MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday visited the residence of Milind Narvekar, personal secretary of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, on the occasion of Ganesh festival.
Shinde, who rebelled against Thackeray's leadership in June and toppled his government, said he paid visit to Narvekar's residence to pay obeisance to Lord Ganesh.
But the visit also assumed significance as Narvekar is considered to be a close confidant of Uddhav Thackeray.
When rebel MLAs supporting Shinde went to Surat in June, Narvekar had travelled there for holding talks with them.
Shinde eventually toppled the Sena-NCP-Congress government in Maharashtra headed by Thackeray.
Now he and Thackeray are fighting a legal battle to claim the leadership of the Shiv Sena.
He on Thursday also met MNS chief Raj Thackeray at the latter's residence here.
The chief minister also met Shiv Sena veteran Manohar Joshi separately.
While an official said that Shinde called on Raj Thackeray at his residence `Shivtirth' in Dadar area on the occasion of Ganesh festival, the meeting between the two led to speculation as it came ahead of the crucial civic polls in Mumbai.
The MNS chief, who has been at loggerheads with his cousin and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray for long, had met BJP leaders last month, leading to a buzz that the saffron party may form a tie-up with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena for the Mumbai polls.
The BJP is currently in alliance with the Shinde-led faction of the Shiv Sena.
Shinde later also called on Manohar Joshi, a former chief minister, at his residence in the same Dadar area.