- Eknath Shinde called Devendra Fadnavis a clever person
- Shinde referred to Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray as a scheming friend
- Fadnavis and Thackeray flew together to Nagpur, sparking political speculation
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is a clever person who knows very well how dangerous a scheming friend could be, a reference to Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray.
Shinde was responding to questions about Fadnavis and Thackeray taking the same flight while going to Nagpur on Friday.
He said the BJP and undivided Shiv Sena had taken the same flight in 2019, but then "he took a different flight and aligned with the Congress", referring to the two allies breaking ties.
"Fadnavis is a very clever person. He knows very well how dangerous a scheming friend could be," Shinde said.
When asked about his flight journey with his political rival Fadnavis, Thackeray had said they had a "very high-level discussion". Probed further about the outcome of the meeting, Thackeray said the result will be known in the coming days.
Fadnavis and Thackeray travelled together on a flight from Mumbai to Nagpur on Friday, triggering political chatter. However, the BJP dismissed any political significance to it, saying leaders across party lines maintain cordial personal relations.
On Thackeray addressing rallies in the constituencies of six rebel party MPs, Shinde credited himself for making the Sena (UBT) chief venture out of his home.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
