In a surprise political development, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray held a closed-door meeting with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at Taj Lands End hotel in Mumbai on Thursday morning. The meeting, which lasted for over an hour, was not listed on either leader’s public schedule and has sparked intense speculation about a possible alliance between MNS and the BJP-led Mahayuti government ahead of the upcoming civic elections.

Sources told The Indian Express that Raj Thackeray was initially scheduled to attend another meeting at Hindmata at 10 am but made an unexpected change in plan and arrived at the hotel in Bandra by 9:40 am. CM Fadnavis too reportedly arrived at the location shortly afterward.

While both the MNS and BJP downplayed the interaction and labelled it a “courtesy meet” to discuss development issues, several political observers and leaders believe it holds deeper significance.

Sanjay Shirsat, minister from the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, dismissed the claim that it was merely a courtesy call. He said, “One can see many U-turns in politics… Such alliances have to be done to strengthen a party or expand it. We had given an offer (of alliance) to Raj saheb earlier and he can very well fight the civic body polls… this would be our request.”

Adding to the intrigue, MNS leaders Sandeep Deshpande and Amey Khopkar were seen meeting Shinde Sena minister Uday Samant soon after Thackeray's meeting with the CM. However, Deshpande claimed ignorance of the earlier meeting, saying he was unaware Raj Thackeray had met Fadnavis.

BJP spokesperson Keshav Upadhyay maintained that the meeting may not have political undertones. “The meeting could have been related to development work,” he said, adding that the two leaders are known to be good friends.

Meanwhile, Sena (UBT) leaders, including Ambadas Danve and Anil Parab, and BJP minister Nitesh Rane, brushed off political interpretations of the meeting, suggesting it could be personal or related to civic development.

Following his meeting with the Chief Minister, Raj Thackeray met with MNS senior leaders from Mumbai, Thane, and Palghar, instructing them not to make any statements regarding the day's developments.

The meeting comes amid ongoing speculation of a potential "Marathi unity" between the Thackeray cousins — Raj and Uddhav. In recent months, Uddhav Thackeray and his son Aaditya have made multiple public gestures urging Raj to join hands for the larger cause of Marathi pride and regional solidarity.

However, the MNS has remained largely silent on the issue. In an April podcast, Raj Thackeray stated, “Maharashtra comes first, not personal disagreements,” though his party maintained that unity over issues does not necessarily mean a political alliance.

Amit Thackeray, Raj’s son, also weighed in during a recent address on June 5, stating that “alliances are not formed through media sound bites.”

While it remains to be seen whether this meeting signals a strategic shift or simply a developmental discussion, political circles across the state are abuzz with speculation that the MNS could be moving closer to the Mahayuti, which includes BJP and Shinde’s Shiv Sena.