Amidst growing speculation about his name emerging as a Chief Ministerial candidate for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Maharashtra, Union Transport and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari clarified on Saturday that he had no interest in the post.
“I am not interested. I am busy handling my responsibilities,” he told The Hindu on the sidelines of the swearing in ceremony of Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao.
Reports that Mr Gadkari is in the Chief Ministerial race have gathered momentum over the last month with his presence at the inauguration of several high profile infrastructure projects in the state, accompanying Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mr Gadkari has worked towards expediting several key projects in the poll-bound state including the Nagpur Metro and the Navi Mumbai airport. He has also drawn up an ambitious plan to develop the city’s eastern waterfront.
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Mr Gadkari’s proximity to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and administrative experience could also make him a front-runner within the party. As Public Works Minister during the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party government in Maharashtra, he was credited with executing the Mumbai-Pune expressway and a network of flyovers in Mumbai.
However, Mr Gadkari has a rocky relationship with the BJP’s alliance partner, the Shiv Sena. The equation between the allies was severely strained in 2006 when he was State BJP President. He also faces the taint of the Purti scam which led to his exit as the national BJP President in 2013.
Yet, he is the most high profile face of the BJP Maharashtra. The state BJP is facing a leadership vacuum after the death of Union Minister Gopinath Munde, the OBC face of the party and among its strongest mass leaders. Several state leaders are said to be vying for the Chief Minister’s post. These include state BJP President Devendra Fadnavis, Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly Eknath Khadse and Leader of Opposition in the State Council Vinod Tawde.
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