After crushing BEST defeat, Raj Thackeray knocks on CM Fadnavis’ door; cracks in the Sena (UBT)–MNS bond?

Maharashtra’s political circles are abuzz after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray called on Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at his official residence ‘Varsha’ on Thursday.

The meeting has raised eyebrows not only for its timing but also for its backdrop—just a day after the Thackeray cousins, Raj and Uddhav, faced a crushing defeat in the BEST Employees’ Co-operative Credit Society elections.

The Shiv Sena (UBT)–MNS alliance, which contested the polls together for the first time, failed to secure even a single seat out of 21.


Instead, the Shashank Rao-led BEST Workers’ Union panel swept 14 seats, while a BJP-backed panel claimed seven, leaving the Thackerays empty-handed.

A wake-up call?

The loss has been interpreted as a significant warning ahead of the long-delayed Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.

Observers say the outcome exposed weak organisational strength and limited ground-level mobilization by the Thackeray cousins. “This is not just a setback, but a reflection of fading influence,” one political analyst told TOI.

Chief Minister Fadnavis, responding to the results, argued that workers had rejected the “Thackeray brand.” BJP leader Prasad Lad went further, accusing the cousins’ camp of exploiting workers for decades, while Sena (UBT) leader Suhas Samant countered with allegations of cash-for-votes.

Alliance on shaky ground?

The joint defeat now casts doubt on the much-hyped Shiv Sena (UBT)–MNS partnership, forged on a shared plank of Marathi identity and opposition to what they called the “imposition” of Hindi.

Only last month, the two Thackeray cousins shared a political stage at a massive rally, where Raj took a swipe at the BJP while ironically crediting Fadnavis for managing to unite him with Uddhav—something even Bal Thackeray, their father and uncle, had never achieved.

Now, with Raj privately meeting the chief minister, questions are swirling: is this a signal of shifting political calculations?

Deputy CM Ajit Pawar sought to downplay the meeting, saying, “Many leaders meet the CM, irrespective of political affiliations. This is part of Maharashtra’s tradition of dialogue.”

Yet, against the backdrop of a humiliating poll loss and looming BMC elections, the optics of Raj Thackeray walking into Fadnavis’s residence have added fresh intrigue to the state’s ever-evolving political script.