Mumbai: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president Amit Shah was in Mumbai on Saturday. This was his third visit to the state this month. Mr Shah met Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) supremo Mohan Bhagwat. Though the BJP and RSS were silent on the meeting, many assumptions were doing the rounds in political circles.

Mr Shah, after landing in Mumbai, went directly to meet Mr Bhagwat at the RSS’s city office. No senior leader of state BJP accompanied Mr Shah, and neither the BJP nor RSS issued a public statement regarding the meeting.

Mr Shah’s second Mumbai visit this month has triggered much talk.

As the state reeling under the violent Maratha agitation and his party appear to be cornered on the ground, Mr Shah could have discussed the issue with his party colleagues.

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut recently claimed that the BJP is holding discussions on changing the chief minister. Senior BJP leaders such as Nitin Gadkari, Sudhir Mungantiwar and Chandrakant Patil have denied such claims, but Mr Shah’s visit added fuel to the fire.

According to sources, Mr Shah has asked Mr Fadnavis to not buckle under pressure and handle the crisis firmly.