India, June 12 -- Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had a hush-hush meeting with Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray at a Mumbai hotel on Thursday amid the talk of the latter's reconciliation with his estranged cousin Uddhav Thackeray, people aware of the matter said.

The people said the meeting was not mentioned in Fadnavis's schedule. They added that Thackeray arrived at the hotel around 9.40am, and Fadnavis 40 minutes later. The meeting lasted about an hour, sparking speculation that Fadnavis was trying to prevent Uddhav and Raj Thackeray's reconciliation, as it is expected to consolidate the Marathi vote bank ahead of the Mumbai civic polls.

Fadnavis and Raj Thackeray are believed to have explored the possibility of ...