UBT, MNS to hold march in Nashik city on Friday

Nashik/Mumbai: Nashik units of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) on Wednesday announced a joint protest march in the city against state govt and Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) for their failure to address the issues of farmers among other causes, in the city on Sept 12.Information was given during a joint press conference of the party held at MNS' city office. The protest march will begin at 11:00 a.m. on Friday from B D Bhalekar ground in the city and proceed to the Nashik district collectorate."We, both Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS, are jointly organising a march against the Mahayuti-led govt in Maharashtra on the issues of rising crime, drug sales, chain snatching, negligence in addressing farmers' issues, and corruption in the civic body during the administrative governance," said Datta Gaikwad, deputy leader of Shiv Sena (UBT).Gaikwad said that this would the first time both parties will hold a joint protest march in the city.MNS state general secretary Dinkar Patil said that among the civic issues being highlighted during the protest march are the bad condition of roads, NMC's failure to repair them, and traffic congestion across city areas. Cousins meet for 2nd time amid alliance buzz for pollsShiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray and MNS chief Raj Thackeray met for a marathon meeting on Wednesday. Uddhav visited Raj's home at Shivaji Park with party MP Sanjay Raut. The discussions lasted for close to two and a half hours.Shiv Sena (UBT) functionaries said that with Wednesday's meeting, a Shiv Sena (UBT)-MNS alliance for the BMC polls is certain.Raut, though, said the visit happened because Raj's mother, Kunda, had asked Uddhav to visit since the family had not been able to spend much time together during a recent Ganeshotsav visit. He said Uddhav went to meet her and the family.Functionaries from both parties said there could be further talks on the Shiv Sena (UBT)-MNS alliance and seat sharing for the BMC polls, and more rounds of meetings are expected. Uddhav's meeting with Raj comes two days after a delegation of Congress politicians visited Uddhav's home, Matoshree, and discussed the state of MVA for the upcoming local body polls and whether the MNS would be part of the MVA.A functionary mentioned that the MNS was expecting 90-95 seats in the BMC polls—there are 227 seats in the civic house—but seat-to-seat negotiations would "rationalise" this number. Political observers noted that this was a "political" meeting, even though it could have been a family affair.Political observers said the meeting signalled a shift from symbolic gestures to a meeting many described as political.(With inputs from Chaitanya Marpakwar)