What Eknath Shinde Said On Devendra Fadnavis, Uddhav Thackeray Sharing Flight

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde commented on a flight encounter between Devendra Fadnavis and Uddhav Thackeray, warning that Fadnavis is wary of 'scheming' political allies. The meeting has sparked political speculation, though the BJP maintains it was merely a personal interaction.
Why it matters
The incident reflects the volatile and complex nature of political alliances and personal rivalries within Maharashtra's state government.
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.Uddhav Thackeray आणि CM Devendra Fadnavis यांचा एकत्र विमान प्रवास; "मुख्यमंत्री आणि आमची उच्चस्तरीय चर्चा झाली..." | NDTV मराठी#ndtvmarathi #UddhavThackeray #DevendraFadnavis #AdityaThackeray #PoliticalNews pic.twitter.com/EYfAzmtl7D - NDTV Marathi (@NDTVMarathi) June 27, 2026When 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.)
The article provides quotes from multiple political figures and notes the BJP's dismissal of the event's significance.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in