Raj Thackeray must not use Narendra Modi's name to seek votes: Gopinath Munde

PUNE: BJP leader Gopinath Munde said here today that the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) should not seek votes using name of Narendra Modi and thus mislead people in Maharashtra.

Munde's statement came just a day after BJP president Rajnath Singh snubbed the MNS for using Modi's name in its campaign, asking the MNS either to join the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) or merge with the BJP.

"The MNS should not use Modi's name and mislead people while seeking votes for its candidates", Munde told reporters here in reply to a question.

Raj Thackeray has made a public statement that would be MNS MPs would support Modi for prime ministership after Lok Sabha elections.

The BJP leader said that he and former party president Nitin Gadkari had tried to bring Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray together, but it proved to be a futile exercise.

He said that a vote for the MNS would amount to supporting the Congress.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra BJP President Devendra Fadnavis told reporters here today that names of over one lakh voters from Sangli district had been included in voters' lists from slum colonies in the Pune Lok Sabha constituency. The BJP had filed a complaint with the Election Commission, he said.

Anil Shirole, the BJP candidate contesting the Pune seat is pitted against Congress nominee Vishwajeet Kadam who hails from Sangli.