Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray had reportedly extended an invitation to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari to join the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance and offered him a ministerial post with significant powers. Thackeray’s offer came amidst ongoing discussions regarding candidate selection for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

However, Gadkari swiftly dismissed Thackeray’s proposal, describing it as “immature and ridiculous.” He emphasized that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) follows a systematic process for selecting candidates and suggested that Thackeray need not concern himself with BJP’s internal affairs.

Thackeray’s offer to Gadkari came in the wake of perceived slights within the BJP, with Thackeray highlighting the absence of Gadkari’s name in the party’s initial list of candidates. Thackeray reiterated his offer to Gadkari publicly, urging him to leave the BJP if he felt insulted and assured him of victory and a significant ministerial position within the MVA.

In response to Thackeray’s offer, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis mocked the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader, likening it to an unrealistic proposition akin to offering someone the presidency of the United States.

Meanwhile, Thackeray criticized the BJP’s notification of rules under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, terming it an “election jumla” (slogan). He questioned the timing of the notification, suggesting that it was politically motivated ahead of upcoming elections. Thackeray also criticized the BJP’s handling of issues such as the abrogation of Article 370 and the return of Kashmiri Pandits.