Modi meets Uddhav; irons out differences

In what is said to be a move aimed at boosting ties with the ally Shiv Sena (SS), Gujarat chief minister and BJP poll campaign head Narendra Modi on Thursday met Uddhav Thackeray at his residence here.

The first-ever meeting between the leaders following Modi’s elevation as BJP campaign head sparked speculations that the Gujarat chief minister was trying to placate the Shiv Sena.
Accompanied by Maharashtra BJP President Devendra Fadnavis, leader of the opposition in state legislature council Vinod Tawde and the party’s Mumbai chief Ashish Shelar, Modi, in the city to take part in the gathering of BJP’s core committee, spent nearly 20 minutes with Uddhav and his family members.

Both parties are tight-lipped over the meeting, though a picture showing the leaders was released later.

Though Modi is believed to have discussed political strategy for Maharashtra with Uddhav, the meeting actually laid to rest speculations that the BJP was quietly making overtures to Uddhav’s arch rival and cousin Raj Thackeray.

Since early this week, SS mouthpiece “Saamna” has been openly slamming the BJP as well as Modi's elevation in the party.

Commenting on the JD-U’s withdrawal from NDA, the editorial on Monday remarked:  “ What you had has been lost, so  let us accept that when it comes to friends, NDA faces a subtraction.”