Nitin Gadkari collapses at election rally in Maharashtra’s Yavatmal

Nitin Gadkari serves as the Union Roadways Minister. After delivering a speech, he took to X (formerly Twitter) to communicate that he experienced discomfort from the heat at a rally in Pusad, Maharashtra, but assured his followers that he was currently in good health and on his way to Varud for the next meeting. Earlier in the year, speculation arose about his political future when the BJP delayed naming him as its Nagpur Lok Sabha candidate.

This delay prompted a playful invitation from former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who urged Mr. Gadkari to join the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, which is composed of the Congress, the formerly undivided Shiv Sena, and the Nationalist Congress Party led by Mr. Thackeray and Sharad Pawar. “We will ensure your victory,” said Thackeray. Mr. Gadkari’s name was eventually included in the party’s list, and he dismissed Thackeray’s offer as “immature” and “ridiculous” in a response delivered in Yavatmal, emphasizing the BJP’s systematic approach to selecting candidates.

The Mahayuti alliance, on the other hand, comprises the BJP, the Shinde-led Sena, and the Nationalist Congress Party breakaway unit led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, with the three factions in a race to finalize a seat-share deal before the deadline for filing nominations for the fifth phase of the election. Reports suggest that the Sena faction is seeking prominence in Nashik, Thane, and Mumbai South, among others. In the second phase of polling, eight seats in the eastern part of Maharashtra are set for voting on April 26, including Amravati, Hingoli, Nanded, and Yavatmal-Washim.