Mumbai: The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) chose to downplay Shiv Sena's criticism over the meeting between Nitin Gadkari and Maharashtra Navnirmana Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Monday and termed that it is a 'closed chapter' for BJP.
"Following the meeting with Raj Thackeray, Gadkari explained the reason behind the meeting. The Shiv Sena has responded to it also. We don't want comment any further, it's a closed chapter for us," said Devendra Fadnavis, chief of Maharashtra BJP unit on Tuesday evening. He was speaking to media persons after a meeting of state BJP leaders in its headquarters in Nariman Point, Mumbai.
Nitin Gadkari. Agencies.
He also refused to comment on the Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray's comment about 'communication gap in BJP'. "BJP leader Gopinath Munde is visiting his Beed constituency and meeting the farmers affected due to the hailstorm in past few days," he said responding to a query over Munde's absence in today's meeting.
Gadkari met Thackeray at the plush Four Seasons Hotel in central Mumbai and reportedly asked him not to field any candidates against the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance so that all anti-Congress votes go to them. "If MNS does not field the candidates in Lok Sabha elections, it will ultimately benefit both BJP and Shiv Sena and will help to make Narendra Modi as PM and to bring NDA into power," added Fadnavis.
When asked about whether the party endorses Gadkari's visit, he said, "Gadkari is a national leader of the party and his meetings are in the interest of the party. The national leaders of the BJP keep meeting other political party leaders."
Fadnavis also dismissed reports that he was summoned by Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray over the meeting. "My meeting with Uddhav Thackeray was pre-planned to discuss couple of issues related to seat sharing and holding a rally in Vidarbha. It has nothing to do with Gadkari-Raj Thackeray visit and there was no conversation on it in our meeting," explained Fadnavis.
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