Aditya Thackeray and (below) Nitesh Rane

Mumbai, Sept. 16: The Thackeray and Rane scions almost came to blows on a Mumbai street on Wednesday night after their cars grazed each other.

Aditya Thackeray, 21, and Nitesh Rane, 29, pushed and abused each other before driving to a police station around 10-10.30pm as hundreds of supporters gathered at Worli Naka, less than a km away from the new Bandra-Worli Sealink that both take to reach their homes in suburban Bandra every day.

Aditya, the son of Uddhav Thackeray and head of the Shiv Sena’s youth wing, filed a police complaint against Narayan Rane’s son for deliberately side-swiping his car and bullying him in an incident of road rage.

The recent graduate from Mumbai’s St. Xavier’s College was travelling in his steel-grey Skoda from Byculla to Bandra when a convoy came up from behind, sirens screaming. Aditya, whose car had been overtaken by Nitesh’s on the Sealink last Friday, recognised it and decided not to give way.

Nitesh, who holds no official position that would entitle him to a car with a beacon or siren, routinely travels in one — presumably that allotted to his father, who is a minister in the Maharashtra government.

“Initially Aditya’s driver veered towards the left to make way, but later, on seeing Nitesh’s car, he tried to block his path. An enraged Nitesh then banged against Aditya’s car with his BMW. Both cars have received scratches. Both were speeding and it could have been worse,” said an officer at Worli police station where the two had gone to complain. Nitesh left without filing a complaint.

The 20ft-wide road near Four Seasons Hotel where the scrap occurred is lined with slums and always teeming with people.

“It is miracle that no one was injured. The cars are strong so not much would have happened to the two young men — but if the drivers had lost control, many on the road might have died,” the police officer said.

Narayan Rane and Uddhav Thackeray have had a long history of crossing swords since Rane left the Shiv Sena for the Congress in 2005. He had announced then that he was forced to quit the Sena because Bal Thackeray was keen to promote his “political lightweight” son Uddhav over other leaders.

The bad blood has continued and name-calling between the two is routine.

Wednesday’s clash between the Rane and Thackeray cubs is being seen by many supporters as a trailer of what may come in the Maharashtra Assembly some day.

Nitesh is trying to become the head of the state youth wing of the Congress. But unlike Aditya, who has been anointed “Yuvraj” by Shiv Sainiks, he has a steep climb ahead. Known for his arrogance, colourful language and incidents of assault and road rage, Nitesh is not popular in Congress circles.

Two years ago, state Congress president Manikrao Thakre had instructed him to give up running his NGO, Swabhiman Sangathana, as a parallel front organisation to the Youth Congress. Instead, Nitesh quit his post in the city youth Congress unit after disagreements with local leaders.