Sena MLC Chandrakant Raghuvanshi said on Sunday that a reunion between the two Shiv Sena factions would be a real Diwali. While he admitted he had no knowledge of actual merger talks, the idea sparked debate. Other leaders called it a personal opinion, noting no such plans currently exist.

MUMBAI: An offhand remark by a Shiv Sena legislator has set tongues wagging about the party and its rival, the Shiv Sena (UBT), particularly his reference to the two sides "coming together".

"I don't know whether the two will come together but I had said, on day one when the Shiv Sena split, that such a thing should never have happened. If Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde come together, it would be a real Diwali,' Sena MLC Chandrakant Raghuvanshi told the media on Sunday.

The word "merger" is currently a hot-button topic in Maharashtra's political circles, with talk of the widely anticipated reunion of the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) surfacing yet again. Raghuvanshi admitted that his wish for the two Senas to reunite was not rooted in knowledge of any actual merger talks.

The two Senas, one led by Uddhav Thackeray and the other by deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, have not once hinted at getting back together ever since Shinde deserted the parent party in June 2022, with 40 MLAs, and joined the BJP-led Mahayuti government.

Over time, the Sena has, in fact, been luring leaders and corporators from the Sena (UBT) to cross over to their side. The latest blow was the desertion of six Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha MPs, who joined the Sena earlier this year. One of them, Omraje Nimbalkar, remarked, "If the two Senas come together, the common man will benefit.''

On Raghuvanshi's remark, industries minister (Sena) Uday Samant said it was his personal opinion. "The Sena is led by Shinde saheb and Sena (UBT) by Uddhav Thackeray. Only Shinde Saheb can take decisions on behalf of the Sena. This could be the personal opinion of Raghuvanshi," said Samant

BJP MLC Pravin Darekar said there was no talk of the Senas reuniting. "I can comment only if a senior leader makes a statement."