'Secret Meeting' Inside Lift? Uddhav-Fadnavis Chance Encounter at Maharashtra Assembly Raises Eyebrows

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday joked about a “secret meeting”, after his accidental encounter with BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis outside an elevator in the Vidhan Sabha generated much speculation. The two leaders were spotted exchanging more than just a few words and even shared the lift. When asked about it later, the former Maharashtra chief minister reportedly said “they will hold all their secret meetings in the lift”.

On the first day of the last session of the state legislature, the media went into a frenzy when Fadnavis ran into Thackeray, who was waiting for a lift. And more so, when he beckoned his archrival to ride the elevator together while a couple of persons already inside were asked to step out.

A smiling Thackeray obliged and went up – in a cloud of speculation – from the ground floor to the upper floor where the Assembly is situated. But after alighting, both walked away in opposition directions.

Later, when media persons mobbed and quizzed Thackeray for a bite, he airily replied that it was just a coincidence and nothing more.

In another development, Patil dropped in to meet Thackeray, Leader of Opposition (Council) Ambadas Danve, ex-minister Anil Parab and others at the SS (UBT) office.

An atmosphere of cheerful camaraderie seemed to prevail there, and a grinning Patil even distributed chocolates and conveyed his “advance” wishes to Parab who contested the just-concluded MLC elections, the result of which is expected on Monday (July 1), while Thackeray asked the BJP visitor to “maintain cordial relations always.”

However, MahaYuti ally Shiv Sena leader Bharat Gogavale sought to downplay the developments, and ruled out the possibility of any talks opening between the BJP-SS (UBT), while his colleague Sanjay Shirsat said Thackeray-Fadnavis may have “winked” at each other.

Rejecting all political and media speculation, SS (UBT) MLA Vaibhav Naik termed it as “mere coincidence and nothing else” that Thackeray and Fadnavis happened to travel in the legislature building lift.

What happened on Day 1 of the monsoon session?

Ahead of the monsoon session, however, Thackeray took a jibe at the government calling it a “leakage government” and said people will soon be saying “tata, bye-bye” to it. “Monsoon session (of Maharashtra Assembly) starts today but people are saying ‘tata, bye-bye’ to this government. Budget will be announced by this government tomorrow. We expect them to tell us how much money they spent on Maharashtra. This is a leakage government; leakage is happening at Ram Mandir and there is also the paper leak matter,” he said.

Opposition members also staged a protest on the premises of the Vidhan Bhavan as the monsoon session of the state legislature began. The protesters, belonging to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) comprising the Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and NCP (SP), raised slogans against the government over the issues related to farmers and the NEET exam.

Sitting on the state legislature complex’s stairs, the opposition members raised slogans holding placards in their hands. On Wednesday (June 26), the opposition alliance boycotted chief minister Eknath Shinde’s customary tea party on the eve of the session, accusing the government of failing to address issues of the masses.

During the session, being held in Mumbai from June 27 to July 12, the ruling Mahayuti alliance will present the state budget in both Houses of the legislature on June 28. The interim budget was tabled in February ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

(With agency inputs)