Mumbai, June 27 (IANS) A chance encounter inside a Mumbai-Nagpur flight between Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has sparked an intense political storm in Maharashtra.

Seeking to downplay the incident while dropping a political hint, Thackeray, who is currently on a tour of Yavatmal, had claimed that a “high-level discussion” took place during the flight and details would emerge soon. However, Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde has launched a blistering counterattack on Thackeray, dismissing his claims with a sharp rhetorical jibe.

Reacting sharply to Thackeray’s statements, Shinde stated that loyalty and integrity hold far more value than a mere airplane journey. He said that loyalty matters more than a flight, adding that they committed betrayal in 2019.

He further stated that the people of Maharashtra had given them the ticket to travel in the same plane, referring to the BJP-Sena alliance, but they chose to board the sinking ship of the Congress instead.

He remarked that now that they were drowning, they were trying to stay afloat with such statements, but Devendra Fadnavis was highly astute.

He further stated that he witnessed firsthand in 2019 just how dangerous a deceitful friend can be.

Shinde mocked Thackeray’s ongoing ‘damage control’ tour across the constituencies of six MPs who recently jumped ship to Shinde’s faction under ‘Operation Tiger’.

He remarked that he could not say much, as he was the one who had put them to work and made them hold these public rallies.

He added that it was quite amusing: they arrived long after the wedding procession was over and reached the constituencies only after everyone had left.

He also used a Hindi saying to drive home his point: “Jo haud se gayi, woh boond se nahi aati” (What is lost in bulk cannot be recovered in drops), taking a dig at Thackeray’s Yavatmal-Washim and Dharashiv tours.

Despite the political heat generated by the encounter, sources revealed that the meeting on Friday evening (June 26) aboard the 6:30 pm flight from Mumbai to Nagpur was purely a coincidence.

Thackeray, accompanied by Sanjay Raut and Aaditya Thackeray, was heading to Nagpur to kickstart his regional tour, while CM Fadnavis was travelling to Nagpur after wrapping up an event in Pune.

As they crossed paths down the aircraft aisle, CM Fadnavis reportedly quipped in good humour that the three of them coming together like this was the biggest news of the day.

Insiders confirmed that beyond formal pleasantries, no political or personal discussions took place during the flight, and both sides went their separate ways upon landing in Nagpur.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Shiv Rajyabhishek Sohala (coronation anniversary) at Raigad Fort, Shinde also addressed local administrative matters. When questioned about the long-pending appointment of the Guardian Minister for Raigad district, Shinde assured that an announcement would be made very soon.

He stated that they had come there as the soldiers (Mavale) of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and that, with the Chhatrapati’s blessings, everything would fall into place smoothly, and the announcement would be made shortly.

Reports suggest that senior Shiv Sena leader and Minister Bharat Gogawale is the frontrunner to be given the responsibility for the Raigad district.

–IANS

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