Uddhav Thackeray, prominent Sena leaders skip Danve sons wedding

AURANGABAD: Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday skipped the wedding ceremony of state BJP president Raosaheb Danve’s son Santosh, further highlighting the strained relationship between the two parties.
Other prominent Sena ministers in the Devendra Fadnavis government, including Aurangabad guardian minister Ramdas Kadam, party MPs and most MLAs also chose to skip the lavish gathering.
Last week, Maharashtra BJP president Raosaheb Danve-Patil visited Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackerays residence Matoshree on the eve of the counting of votes for Mumbai election, to invite him for his sons wedding in Aurangabad. This however had triggered speculations about a probable patch up among the saffron parties. Following Danves `personal visit, the BJP had expected the Shiv Sena to make a move for restoring the alliance in the post-election scenario, as the Mumbai mayoral poll is scheduled on March 8, said a Sena leader.
Thackeray and other prominent ministers and leaders absence from the grand wedding ceremony is indicative of the level of strained relations between the two parties, a senior Sena leader from Jalna pointed out.
Several union ministers, almost entire state cabinet (except Sena ministers) led by the chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, the opposition leader, the MLAs cutting across party lines (except most of the Sena MLAs), bureaucrats attended the mega marriage ceremony of Bhokardan MLA Santosh Danve, son of the state BJP president and Jalna MP Raosaheb Danve at the sprawling Jabinda Estate on the outskirts of the city on Thursday evening.
The Shiv Sena MP Chandrakant Khaire, who attended the wedding function, admitted that ``its true that Uddhav Saheb hasnt come, and he was not coming, so did other prominent ministers in the state cabinet. Even the most of the MLAs didnt attend the wedding ceremony of Danves son and MLA Santosh Danve. Sources close to Khaire, who shares a good rapport with BJP state unit president, said that ``the Aurangabad MP too has attended the function on his personal capacity and not as a Sena leader.
The district unit Shiv Sena president Ambadas Danve, one of the relatives of the BJP state unit chief, too said he attends the wedding ceremony in his personal capacity. While explaining the absence of most of the party MLAs, he said ``most of them could be busy in their respective constituencies attending wedding ceremonies of their near and dear ones. They have to take care of their workers and followers.