Maharashtra BJP president Nitin Gadkari on Thursday had a nearly two hour-long meeting with party general secretary Ram Lal. BJP headquarters in-charge Shyam Jaju and Tarun Vijay were the other two leaders present at the meeting.

Amid speculation that his was one of the names being discussed for the party president’s post, Gadkari said that “he had not been sounded out on any future assignment in the party” and that “he was ready to shoulder any responsibility that would come his way”. He added that “he did not meet RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat”, who was also in town on Thursday.

Gadkari clarified that “he was on a personal visit” and that “he wanted to invite Ram Lal for the Maharashtra BJP state executive” to be held in Mumbai on November 21 and 22. “I was in town to attend a meeting of Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (Gadkari also runs a power plant that supplies 32 mw of power to Mumbai),” he said.