Rivals Devendra Fadnavis, Uddhav Thackeray Share Flight To Nagpur - Video

Maharashtra

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his political rival, Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray, travelled together on a flight from Mumbai to Nagpur on Friday. The visual from the flight triggered political chatter. While Fadnavis was seated on one side, Thackeray was on the other side. Thackeray was accompanied by his son and former minister Aaditya and close aide, Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut, on the flight to Nagpur, the hometown of Fadnavis.

WhatsApp Video 2026-06-26 at 7

The ruling Mahayuti coalition was quick to dismiss any political significance to the development. BJP MLC Prasad Lad said political rivalry did not make the leaders enemies and said that he was more surprised that Thackeray chose to travel on a regular commercial flight."Although we are political opponents, we are not enemies. We do hold cordial talks. Despite the strained relations between the BJP and the Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), he (Uddhav) attended my daughter's wedding with his family. We are not adversaries of each other," the ruling party legislator was quoted as saying by PTI. "I am surprised that Uddhav Thackeray is travelling by a general passenger plane. Devendra Fadnavis regularly travels between Mumbai and Nagpur by plane, so there is nothing surprising about his journey," Lad said. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare also sought to downplay Fadnavis and the Opposition politician travelling together. "I also don't see any significance in such a meeting. It is a coincidence and nothing more than that," Andhare opined, as per the news agency. This comes as the two sides have been trading barbs over over 'Operation Tiger'. Six Lok Sabha MPs from the Shiv Sena (UBT) recently crossed over to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.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).The dissidents joined the ruling Shiv Sena at an event at the Yashwantrao Chavan Pratishthan in south Mumbai in the presence of its president Shinde and other senior party leaders.(With PTI inputs)