Maharashtra Governor drops in for dinner at Thackerays'

In an unprecedented gesture, Maharashtra Governor B. S. Koshyari on Thursday night visited Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's residence 'Matoshri' in suburban Bandra east for dinner, official sources said here.

This was described as a "return visit" after the Governor had last month warmly hosted the newly-anointed Chief Minister Thackeray and his wife Rashmi for breakfast at Raj Bhavan.

It is also billed as the first ever instance in recent decades when a Maharashtra Governor has visited a CM's private home, to, so to say, "break bread", the sources said.

However, it was not known immediately what was the banquet laid out by the Thackeray couple for the Governor, who is known to be a man of simple vegetarian culinary preferences, but immensely relishes the special style of 'khichdi' prepared in his mountainous home state of Uttarakhand.

A few years ago, then Governor C.V. Rao and his wife had visited then Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at the latter's official bungalow, 'Varsha' when his minor daughter Divija was injured in an accident.

Political circles were agog with speculation whether Thackeray and Koshyari were launching a new phase of "dinner diplomacy" and "forgive and forget" against the backdrop of acrimonious political developments which rocked the state since the October Assembly elections.

However, despite repeated attempts by IANS, Shiv Sena leaders and officials from the state government or Raj Bhavan declined comments in the matter as the two dignitaries relaxed and enjoyed their private dinner. - IANS