Fadnavis ridicules Thackeray for offering Lok Sabha seat to Gadkari

Mumbai: Taking a dig at the BJP, Uddhav Thackeray on Friday offered a Lok Sabha seat to Nitin Gadkari. Thackeray has been trying to corner the BJP claiming that a competent leader like Gadkari was ignored in the party’s first list of candidates, which finds names of corrupt people like Kripa Shankar Singh. However, Devendra Fadnavis rebuked Thackeray and said his party was a complete mess. Thackeray offering a seat to Gadkari is like a man on the street saying that I will be appointing the president of America, Fadnavis said.

Addressing a public rally in Dharashiv district, Mr. Thackeray said that the BJP had not announced a ticket to Nitin Gadkari, but the first list contains the name of Kripa Shankar Singh, who had been accused of amassing assets disproportionate to his income. “The corrupt person’s name featured in the first list along with the Prime Minister. But the list does not contain the name of Nitin Gadkari, who had taken pains to nurture the BJP here….. Nitin Ji should quit the BJP and join the MVA and we will ensure your victory (in Lok Sabha),” said the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief.

“I publicly say to Nitin Gadkari that he should resign (from the BJP) and will get you elected,” Thackeray said.   

Rebutting Thackeray, Fadnavis, who is senior BJP leader and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister, said, “The party, which is in shambles, its chief is giving an offer to a national-level leader like Gadkari ji is similar to a small street leader offering someone to the post of US president. Indeed, Gadkari is our heavyweight leader, who contests from Nagpur in Maharashtra. Candidates from Maharashtra have not been announced because Maha Yuti’s seat sharing has not been finalised,” the senior BJP leader said.

Fadnavis also made it clear that Gadkari's name would be the first in the list of BJP candidates in Maharashtra,