"I met Raj Thackeray as an NDA member and not as a BJP leader, just to ensure that anti-Congress and anti-NCP votes in Maharashtra do not split," he said.
The meeting had triggered off speculation that the BJP tried to win over MNS chief Raj Thackeray into the NDA for an electoral alliance before the Lok Sabha elections.
"Our aim is to keep anti-Cong and anti-NCP votes intact to favour NDA. If MNS fields candidates across Maharashtra for Lok Sabha polls, it would benefit the Congress and the NCP," he said, justifying his meeting with the MNS leader.
"They have no knowledge about the model code of conduct since it's a new party," he said.
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