No mediation needed for Uddhav-Raj talks: Sanjay Raut

TIL Desk/National/Mumbai/ According to insiders, “talks are on” between the Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena at “an exploratory level”.

Speaking on the matter Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said, “There’s no need for mediation to talk to Raj Thackeray. Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray are brothers. My friendship with Raj Thackeray is known to everybody. Our political paths have separated but we have shared a large part of our lives with each other. We still have an emotional attachment.”

Asked to comment on Ajit Pawar’s age jibe at Sharad Pawar, Raut said, “He (Sharad Pawar) always inspires us. Balasaheb Thackeray was 84-86 years old, we always drew inspiration and strength from him. It is not about the age…”

While the Thackeray versus Thackeray political split was not as acrimonious as the Pawar versus Pawar duel being played out presently, Raj Thackeray did go on to politically undermine the Shiv Sena’s electoral prospects in urban Maharashtra in the 2009 Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections.