Media reports about reconciliation between the two leaders when it doesn’t have any good story to publish.
There has always been reports in media about Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray and his estranged brother MNS chief Raj Thackeray coming together. Whenever assembly or municipality elections approach, media start speculating about a patch up between the two cousins. On the other hand, both Raj and Uddhav deny that there has been any meeting between them and claim that the media reports are false. Media always cook up stories about reconciliation between two brothers whenever they meet but many times it turns out to be a personal meeting instead of a political one.
The Shiv Sena is an established political party in Maharashtra on the other hand MNS is yet to gain its foothold in the state. Few years back, the MNS had played spoilsport by winning 13 seats in the 2009 assembly polls and was emerging as a strong opponent of Sena. However voters have given a thumps down to the MNS in the 2014 assembly election as the party could manage to win only one seat prompting Raj Thackeray to rethink his poll strategy. The party now faces a tough task to revive itself in the state. Both leaders have often attacked each other politically. Even though politically the cousins have attacked each other – as a family they remained together. In July 2012, when Uddhav had to undergo angiography and angioplasty, Raj, his wife Sharmila, and other family members were by his side.
According to sources, “Why do media keep on publishing stories about Uddhav and Raj coming together? Has media lost its credibility? Media insiders know that there are slim chances of Raj and Uddhav coming together.”
A political commentator who doesn’t want to be recognised said, “Both Uddhav and Raj have ideological differences and they can’t come together. Raj is keen to have a single party rule in the state and hence he won’t go for an alliance with Shiv Sena.”
A senior journalist said, “Media report about such stories when it doesn’t have any good story to publish. Right now, Shiv Sena is placed in a better position in the state and doesn’t need the support of MNS. On the other hand, MNS will have to work hard to regain its lost ground in the state. People always attend Raj Thackeray’s rallies in large numbers to hear him but those numbers don’t translate into votes.”
A day after a local news channel reported that Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray met secretly, party MP Sanjay Raut termed the reports as “false” and said rumours are being floated to create political stir.
Quoting the Sena President, Raut in a release said, “Rumours are being made that the Sena and the MNS Presidents met for a political discussion last week. False information is being spread to create confusion. No such meeting has taken place between the two leaders.”
“Some people make rumours into news stories when there are no political events happening,” he said.
A private news channel had said that both the leaders had met at a secret place to discuss the upcoming elections of Kalyan-Dombivli and Kolhapur Municipal Corporations.
Raut said the Sena will emerge victorious in the upcoming Municipal elections of Mumbai, Thane and Kalyan-Dombivali. The elections are scheduled in October this year.
