No option for BJP but unite with Sena, run BMC: Nitin Gadkari

Mumbai: With the Shiv Sena and BJP locked in a tussle for the prestigious mayor’s post in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the country’s richest civic body, senior BJP leader and Union minister Nitin Gadkari said Friday that there was “no option” for his party than to join hands with the Sena to control the BMC.

State BJP minister Chandrakant Patil had also expressed a similar view after the poll results.

“The situation now is that both parties have no option but to come together again. The final decision on this issue has to be taken by Devendra Fadnavis and Uddhav Thackeray. Both are mature and I am sure they will take the right decision. I feel the leaders of both parties have to take a decision, showing sujh bujh (understanding) and maturity,” Mr Gadkari told a Marathi TV channel.

He singled out Sena mouthpiece Saamana for targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah. “If there has to be friendship with us (BJP), then there has to be a check on the writings in Saamana. How will there be friendship when Saamana, on a daily basis, writes insulting things about the PM and our party president?”