Mumbai: Former BJP president Nitin Gadkari’s offer to Raj Thackeray not to field candidates in Lok Sabha polls may not have elicited any response from the MNS chief but has ruffled feathers of ally Shiv Sena which said the move reflects badly on continuation of the alliance.
“If a senior leader from BJP supports Raj or Sharad Pawar, it can affect the ‘Mahayuti’ (grand alliance),” Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut said, reacting to Monday's meeting between Nitin Gadkari and Raj Thackeray.
Expressing confidence that his party holds sway over the Marathi electorate, Mr Raut said, “Marathi votes will remain with Shiv Sena only. Nobody can dare take it away from us.”
Mr Gadkari, who enjoys a good rapport with Raj Thackeray, had on Monday met the MNS chief triggering speculation that BJP was trying to win over MNS into NDA for upcoming elections even as he said there was no reason for Shiv Sena to be annoyed by the meeting. BJP state chief Devendra Fadnavis, defended the meeting saying, “Gadkariji is our national leader. He can meet anybody whom he wants.”
