Raj Thackeray Thanks Devendra Fadnavis As BJP Withdraw Its Candidate

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Monday thanked Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for the BJP's decision to withdraw its candidate from the bypoll to the Andheri East Assembly seat in Mumbai.

In a letter written to Mr Fadnavis, Raj Thackeray referred to the senior BJP leader as his "dear friend" and said it is essential to have a positive political culture.

He said the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) is always in favour of proliferation of such a positive culture.

"I am thankful that you responded to this (appeal)," Mr Thackeray said.

Mr Thackeray had on Sunday written another letter to Mr Fadnavis, asking the ruling BJP to pull out of the bypoll race to show respect to late Shiv Sena MLA Ramesh Latke, whose death necessitated the byelection. Ramesh Latke died of cardiac arrest in May this year.

BJP's Murji Patel, who withdrew his nomination papers on Monday, was pitted against the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction's candidate Rutuja Latke, the wife of Ramesh Latke.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar had also appealed to all parties to ensure that Rutuja Latke was elected unopposed.

With Mr Patel pulling out of the bypoll, Rutuja Latke's victory in the November 3 elections is a mere formality.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)