Gadkari gets backing of 39 MLAs, all of whom first supported Fadnavis for ... - Indian Express

On taking support of NCP-Congress after the elections as an expediency, Gadkari said, 'We will get majority. No ifs and buts.' (Source: PTI)

After the BJP’s big win in Maharashtra, the divide in the state party unit came out in the open on Tuesday as 39 of its 44 Vidarbha MLAs took a flight from Mumbai to Nagpur and asked Union Minister and former party president Nitin Gadkari to take over as the Chief Minister. Interestingly, all the 44 MLAs had earlier supported state party president Devendra Fadnavis, who is seen as the frontrunner for the top post.

Even as the MLAs shouted slogans like, “Maharashtra ka mukhya mantri kaisa ho, Nitin Gadkari jaisa ho”, Gadkari sought to play down the development. “It is their love for me that has prompted them to urge me to become CM. But I have repeatedly said that I am not interested in returning to the state… The CM will be chosen by the parliamentary party,” he said.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari with the newly-elected BJP MLAs from Vidarbha, at his residence in Nagpur on Tuesday. Source: Express

The move, however, seemed to have been planned strategically. First, Gadkari landed at Nagpur on Tuesday. Then, the MLAs rushed to Nagpur and gathered at his residence. Gadkari also fielded his close aide, Sudhir Mungantiwar, to hold discussions with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in the Capital.

In Nagpur, one of the MLAs said they wanted Gadkari to take over “since Maharashtra needs able leadership” and he “is experienced and more able.”

The development has brought out the much-speculated turf war in Nagpur (between Nitin Gadkari and Devendra Fadnavis) out in open beyond any doubt. (Source: PTI photo)

Describing it as a show of strength — and a message to both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah, BJP sources said, “Gadkari has sensed that the central leadership is keen on picking Fadvavis as the CM. So he is trying to reassert his political might in the state.”

A close aide of Gadkari said, “At a rally in Nagpur, Modi declared that Fadnavis was Nagpur’s gift to Maharashtra. Gadkari reckons that even if Fadnavis becomes the CM, the central leadership should realise that he (Gadkari) has the support of most of the MLAs from Vidarbha.”

With both Gadkari and Fadnavis hailing from Vidarbha, there has been speculation about a turf war between the two leaders. The rift surfaced during last year’s continued…