On Friday, Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis indicated that Union Minister Nitin Gadkari would be the primary focus during the finalization of seat-sharing agreements for the Lok Sabha elections within the ruling 'Mahayuti' alliance in the state.
Addressing reporters, the BJP leader dismissed Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray's proposal to offer a Lok Sabha ticket to Nitin Gadkari from the opposition's Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition.
Gadkari is our prominent leader. He contests from Nagpur. When the first list of candidates (of BJP) was released, there had been no discussions among Mahayuti partners (BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led NCP). Once Mahayuti’s decision (on seat-sharing) is done and discussions take place, Gadkari’s name would come up first, Fadnavis said.
He further commented on the state of Thackeray's own party, remarking that such an offer from the chief of a party in disarray to a national-level leader like Gadkari is comparable to a minor figure proposing to make someone the President of the United States. Thackeray had made these statements during a rally on Thursday, suggesting that Gadkari should exhibit Maharashtra's strength by resigning instead of yielding to pressures from Delhi. Thackeray asserted that they would ensure Gadkari's election as a candidate from the MVA coalition.