Mumbai: In the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections, there was speculation about union minister Nitin Gadkari emerging as a prime ministerial candidate, which the BJP leader categorically dismissed.
As the Nagpur MP stands for re-election, his voters seem to think that the protégée of the orange city should become the prime minister in future, if not now. For Nagpur residents, the choice is either Prime Minister Narendra Modi or their very own Gadkari — there is no third alternative for them.
“Gadkari has completely changed the face of the Nagpur city and if he gets re-elected, he will make Nagpur a ‘foreigner city.’ He is a man of work. Ask anyone in Nagpur, even children will say that the PM should either be Modi or Gadkari,” said Lata Thombare, who attended BJP president Amit Shah’s rally in Nagpur on the last day of campaigning Tuesday.
Kishor Rimbekar, who lives in Vidarbha’s Yavatmal district but travels to Nagpur often for work, said, “Gadkari is very popular, not just in Maharashtra, but across India. He has started a lot of road works in Nagpur and brought the Metro railway here.”
Gadkari is the Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Water Resources.
“As of now he doesn’t seem to be in the race for the PM’s post. It is only Modi. But in the future, he might be. A lot of people think so,” Rimbekar added.
Rajkumar Bidrekar, who works as a cobbler outside Nagpur’s Eternity Mall, said he would like to see Modi in the PM’s chair again as he has done a lot of good work. “But, it will be our good fortune if Gadkari sahab becomes the PM. He is a big man, nice man. As Maharashtra’s PWD (Public Works Department) Minister, he had brought about a lot of development across the state. I have got this shop because of him, through a government scheme.”
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Gadkari’s remarks had triggered speculation
The murmurs about Gadkari being a PM aspirant was partially fuelled by a few controversial remarks made by him.
In February, while speaking to former workers of RSS’s student wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in Nagpur, Gadkari had said party workers should fulfill their domestic responsibilities first because those who cannot do that “cannot manage the country”.
In January, Gadkari had said political leaders who don’t fulfill the dreams they peddle will get “thrashed” by people.
Political circles were abuzz with speculation of Gadkari being a potential PM candidate in the event of a fractured mandate. There was also a perception that Gadkari has the backing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, which is headquartered in Nagpur. But Gadkari had dismissed the speculation, saying his words were being twisted by the media and that the BJP has only one PM candidate — Narendra Modi.
“If he has pushed all this speculation aside, it is because of his humility,” said Ashokrao Lambat, a keertankar (who sings devotional songs) in old Nagpur. “He is fit for the responsibility and a lot of people think like me”.
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