"If You Want To Come Over...": Devendra Fadnavis' 'Invite' To Uddhav Thackeray

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis sparked much merriment in the state assembly today with his public invitation to Uddhav Thackeray to cross over - suggestion Mr Thackeray and his party stonily ignored. 

Speaking during the during the farewell ceremony of Ambadas Danve, Leader of Opposition and a member of Mr Thackeray's faction of the Shiv Sena, Mr Fadnavis - addressing Mr Thackeray who was also in the House - said: "Look Uddhav-ji, there is no scope of (our) going there (in the opposition) till 2029... But if you want to come over here, then consider it... it depends on you... it can be considered".

As NDA colleagues in the house broke into guffaws, Mr Fadnavis said, "Ambadas Danve may be anywhere (party or opposition) but his real thoughts are right wing".

His comments sparked massive speculation. While there has been plenty of interest whether the old allies would get back together and there have been multiple reports of the BJP sending feelers to the Thackeray faction, this was the first instance of the Chief Minister making such a comment in public. 

The Thackeray faction has always treated any talk to getting back with the BJP with disdain. Mr Thackeray -- who had met Mr Fadnavis in the assembly premises earlier -- later said these things are said as a joke and should be taken as such.

Party insiders indicated that Mr Fadnavis's comment can also be a ruse to keep a check on his deputy, Eknath Shinde ahead of the civic election.

Mr Shinde is seen to have been unable to keep a check on his leaders like Sanjay Gaikwad and Sanjay Shirsat, who had left the Mahayuthi government open to embarrassment. 

On Monday, Mr Shinde had issued a stern waring to his leaders, saying they should consider themselves "workers" first and foremost, keep a firm control on their tempers and "not let success go to their heads".

"In the past few days, certain incidents have taken place... People don't point fingers at you - they point at me for what you do. They ask me: 'What are your MLAs up to?" sources had quoted him as saying. 

While Mr Fadnavis had not commented on the matter publicly, there have been police action against the Sena MLAs. 

There is speculation that the Shinde Sena and the BJP can contest the election for the Brihanmumbai Corporation - the richest civic body in the country - separately.