Mid-Air Meeting: Devendra Fadnavis, Uddhav Thackeray Cross Paths On Mumbai-Nagpur Flight Amid 'Operation Tiger' Defections

New Delhi: In a surprising and politically charged encounter, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his political rival and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray were spotted traveling together on a flight from Mumbai to Nagpur on Friday.

This unexpected sighting comes against the backdrop of significant political instability in Maharashtra, marked by the recent defection of six of Thackeray’s nine Members of Parliament to the rival Shinde faction.

Fadnavis shakes hands

Notably, Fadnavis was seated on one side, Thackeray was on the other side.

During this unexpected encounter, Chief Minister Fadnavis and Uddhav Thackeray exchanged pleasantries and shared a warm handshake. 

The flight also included other prominent Shiv Sena (UBT) figures, such as Aaditya Thackeray and Sanjay Raut. This rare interaction has ignited intense political speculation regarding its potential impact on Maharashtra’s rapidly shifting political landscape.

Mere coincidence

Meanwhile, despite the attention, both camps have dismissed the encounter as a mere coincidence and the ruling Mahayuti coalition was quick to dismiss any political significance to the development.

Notablt, the Chief Minister is traveling to his home constituency in Nagpur to fulfill a series of pre-planned official and political commitments.

Meanwhile, Uddhav Thackeray has reached Nagpur to embark on a three-day tour across the Vidarbha and Marathwada regions. His itinerary includes visits to several Lok Sabha constituencies where his former MPs recently defected to the Shinde faction.

This meeting follows the recent political upheaval in the state, known as "Operation Tiger," which saw six of Uddhav Thackeray’s MPs defect to the rival faction.

The Lok Sabha MPs of the Shiv Sena (UBT) who crossed over are: Sanjay Deshmukh (Yavatmal), Sanjay Jadhav (Parbhani), Sanjay Dina Patil (Mumbai North East), Nagesh Patil-Ashtikar (Hingoli), Omprakash Rajenimbalkar (Dharashiv) and Bhausaheb Wakchaure (Shirdi).

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