A late night meeting of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis and senior Congress leader Narayan Rane with BJP’s national president Amit Shah in Ahmedabad on Wednesday created ripples in the political circles. The hour-long meeting held at Shah’s residence was to be held in Delhi, but the BJP chief had to rush to Ahmeda-
bad following the birth of his grandchild, said a source, adding that the objective of the meeting was realted to expansion of Maharashtra Cabinet.
Sources close to the development said that the meeting was necessary as Shiv Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray met Shah in New Delhi after NDA meet on Monday. According to reports, Fadnavis and Rane met Shah at his residence and travelled together in a vehicle from airport. The visit by Fadnavis to Ahmedabad was kept private . It is only later did they arrange for a convoy befitting Maharashtra CM.
Rane’s appearance with Fadnavis gave momentum to the ongoing speculation on his joining the saffron brigade. Strategically, Rane’s entry in BJP would make the party stronger in Konkan region of Maharashtra.