Mumbai, Dec 28 (IANS) Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray “blessed” the newly-appointed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari at his Bandra home Monday afternoon.
Gadkari, who is on his first visit to Mumbai after taking over as the BJP chief, called on the Sena patriarch at his ‘Matoshree’ bungalow in Bandra east. Asked about what transpired, Gadkari said: “The Shiv Sena chief ‘blessed’ me.”

Gadkari told media persons that the Sena chief also said that he (Gadkari) has been given a very big responsibility by the party and he must carry out his duties well.

The Sena chief expressed faith in Gadkari and said that he was confident that the new BJP chief would do well in his endeavour.

“I also have a deep respect for Thackeray and he will continue to guide us,” Gadkari, who spent nearly 45 minutes there, observed.

Gadkari noted with happiness at the meeting that Thackeray’s health has improved considerably and he was in good spirits.

Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray is currently abroad and expected to return by Wednesday after which Gadkari is planning to have a meeting with him.

Incidentally, Gadkari is a former cabinet minister in the Shiv Sena-BJP government which ruled the state between 1995-1999, while the two parties have been political allies in the state for over two decades now.

He is credited with initiating the makeover of Mumbai which included 55 flyovers, widening of the two highways running through the city, the work on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and several other major infrastructure projects across Maharashtra.