remarks, saying that Chief Minister Fadnavis knows very well how dangerous a "deceptive friend" can be and described him as a very intelligent leader. Political observers believe the comments were aimed at Uddhav Thackeray.

Fadnavis and Uddhav Thackeray travelled together on a flight from Mumbai to Nagpur. Responding to questions from reporters about the incident, Shinde recalled that after the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections, the BJP and the then undivided Shiv Sena were "on the same flight," but Uddhav eventually "boarded another plane" by joining hands with the Congress. His remarks were widely seen as an indirect criticism of Uddhav over the political developments that followed the 2019 elections.

When asked about sharing the flight with Fadnavis, Uddhav Thackeray responded with a touch of humour, saying that the two had held "high-level talks" and that the outcome would be known in the coming days. His statement further fuelled political speculation. However, BJP leaders dismissed any political significance to the shared journey, maintaining that leaders from different parties can have cordial personal relationships beyond politics.