As MNS leaders join BJP, Raj Thackeray calls on Devendra Fadnavis

As four senior leaders from Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) on Tuesday joined the ruling BJP, party chief Raj Thackeray met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis earlier in the day, reportedly worried over the defections.

"Lately, the MNS has received several jolts with the exit of party leaders who were with Raj Thackeray since the beginning. These leaders have all come together to join BJP, one of the main rivals of MNS. To prevent more defections, Thackeray met Fadnavis," one of the MNS leaders who joined the saffron party today said.

State BJP President Raosaheb Danve today inducted MNS leaders Pravin Darekar, Vasant Gite, Ramesh Patil, Kashinath Megal (all former MLAs) and some others into the party. However, asked about the meeting, senior MNS leader Bala Nandgaonkar said Raj Thackeray was "a self-made man" and he did not need to meet the Chief Minister over "trivial" issues. "Raj Thackeray formed the MNS when he had nothing. Do you think he would meet the CM over such a trivial issue? These people who got inducted had resigned a month back anyway," Nandgaonkar said. Thackeray met Fadnavis to discuss issues related to school education, including the increasingly heavy school bags, and the two did not discuss any party-related issues, Nandgaonkar said.