In signs of a thaw, Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday said he would welcome any offer of an alliance between his party and the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) in the interests of the Marathi people. However, Uddhav pointed out, ‘One cannot clap with a single hand. Tell me, can you ?’ He was responding to a query on whether the cousins could come together.
Asked what he would do if estranged cousin Raj approached him with a proposal (for an alliance), Uddhav said, ‘If someone is going to come wholeheartedly with Sena, I will welcome them.’ Uddhav expressed these sentiments in the second part of an interview published in Sena mouthpiece Saamana on Wednesday. Raj Thackeray split from the Shiv Sena in 2006 when late Bal Thackeray made it clear that Uddhav would be his successor.
Over the last year, Raj fuelled speculation about a patch-up, visiting his ailing uncle at Matoshree, several times. He also visited Uddhav in hospital when the latter underwent first an angiography, and then an angioplasty. Responding to reports that he was the hurdle in the coming together of the two Senas, Uddhav said, ‘How can I be the hurdle, the villian? I always remained loyal to Balasaheb.’
Asked what he would do if estranged cousin Raj approached him with a proposal (for an alliance), Uddhav said, ‘If someone is going to come wholeheartedly with Sena, I will welcome them.’ Uddhav expressed these sentiments in the second part of an interview published in Sena mouthpiece Saamana on Wednesday. Raj Thackeray split from the Shiv Sena in 2006 when late Bal Thackeray made it clear that Uddhav would be his successor.
Over the last year, Raj fuelled speculation about a patch-up, visiting his ailing uncle at Matoshree, several times. He also visited Uddhav in hospital when the latter underwent first an angiography, and then an angioplasty. Responding to reports that he was the hurdle in the coming together of the two Senas, Uddhav said, ‘How can I be the hurdle, the villian? I always remained loyal to Balasaheb.’