Zee Media Bureau
New Delhi: Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday said he did not harbour any ambition of becoming the party president, a day after polling for the final phase of Lok Sabha elections ended.
“I have been BJP president for three years, I have no ambition to become the party president. Our priority is to form the government under Modi,” Gadkari told reporters here.
The BJP leader added, “I have been cleared of all charges against me. I am happy about it and ready to accept any role party will decide for me.”
Top BJP leaders have been engaged in consultations with each other over the post-poll situation in the wake of exit polls projections that the party-led NDA may form the government.
As part of the high-level confabulations, Nitin Gadkari met LK Advani today and discussed with him the unfolding situation and post-poll scenario. Gadkari had met party`s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi yesterday.
After Gadkari`s meeting with party patriarch Advani, speculation were rife that the ex-party president is lobbying for either post of BJP president or home minister.
Gadkari, however, denied the claims saying “It is a total false rumour. RSS never told me that I will get back as BJP president if charges are cleared against me. I have never approached any leader for any post.”
Further answering on the roles of senior leaders after the formation of government, once the final verdict comes out on May 16, Gadkari said, “Not true that Sushma Swaraj has been sidelined in the Modi age. She has been visiting different states. This is not a mother-son party. It will be the privilege of the prime minister to decide roles for senior party leaders.”
“Anything can happen in cricket and politics. Wait for some time, everything will be clear. About MNS: to add a new alliance partner in Maharashtra, there has to be agreement within NDA in that state. Since there is no agreement on that, no question of adding MNS to NDA,” he said further over alliance with other parties post results.
Revoking former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee`s ideologies, Gadkari said, "Atal Bihari Vajpayee was considerate of all parties in the alliance regardless of how many MPs they had. We are going to continue with that under Modi`s leadership."
"We do not believe in political untouchability," he added over the “neech rajniti (low-level politics)” row.
Priyanka Vadra had said Modi was indulging in “neech rajniti (low-level politics)”. In return, the Gujarat CM had hit back, saying as he belong to a socially backward section, Congress consider his politics to be `neech rajniti`.
Hailing Narendra Modi, Gadkari added, “Under Modi, there will be equal justice to people of every religion and caste. You will know what kind of person and leader he is in five years.
Narendra Modi is not a communal person at all and is willing to work with all political parties. He believes in the democratic and federal character of the country. Congress and other parties trying to create fear in the minds of minorities.”
Further on Modi`s equation with state-level critics like Mamata and Mayawati, Gadkari said, “Our policy is that those who are ready to work with us are welcome. It is up to them to decide whether they want to join hands with us or not.”
