Gadkari meets RSS chief

Meeting took place a day after M’rashtra BJP president Devendra Fadnavis, said to be a front-runner for the CM post, called on Mohan Bhagwat

• Rajnath to be in Mumbai on Monday; back channel talks with Sena on
• It was a routine visit during Diwali like every year, says Gadkari
• Uddhav not scheduled to meet Modi, says Shiv Sena

Nagpur: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday met RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and discussed “important” issues but said there was no talk on politics in Maharashtra where BJP is in the process of government formation.

The meeting took place a day after Maharashtra BJP president Devendra Fadnavis, said to be a front-runner for the Chief Ministership, called on the RSS chief. The Lok Sabha MP from Nagpur came to Sangh building in Mahal in eastern part of the city on a two—wheeler. “I met Sarsarsanghchalaji (Bhagwat). It was a routine visit during Diwali like every year. Yes we discussed many important issues barring the Maharashtra politics and the Chief Ministership,” Gadkari told reporters after emerging out of the building. The senior BJP leader’s meeting with Bhagwat comes a day ahead of the high tea being hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Sunday for NDA MPs. The new BJP government in Maharashtra is likely to be sworn in on October 29 or 30, party sources said here on Saturday. Union Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP's central observer for election of the legislature party leader, is expected to arrive here on Monday and election is likely to take place the next day, a top BJP leader said here in an informal interaction with journalists. Back channel talks were said to be on between BJP and estranged former ally Shiv Sena for forming a coalition government.

Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena said party president Uddhav Thackeray was not scheduled to meet him in Mumbai or even in the national capital later, and talks for government formation would start only on Monday.

Gadkari courts controversy by riding scooter without helmet
Nagpur: Union Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari today rode into a controversy when he was caught on camera entering RSS headquarters here on his scooter without wearing a helmet in violation of traffic rules.

TV channels showed the 58-year-old BJP MP from Nagpur riding his white-coloured scooter to the Sangh headquarters in Mahal area of the city to meet RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat amid efforts by the party to form government in Maharashtra.

When pointed out by journalists about him having violated the rules, Gadkari refused to comment and entered the premises with a man riding pillion and another scooter in tow.

"It is a very small thing and for anyone else it wouldn't have attered...For the transport minister of the government of India, who is violating the law which he had to be enforcing, then it does make a difference," Congress leader Digvijay Singh said.