India, Feb. 14 -- Less than 24 hours after his party's blistering criticism of NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar for felicitating deputy chief minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde at a function in Delhi on Tuesday, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray made his stand unmistakably clear. He rushed to the capital late on Wednesday and met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday - but conspicuously avoided meeting Pawar, who was also in Delhi.

Thackeray's trip is seen as an attempt to reach out to the leaders of the INDIA coalition as his party is wary of Pawar's moves. Thackeray also raised questions about the results of the Delhi and Maharashtra assembly elections, which the Bharatiya J...