Mumbai: Amid the ongoing infighting for control over the party, late Shiv Sena founder late Bal Thackeray's daughter-in-law and film producer Smita Thackeray on Tuesday met with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, triggering intense speculation that the internal party feud has now reached the doors of Maharashtra’s most powerful family.
Rejecting speculations, however, Smita Thackeray said that it was a courtesy visit since Shinde is an "old-timer" and a Shivsanik.
Smita Thackeray became the first member of the Thackeray clan to meet Shinde, whose rebellion against Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray with 39 MLAs led to the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government last month.
“Eknath Shinde is an old Shivsainik who has become the chief minister. I came here to congratulate him. I know him and his work for the last many years. It was a courtesy meeting. We have been knowing each other for a long time so I met him today,” she told reporters after meeting Shinde at the 'Sahyadri' government guest house in south Mumbai.
When asked about the rebellion in Shiv Sena, Smita said she knew nothing about it as she is a social worker and not into politics.
“I am not into politics. I know nothing about it,” said Smita, a powerful figure in Shiv Sena during 1995-99. Smita, who was married to Jaidev Thackeray, elder son of Bal Thackeray, was once very close to Bala Saheb and wielded a lot of political influence on the party and Maharashtra politics.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government collapsed last month apparently due to Shinde’s rebellion against Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray with 39 party MLAs. While the Uddhav camp has accused the Shinde-led group of betrayal, the latter said that the rebels were being insulted by those close to Uddhav and they came together to save the legacy of late Bal Thackeray and continue their fight for ''Hindutva.''
The Uddhav Thackeray-led faction recently moved to the Supreme Court against the proceedings of the Election Commission on the plea of the Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led group seeking recognition of it as the real Shiv Sena.
The Shiv Sena split last month when more than two-thirds of the party's MLAs withdrew their support from the Maharashtra government led by Uddhav Thackeray, throwing their lot with Shinde. Shinde was sworn in as the Maharashtra chief minister on June 30 with the support of the BJP.
