Gadkari Addresses the Chief of the Sena (UBT) in Response to His Offer to Join Oppn

Union minister Nitin Gadkari has allegedly been instructed by Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray to quit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and join the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). Additionally, Thackeray promised him a ministerial position, stating that it would be a “position with powers” when “MVA forms government.”

However, Gadkari called Thackeray’s offer “immature and ridiculous,” adding that the head of the Shiv Sena (UBT) should not be concerned about the leaders of the saffron party since the BJP has a mechanism in place for choosing candidates for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Speaking on Tuesday at a rally in the Yavatmal district of Maharashtra, Thackeray claimed that although Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other individuals like (former Congress leader) Kripashankar Singh—whom the BJP had previously targeted due to allegations of corruption—were included in the saffron party’s initial list of candidates, Gadkari’s name was not.

“This is something I told Gadkari two days ago, and I’m saying it again. Get out of the BJP and join the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) if you are being insulted. We’ll see to it that you win. When our administration takes office, we will appoint you as a minister, which will be a position with authority, he said.

The Congress, the NCP (SP) headed by Sharad Pawar, and the Shiv Sena (UBT) make up the opposition MVA.

When asked about Thackeray’s remarks, Gadkari on Tuesday rejected the idea, saying the head of the Shiv Sena (UBT) does not need to be concerned about BJP politicians.

“Thackeray’s proposition is foolish and immature. He informed PTI that the BJP has a structure in place for awarding tickets to candidates.

According to Gadkari, Thackeray’s proposal was made well in advance of the BJP’s deliberation over Maharashtra’s ticket allotment for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

In reaction to Thackeray’s request for Gadkari to run as an opposition candidate last week, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis made fun of the Sena (UBT) leader, comparing it to someone on the street proposing someone to become US president.

Although Gadkari is a well-known BJP politician, Fadnavis had said that seat-sharing negotiations between the BJP and its partners were not yet concluded, which is why Maharashtra was left off of the original list.

Meanwhile, Thackeray referred to the announcement of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act’s regulations as an “election jumla” (slogan).

The previous chief minister of Maharashtra said that although immigrants from neighboring nations, including Sikhs, Parsis, and Hindus, are welcome in India, the timing of the declaration is questionable since elections would shortly be scheduled.

He said that while Article 370 has been repealed for almost four years, Jammu and Kashmir has not had elections, and Kashmiri Pandits have not yet returned to their homes in the region.

Thackeray said that the BJP should reintroduce Kashmiri Pandits before enacting the CAA.

He said that the INDIA bloc is a coalition of patriots, whereas the BJP, which fosters animosity between faiths and seeks to amend the Constitution, would be competing in the next elections.

“Those who love their country, or ‘desh-bhakt’, will compete in this election, and those who preach hatred, or ‘dvesh bhakt,'” said Thackeray.

He said that Prime Minister Modi still hasn’t had time to go to unrest-plagued Manipur.