Raj Thackeray Raj Thackeray

In a surprise gesture, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, whose party drew a blank in the Lok Sabha polls though it contested from 10 seats in Maharashtra, sent a bouquet to estranged cousin Uddhav Thackeray, the leader of the Shiv Sena, congratulating him for his party's success in the elections. The Shiv Sena had won in 18 seats.

Raj had put up MNS candidates against the Shiv Sena after the Sena objected to his meeting BJP leader Nitin Gadkari and blocked his entry into the NDA.

After that, Raj started praising PM-elect Narendra Modi and attacking the Shiv Sena. The cousins' tussle reached its peak during the campaigning. Uddhav had supported his decision to block Raj's entry into NDA by saying that those who backstabbed his father, Balasaheb Thackeray, are not worthy of a handshake. Raj had vowed to show the Shiv Sena its place and of the 10 candidates he fielded, 8 were against the Shiv Sena. The war of words got murkier when Raj criticised Uddhav for "ill feeding" Bal Thackeray during his last days.

But the results proved to be disastrous for Raj and the MNS. All MNS candidates lost their deposits in the elections where as the Shiv Sena got its best performance ever of 18 seats, a feat it couldn't achieve even during Bal Thackeray's time.

Today's bouquet from Raj to Uddhav has come at a time when many in the Shiv Sena are a bit apprehensive of the mammoth success and are worried that in the upcoming Assembly elections, the Shiv Sena may have to play second fiddle to the resurgent BJP. It looks like Raj wants to extend a new hand of friendship to his cousin as a leader of another party and if they inch closer, it may prove worrisome for the BJP as it is looking at getting the chief ministership in Maharashtra and is unwilling to play the junior partner in the alliance. Uddhav is yet reciprocate Raj's gesture.