Naik described the meeting as just a courtesy call. He said: ``We met for fifteen minutes and exchanged our views on the current social and political scenario. I have a great respect for Chandrashekhar.''

However, political observers see the meeting as part of the groundwork being done to set up a third front in the state. The Sena rebels Naik, Suresh Navale and Gulabrao Gawande have been in touch with many national and state leaders lately, and Naik in particular has been making attempts to form his own political party. The Samajwadi Party, the Samata Party, the Republican Party of India and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) have given their support to Naik for his efforts to forge a third front as an alternative to the Congress (I) and the BJP-Shiv Senaalliance.

Naik had distanced himself from the Shiv Sena in May last year, but he said he is in no hurry to quit the party. He maintained that the party leadership does not want to expel him, because it fears that he would gain political sympathy.