India, June 9 -- Amidst the talk of a Shiv Sena (UBT)-MNS reunion as well as the two factions of the NCP, there seems to be a question mark over the future of the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi. If the Thackeray cousins come together, they may not prefer an alliance with the Congress though there is a possibility of them joining hands with the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP). "If Uddhav and Raj come together, they can invite Pawar to join them and it could be a front of three regional outfits in Maharashtra," said a senior Thackeray faction leader. On the other hand, the Pawar uncle-nephew duo too seem to be getting along well, increasing the buzz about the two NCP factions coming together. The two have been frequently sharing a dais, and party workers are wondering whether these are attempts to create a background for the reunion. This leaves the Congress without potential allies in Maharashtra. According to Congress leaders, the NCP (SP)'s not signing the INDIA letter for a Joint Session of Parliament to discuss the India-Pakistan conflict, and top NCP (SP) leaders not supporting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's allegations that election system was rigged by the BJP to win the Maharashtra assembly polls are signs that the distance between the two parties is growing. Anticipating that they may have to go solo in the forthcoming local body polls, the Congress top brass has asked the state leaders to prepare for this. All in all, there is a strong buzz in political circles that there could be several political developments leading to a realignment of forces before the local body polls. The series of meetings that has been happening behind closed doors in almost all camps in the past few days is an indication of this. Devendra Fadnavis is the first chief minister to stay overnight in Maoist-affected Gadchiroli, of which he is guardian minister in January. On Friday, he stayed there after attending various programmes in the district, something he has done thrice before. Significantly, he also visited Kawande, a remote village in Bhamragad tehsil of Gadchiroli on the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border, which is considered part of the area under the influence of Maoists. Again, he was the state' first chief minister to reach the area, for which a new outpost of security forces was built in just 24 hours. The outpost will continue to function now, Fadnavis assured the villagers at a function where 12 Maoists surrendered under a rehabilitation scheme of the government. According to the CMO, Fadnavis has made 25 trips to Gadchiroli in his three tenures as chief minister and home minister of the state. Significantly, Maoist activities have reduced considerably in the district. Speaking at a Marathi channel's programme, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut disclosed that deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde had tried to persuade him to join him before he split the Shiv Sena in 2022. It happened when Raut and Shinde were together during the Ayodhya trip of Shiv Sena leaders a little before the split in the party. Raut said that Shinde had come to his room and told him that he was leaving the party and requested him to join. "He was worried about central agency probes into his affairs, and told me that this was not the age for him to go to jail," he said. Raut added that he advised Shinde not to betray the party and be patient but the latter did not listen to him. Shinde's friendly relations with Raut as well as Uddhav Thackeray's personal secretary Milind Narvekar were well known in Sena circles. The duo did play a role in him climbing up the ladder in the party. As such, Raut's disclosure is unlikely to shock his party colleagues. So far, Shinde has not reacted to Raut's claim. Aides of top leaders who look after their tour arrangements are often worried about their flight schedules. The leaders are mostly behind schedule due to various reasons and it affects their flying schedule, which pilots complain about to the aides. This came to light once again on Friday when a pilot flying a chartered aircraft for Shinde refused to fly to Mumbai from Jalgaon, as it would involve flying beyond his scheduled flying hours. The pilot was already close to ending his nine hours of duty and was fatigued. He agreed after permission for the flight was obtained from the aviation authorities by Shiv Sena leaders. A personal secretary of a top government functionary pointed out that their bosses often took things for granted due to their heavy schedules and meeting people but it was also risky for them. "Often, we find it difficult to convince them to stick to a schedule while on tour and using aircraft to travel," he said....