As the Maharashtra impasse continues between the Shiv Sena and BJP on government formation, Congress leader Ahmed Patel on Wednesday met BJP’s Nitin Gadkari at his residence. The Shiv Sena had earlier approached the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to help end the deadlock and it informally is backing Gadkari to resolve the deadlock.

Patel later took to Twitter and informed about the meeting with Gadkari. He said, “Met Shri Nitin Gadkari to submit various representations – for my constitutency and Gujarat state- on underpass construction at Bharuch district, compensation for farmers near the expressway project & relief for MSMEs.”

Met Shri Nitin Gadkari to submit various representations – for my constitutency and Gujarat state- on underpass construction at Bharuch district, compensation for farmers near the expressway project & relief for MSMEs pic.twitter.com/44rXQOLYP2

Advertisement

— Ahmed Patel (@ahmedpatel) November 6, 2019

Although, Sonia Gandhi loyalist Ahmed Patel dismissed any discussion with Gadkari over the Maharashtra issue but the meeting at this significant time suggest otherwise.

On Tuesday, in a letter to Mohan Bhagwat, Sena leader Kishore Tiwari, known to be close to Union minister Nitin Gadkari, had appealed the RSS chief to step into the current political scenario, while alleging that the BJP is not following “coalition dharma”.

Tiwari said the state has delivered a mandate in favour of the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance. “But the BJP’s failure to follow ‘coalition dharma’ is delaying the formation of a new government in Maharashtra. Therefore, the RSS should intervene and resolve the issue,” the letter read.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday evening met Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat at the right-wing group’s headquarters in Nagpur. According to reports, Fadnavis held over a 45-minute closed-door meeting with Bhagwat and his deputy and RSS general secretary Bhaiyyaji Joshi on the political scenario in the state and got the suggestion that he must resolve the issue with Shiv Sena soon and form the government in Maharashtra before the verdict in the Ayodhya case.

Reports suggest that RSS would have liked Gadkari to look after the situation in Maharashtra. But Gadkari is reportedly not interested in returning to state politics and would rather continue at Centre.