Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has again asked Union Minister Nitin Gadkari to leave the BJP if he is being "insulted", saying the Opposition in Maharashtra would ensure his victory in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
However, Mr. Gadkari has described Mr. Thackeray's invitation as "immature and ridiculous", saying the BJP has a system of selecting candidates for the elections and the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader need not worry about the saffron party leaders.
Speaking at a rally in Maharashtra's Yavatmal district on March 12, Mr. Thackeray said people like (former Congress leader) Kripashankar Singh, whom the BJP once targeted (over alleged corruption), figured in the saffron party's first list of candidates along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but Mr. Gadkari's name was missing.
