Aditya Thackeray meets Rahul Gandhi amid rumblings in MVA

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi amid rumblings in the opposition MVA after NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar felicitated Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. He met Gandhi in the national capital late on Wednesday.

The duo is also learnt to have discussed allegations against the Election Commission in the conduct of elections.

Aditya Thackeray is scheduled to meet Arvind Kejriwal, whose AAP lost the assembly polls in Delhi last week.


Maharashtra's opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has been in turmoil after Sharad Pawar conferred the Mahadji Shinde Rashtra Gaurav Puraskar on Shinde, who walked away with the majority of legislators of the then-undivided Shiv Sena in 2022 to topple Uddhav Thackeray's government.

Shinde became chief minister with support from the BJP and subsequently gained control of the Shiv Sena.

The Mahayuti alliance of the BJP, Shiv Sena and the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) won the November assembly election, dealing a body blow to the MVA, which was hoping for an encore after virtually sweeping the state in the Lok Sabha polls.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led faction of the Shiv Sena has dubbed Shinde a "traitor" and was shocked to see Sharad Pawar felicitate him with an award instituted by Pune-based NGO Sarhad.

"Those who are anti-Maharashtra are anti-nationals. We cannot honour such persons who indulge in such dirty work. This goes against our principles. I am not aware of his (Sharad Pawar's) principles," Aditya Thackeray said.

The BJP swept to power, winning 48 of the 70 assembly seats in Delhi, while AAP managed 22 in the February 5 assembly polls.

The Kejriwal-led AAP has been alleging that the Congress, which drew a blank for the third consecutive elections, sabotaged its chances on at least 13 seats.

In last year's assembly election in Maharashtra, the Mahayuti bagged 235 seats in the 288-member House while the opposition MVA managed 50.