Kailash Vijayvargiya dismisses politics in Raut-Fadnavis meet: 'I keep meeting Digvijaya'

Commenting on the meeting between former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, BJP National General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya on Sunday, said that such meetings were routine in politics. Claiming that he had met senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh several times, he said that such meetings 'should not always be taken seriously'. Both Raut and Fadnavis have claimed that the meeting was 'non-political' and pertained to an 'interview'.

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Kailash Vijayvargiya: 'I keep meeting Digvijaya Singh'

In January, Vijayvargiya had a rare meeting with Singh in Indore - with both leaders readily posing for the media, warmly hugging each other. This meeting was a few months before Jyotiraditya Scindia had staged a coup, toppling the Kamal Nath government as he and 22 MLAs quit the Congress and jumped to BJP. Currently, Vijayvargiya who is the BJP's Bengal-in-charge has been retained by JP Nadda as the state's secretary - in stiff opposition to newly joined Jyotiraditya Scindia ahead of the state bypolls.

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NCP in huddle

Earlier in the day,  sources reported that NCP and Congress are upset over the meeting between the former allies. Sources report that Maharashtra Congress chief Balasaheb Thorat and NCP chief Sharad Pawar met CM Uddhav Thackeray at his home- 'Matoshree' to discuss the same. Several political leaders like Congress' Sanjay Nirupam and NCP MP Majeed Memon raised questions on the meeting.

On Saturday, the ex-Maharashtra CM met with the Shiv Sena MP at a luxury hotel in Mumbai and held a 2-hour meeting.  While this meeting between the former allies had set political circle atwitter, BJP Maharashtra spokesperson Keshav Upadhye clarified that the meeting was for Fadnavis' tentative interview for Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana with Raut, post- Bihar polls. He said that while the interview has been fixed, Fadnavis has told Raut to air the interview unedited, reportedly insisting on his camera to be present. Fadnavis will be the second non-Shiv Sena leader which Saamana will be interviewing after NCP Supremo Sharad Pawar.

But Raut has been vocal in his attack on BJP since the 35-year alliance split over a variety of issues like - Ram mandir, Jalyukt Shivar scheme, Metro car shed, NRC, CAA, Farm Bills, COVID and the most recent - Sushant Singh Rajput's death probe and Kangana Ranaut's attack on Mumbai police. Fadnavis too has criticised the Sena government's ineffective COVID management, the SC stay on Maratha reservation, scrapping gram panchayat polls amid the pandemic. Fadnavis is the BJP's election in-charge in Bihar along with Bhupendra Yadav.

Congress and NCP 'upset' with Raut-Fadnavis meet; Sharad Pawar meets CM Uddhav : Sources

Ex-CM Devendra Fadnavis holds 2-hour meet with Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut; BJP explains why