'Modi, not me, will be PM again'

Nitin Gadkari interacts with the people of north Nagpur on Tuesday. Pic/Sunny Shende

Nitin Gadkari, who calmly shoots down any talk of him being the prime minister-in-waiting, with a 'no one but Modi will remain in the high office', was on home turf on Tuesday. Even though his road show wound through an area he considered weak in terms of expected vote-share for the BJP - the north side of Nagpur city - the response was overwhelming.

In this part of the city, Dalits and Muslims dominate the electoral rolls. Yet, people lined up to shower flower petals on the Union minister and shake his hand as a thousand bike-borne BJP-Shiv Sena workers piloted him through the wide and narrow roads.

Nitin Gadkari interacting with the people of north Nagpur on Tuesday

Gadkari breaks for a simple lunch of dal, chapati and rice at home served by his wife, Kanchan. He interacts freely with mid-day ahead of some more frenetic campaigning, not only for himself, but also for six other BJP-Sena candidates in eastern Vidarbha, whose fate will be sealed on April 11.

He is confident of securing a handsome win against Congress-nominee Nana Patole (Gadkari's protege when he was in the BJP), only because of his development work in the region and the country.

But, he neatly skirts a query on his prospects of becoming the next PM, saying that no one but Narendra Modi will remain in the high office, and predicts a historic win for BJP with more than 300 seats this election.

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Excerpts from the chat:

A taxi driver who dropped me here said you don't need to campaign at all. "Koi kuch bhi kare, Gadkari saab hi chunke aane wale hain (come what may, Mr Gadkari's win is certain)."
(Laughs in his inimitable style) Yeah, I have been hearing that from many people. It's the unconditional love that the people of Nagpur have for me. I'm always available and meet people regularly. My efforts have helped develop the city exactly as the people demanded. They have seen what they haven't been able to get in the past so many decades.

This is perhaps the only constituency that has a strong contender in you who comes from a caste group that doesn't have a large presence. Political analysts say your principal opponent was selected based on his caste, which, if polarised, may tilt the battle his way.
I don't believe in the caste system. In fact, none of the BJP candidates in Vidarbha have been given tickets based on caste. My party is not founded on the social evil and it was because of this approach that the BJP has grown by leaps and bounds. My party will continue to grow further. We know people don't cast their votes for candidates of their respective castes, but for those who work tirelessly for them.

We see a restless person in you who floats ideas. At times, you are ridiculed, but you stand your ground. Being out of power did not stop you from experimenting, notwithstanding the result.
I love innovations. I experiment, be it cooperative ventures like sugar factories, supermarkets or banks, bio-diesel plants or using ethanol as a replacement for conventional vehicle fuel. I have also experimented with infrastructure projects. I have encouraged young professionals to take up construction jobs and arranged financial assistance for them. This is how more employment was generated and country's growth rate was boosted. A model that I created for the Mumbai-Pune expressway turned out to be a game-changer in the country's highway construction. I have been able to revive stalled projects and plan new ones.

Is it acceptable to you when your admirers say you have surpassed the most hardworking ministers of the Congress, the UPA and NDA-1.
I won't accept this admiration because for me, the late Atal ji (Vajpayee) and the late George Fernandes, continue to be my ideals. These two leaders were huge visionaries and very effective as policy makers and taskmasters. I have learned from them and try to implement their teachings while performing my ministerial duties or otherwise. I work with the same passion even when my party is not in power. In fact, I have spent considerable time in the Opposition, yet people have been supporting me.

You speak of development, but a section of Vidarbhaites allege that you have discriminated against the western part of the backward region. They say all the development is concentrated in Nagpur and other eastern districts.
I haven't discriminated against anyone. I have given thousands of crores to the Amravati division (five districts) for water resources. I have given them many projects. When it comes to my active part in that region, I admit that I have some limitations, but I want other like-minded people to come forward. I will always be there to help them.

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Your opponents are critical of development projects like the Metro network, cement roads, industrial projects that they say are only on paper.
They don't have anything else to say. The years to come will show them how developed Nagpur and the rest of Vidarbha can be. I don't even take my opponents' names when I appeal to the people for their blessings. Why should I?

The agrarian crisis continues even as you talk of increasing irrigation potential by at least double
Farming issues aren't a recent phenomenon. It will take some more time and creation of water resources (Gadkari heads this ministry) to make farming sustainable. I think we need to change our cropping pattern because we overgrow many things while depending on imports for edible oil. So, we need to focus on the crops that we don't grow in larger quantities. We also need to create national and international markets for our farm produce. I'm very proud to say that our cooperative sends 30 containers of vegetables from Nagpur to the Middle East every month. Change is in the offing, for sure.

The movement for a separate Vidarbha accuses you of breaching a promise that a new state would be carved out by the BJP. Recently, you threatened a group of protesters who tried to disrupt your public meeting.
My party still stands by the demand (for a separate Vidarbha). We had a resolution to this effect passed at our national executive. I haven't breached any promise. The matter is still alive and the Parliament may decide on it at an appropriate time. I asked the troublemakers to let me speak. When they continued, I had to warn them because their behaviour was bound to anger a larger audience that had come to see me.

Any chance of you being in the PMO? Your supporters in Nagpur openly say they would be voting for a PM candidate this time.
BJP's going to win more than 300 seats. Narendra Modi will again be the PM.

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