Muttemwar to fill Deshmukh spot?
Age correspondent
, Aug. 16
Nagpur MP Vilas Muttemwar may soon be inducted into the Union Cabinet. Following the untimely death of Vilasrao Deshmukh, the Congress high command will consider Mr Muttemwar to represent Maharashtra in the Union Cabinet in place of the late science and technology minister.
Mr Muttemwar hails from Nagpur and the Congress is seriously considering him to take on BJP president Nitin Gadkari in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
A senior Congress leader from Maharashtra said, “Since Deshmukh hailed from Maharashtra, there is talk in Delhi of another leader from the state being accommodated in the Centre. There are high chances of this leader being Mr Muttemwar.”
After becoming BJP’s national president, Mr Gadkari had refused to get elected to Rajya Sabha and said that he would contest the next Lok Sabha elections. There are chances that he will contest the Lok Sabha election from his home city Nagpur.
“The Congress will provide all the strength to Mr Muttemwar. He has been the MP from Nagpur for four terms. He is considered a veteran. But beating Mr Gadkari in 2014 will be a different ball game. Mr Gadkari started working towards the 2014 election two years ago, and he will also have the advantage of being president of a national party.
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Gadkari: nda not divided on pm candidate
Age Correspondent
New Delhi, Aug.16
The BJP on Thursday claimed there was no divide in the NDA on the issue of its prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 parliamentary polls and said a decision will be taken only after consulting Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar who is reportedly opposed to Mr Narendra Modi filling the slot.
BJP president Nitin Gadkari dismissed reports of a growing split in the NDA on Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi being the PM candidate.
“I have promised Nitish Kumar that he will be consulted before a decision is taken. I have discussed at length the Modi issue with Nitish. At an appropriate time, we’ll decide on the PM candidate and that will happen only after talks with Nitish Kumar,” Mr Gadkari said in an interview to a TV channel.