During the meeting of leaders of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) parties, Thackeray asked the Centre to help Maharashtra in waiving loans of farmers in distress, on the lines of Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh.
Till last week, Shiv Sena, the BJP's old and biggest ally, was infuriated with the Modi government, the Ravindra Gaikwad issue being the latest bone of contention. But, on Monday night, the differences seemed to have been ironed out as Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah in the Capital.
Both sides described the meetings as "positive".
During the meeting of leaders of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) parties, Thackeray asked the Centre to help Maharashtra in waiving loans of farmers in distress, on the lines of Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh. Thackeray, sources said, pointed out that loan waiver was a burning issue in Maharashtra. Recalling that the NDA, while in opposition, had consistently sought relief for farmers, he said the onus is now on the Modi government now.
The demand for farm loan waiver has united opposition parties — the Congress and NCP — along with other smaller parties. Last week, they concluded a 1,500-km-long protest march on the issue, covering Vidarbha and Marathwada, that faced one of the worst droughts last year.
Soon after the UP government announced loan waiver, the Shiv Sena had demanded that Maharashtra too take a similar step, Thackeray's presence at the meeting was itself significant as days earlier, senior Sena leader Sanjay Raut had warned that the Shiv Sena would skip the NDA meeting if the ban on flying imposed on its MP Gaikwad was not lifted. The civil aviation ministry, which had refrained from stepping in, had sent a letter to Air India asking it to lift the ban, ending the standoff on the issue.
"The Prime Minister talked about the long-standing history of ties between BJP and Sena and how that should continue," sources said.
The Sena chief also congratulated Modi on BJP's massive victory in the recent Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. On the meeting between Amit Shah and Thackeray, sources said it went on for about 15-20 minutes and that they talked about strengthening the alliance and moving ahead from the frictions in recent past.
The editorials in Sena mouthpiece Saamna, too, has been a constant source of friction between the two allies, peeving the BJP. Just last week, the Saamna slammed the BJP for ignoring farmers' issues while pushing for cow slaughter in several states. It had said that the BJP should push for beef ban in North-Eastern states too.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Uddhav Thackeray")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}