Nagpur: Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday recalled the instance when a political leader offered to support him for the Prime Minister’s post, but he declined the offer. However, Gadkari did not provide specific details about the incident or name the leader.
Gadkari said that becoming the prime minister was not his aim, asserting that he would never compromise his ideology for a post.
Gadkari made the revelation during a journalism award ceremony at the Nagpur Press Club on Saturday.
"I remember one incident — I would not name anyone — that person said if you are going to become prime minister, we will support you," Gadkari said, without specifying when the conversation took place.
"But, I asked why you should support me, and why should I take your support. To become the prime minister is not the aim in my life. I am loyal to my conviction and my organisation, and I am not going to compromise for any post because my conviction is foremost for me," the senior BJP leader added.
Democracy will be successful only when all four pillars — judiciary, executive, legislature and media — follow ethics, the BJP leader further said.
Earlier too, Gadkari asserted that he had never thought of becoming the Prime Minister of the country. Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, when asked about the speculation that he could be the "consensus PM face" if NDA falls short of a majority, the Union Minister had responded negatively.
“I was never in the race for the prime minister’s job. I am content with whatever I am today. I am a committed BJP worker with conviction, not a politician by calculation,” Gadkari told The Times of India.
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government was sworn in for the third consecutive term, Gadkari was handed over the responsibility of the Transport Ministry. Gadkari, 67, has got two deputies – Ajay Tamta, BJP MP from Almora, and Harsh Malhotra, a first-time BJP MP from East Delhi constituency.
The veteran BJP leader scored a hat-trick by winning the Nagpur seat in the recently-concluded Lok Sabha election with a margin of 1.37 lakh votes.