Nagpur:
Nitin Gadkari, out of the big picture since he lost the chance to be BJP president again, created a stir on Thursday evening when he said that an "influential political leader" had asked him to help bring down the Congress-led UPA 2 government at the Centre.
Mr Gadkari shared no more details in his speech in Nagpur, except to claim that he had turned down the request. "I told him it's up to you whether to withdraw support or not," Mr Gadkari said, refusing to identify the politician.
The former BJP president did not even say when this alleged proposal was made to him.
The revelation is bound to spark a guessing game of who-was-it, though Mr Gadkari's detractors in Maharashtra have quickly suggested that it be taken with a pinch of salt. They say this is yet another attempt by Mr Gadkari to stay relevant.
He had an ignominious exit from national politics in January this year when charges of corruption and an income tax inquiry into his businesses cancelled his chance of being appointed the BJP president for an unprecedented second straight term. Rajnath Singh was picked instead to be BJP chief.
Mr Gadkari has since said several times that he will contest next year's Lok Sabha elections from his home town Nagpur.