Gadkari rules himself out of CM race, says 'I am happy in Delhi'

Amidst calls by several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs in Maharashtra that he should be made the Chief Minister, Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday reiterated that he was not in the race for the top post.

Gadkari said that he was happy with the responsibilities assigned to him in New Delhi, and added that the people should not compare him with Devendra Fadnavis.

"Devendra Fadnavis and I belong to the same party. He is my associate and I brought him in politics. The way people are comparing me and him, time and again, is incorrect. There is no competition in our party," said Gadkari.

"I have already expressed that I don't want to come to Maharashtra, I am happy and content in Delhi. I am sorry to witness the comparison between me and him," he added.

Gadkari had earlier also denied being a contender for the top post in Maharashtra and said that BJP chief Amit Shah would discuss the issue with everyone before taking any final decision.

The Chief Minister's name will be declared only after BJP's Parliamentary board meeting in New Delhi.

The BJP, which won an unprecedented 122 of 288 seats in Maharashtra Assembly polls, is yet to announce its chief ministerial candidate. The BJP has also not made it clear as to which party's support it will take for government formation in Maharashtra.