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Raj Thackeray calls on Uddhav at Matoshree, sparks speculation

Long list of guesswork as extranged cousins meet – Jaidev issue, BMC polls, birthday wish, family affair…

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The estranged Thackeray cousins sent ripples through political circles with a closed-door meeting at Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray’s Kalanagar residence – Matoshree – last morning. Sources said that the meeting was unplanned.

Later, in 2012, after Uddhav underwent an angiography, he was driven home by Raj, giving rise to speculation of a patch up between the two.

No one else was present during the meeting between Raj and Uddhav, sources said.

“I was unaware of the meeting till the last moment”. The two brothers have had ample opportunities to come together in the past and they have failed and now there is simply no way they can come together. However, rumours had it that the meeting was about a possible adjustment between two parties for the upcoming Mumbai civic polls in February 2017. “There is a strong possibility of both having discussed the court case, and if need be, Rajsaheb may even talk to Jaidev to explore the possibility of an amicable solution”, the leader said, adding that Uddhav’s family is equally disturbed by of the ugly turn that the case has taken because of Jaidev’s revelations in court. Uddhav is locked in a bitter legal wrangle with his younger brother Jaidev over Thackeray senior’s will regarding his estate.

Raj, 48, had left “Matoshri” 10 years ago to chart his independent political journey, but shares a good personal rapport even with cousin Jaidev and might consider intervening in the matter of the disputed will. They met when Uddhav was hospitalised following an accident and also when Raj returned to Matoshree to return Bal Thackeray’s books. During a meeting of party legislators, he also threatened to pull out of government if BJP ministers didn’t complete works of Sena MLAs.

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Shiv Sena plays a second fiddle to ally BJP in the state ministry and it is trying hard to retain its rule over the BMC where BJP plays the second fiddle. It is seen that Marathi votes get divided between Shiv Sena and MNS, which many times benefit Congress and NCP. “They are not only brothers but also political leaders”, he said.

Raj Thackeray calls on Uddhav at Matoshree sparks speculation