Nitin Gadkari mollifies miffed Bal Thackeray

BJP national president Nitin Gadkari made a "courtesy call" to Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray at his house in suburban Bandra on Friday night. Gadkari's visit was reportedly to mend fences following his allegation in February, in an interview, that derogatory references were made about BJP leaders in the Sena mouthpiece, Saamna.

The BJP president's charge was seen as a veiled criticism of the mouthpiece's executive editor and Rajya Sabha MP, Sanjay Raut.

Earlier in the day, the Shiv Sena has taken a swipe at the BJP for tying up with rival Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) in the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC). The BJP had broken ranks with the Sena to support Yatin Wagh of the MNS in the Nashik mayoral polls, which angered its saffron partner. But, in the elections to the standing committee chairman's post, the Sena had joined hands with the Congress, NCP and others to elect Uddhav Nimse (Congress), defeating Ashok Murtadak of the MNS. The MNS had wrested power from the Sena-BJP in the Nashik civic body. The BJP's Satish Kulkarni is the deputy mayor in the NMC, where the MNS is the largest singleparty.