In a sharp political jibe with undertones of invitation, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday extended an open door to his estranged former ally Uddhav Thackeray, suggesting that while the BJP won’t be joining the opposition, Thackeray is welcome to return to the ruling side.
Speaking at a farewell function in the legislative council for Leader of Opposition Ambadas Danve, Fadnavis remarked with a smirk, “Uddhav ji, there is no scope for a change in government till 2029. We don’t have any chance to go to your side, but you have the scope to come here. We can definitely think about it.”
The comment, made in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde—who famously led a 2022 rebellion that split the Shiv Sena and toppled Uddhav’s government—comes amid murmurs of growing tension between Fadnavis and Shinde. After the Mahayuti’s sweeping win in the 2024 assembly elections, it was widely speculated that Shinde was upset about losing the chief minister’s post to Fadnavis.
Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena had parted ways with the BJP after the 2019 elections over the CM post dispute. Since then, the political landscape in Maharashtra has been defined by shifting alliances, courtroom drama, and public spats—this remark from Fadnavis only adds more heat to the fire ahead of the 2025 local body polls.
