Nagpur: Even as senior BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar is pitching for Union Minister Nitin Gadkari as chief minister of Maharashtra, a group of newly-elected party MLAs from Vidarbha region today assembled outside the residence of Gadkari in Mahal area of the city and raised slogans hailing his leadership.

Gadkari, who arrived here from New Delhi today, was accorded a rousing reception by the party workers and leaders at Nagpur airport for the splendid victory of BJP in the just-concluded Assembly polls.