Thackeray called up Rajnath: Maharashtra BJP chief

The BJP's state unit president Nitin Gadkari has admitted that Shiv Sena's working president Uddhav Thackeray called up BJP's national president Rajnath Singh last week to protest against Gadkari's remarks on the future of the two parties' alliance.

Reports claiming that "during the meeting of BJP-Sena leaders on Friday to sort out differences over Chimur Assembly seat, which had threatened the continuance of saffron alliance in the state, Thackeray called up Singh and demanded that Gadkari should be removed from the post of state BJP president for the good health of the alliance" appeared on Sunday.

However, the reports were immediately denied by both the parties and it was claimed that no such call was made by Thackeray to Rajnath.

Gadkari's admission has given a whole new spin to the story. It is being considered a counter attack by Gadkari on Thackeray to project him as a leader who takes thing personally and even tries to meddle in the affairs of other parties.

However, Gadkari was quick to add, "Thackeray never demanded my removal from the post, he only expressed his displeasure over some of my statements which he felt were damaging to the future of the alliance. But my statements which I made in Nagpur got printed, quoting me out of context. I have explained my position to our national president."

He also claimed that the decision to stake claim to Chimur seat was not his own decision. It was a collective decision of the state BJP leadership, which was taken some time back when Pramod Mahajan was alive.

"And as recently as our party's national executive committee meeting at Dehradun, me, party's leader in the State Assembly Gopinath Munde and state unit organising secretary Raghunath Kulkarni met Atalji, Advaniji and Rajnathji to seek their permission to stake claim to Chimur seat."

Replying to a question, Gadkari said, "I was hurt by the news item that appeared in the Sena's mouthpiece 'Samna', which blamed me for jeopardising the alliance. But I am a mature politician and believe in taking such things in stride. I have pardoned Samna with a big heart as the story was based on incorrect information."

"There is a clear understanding between the Sena and BJP that the parties whose numbers are more will have the post of chief minister or leader of Opposition, so the newspaper reports which suggested that the battle for Chimur was a battle for the Leader of Opposition post in the State Assembly are erroneous and wrong way to interpret the things," Gadkari said.

Gadkari also refuted the reports appearing in a section of the media that the BJP's local unit in Kalyan-Dombivali in particular and Sangh Parivar in general were not happy with the BJP's decision to exchange the Chimur seat with Kalyan-Dombivali seat which is considered to be the bastion of RSS-BJP.