Gadkari said Thackeray’s suggestion came much before the BJP’s discussion on distribution of tickets in Maharashtra for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.Last week, responding to Thackeray’s offer to Gadkari to contest as a candidate of the opposition, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis mocked the Sena (UBT) chief, saying it was like a man in the street offering someone to make US president.Gadkari is a prominent leader of the BJP, but the first list did not have names from Maharashtra as seat-sharing discussions between the BJP and its allies were not complete, Fadnavis had said.Thackeray, meanwhile, termed the notification of rules under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act as an “election jumla” (slogan).Hindus, Sikhs, Parsis and others coming to India (from neighbouring countries) are welcome but the timing of the notification is suspicious as elections would be soon announced, the former Maharashtra CM said.It has been more than four years since the abrogation of Article 370, but no elections have taken place in Jammu and Kashmir and Kashmiri Pandits have not yet returned to their homes in Kashmir, he said.The BJP should first bring Kashmiri Pandits back and then implement the CAA, Thackeray said.In the coming elections, there is the BJP which is creating enmity between religions and wants to change the Constitution, and on the other hand there is the INDIA bloc which is an alliance of patriots, he said.”This election will be between `desh-bhakt’ (those who love their country) and ‘dvesh bhakt’ (those who preach hatred),” Thackeray said.Prime Minister Modi has not yet found time to visit the restive Manipur, he added.
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